Question for ya'll

If i don't like drawing to straights, why am i playing hands like A/10, k/j q/10 etc?

Sounds like you've answered your own question - though if I can make a suggestion, a better question to ponder might be "why don't you like drawing at straights?"

There's plenty to like about drawing when you're being laid the right price.

I will reply to any question that has a "ya'll" in it...lol being from Texas...

Yes, I agree with Oz's reply. Depending on the pot, your position and table dynamics, drawing to the straight can be a most pleasant experience. But playing the above mentioned hands is not necessarily "drawing to a straight". I dont know what format or stakes you are playing, but since this is Tournament poker, I will assume you are speaking MTT or STT. With these hands, the blind levels, your position, action to you and your stack are all factors that will help you make your decision. If you are UTG in early blind level and your stack is average, you want to pretty much fold all of these, if blind levels are higher and you have, say 5-10 BB, and you are on the button and all fold to you, you may want to push all in - hard to say w/o a read on the BB and SB, but generally yes - just as an example. All those hands gain in strength (depending on the blind level) if you are IP and all are folding, or loose passives are calling or whatever. Hard to just say "do this with A 10" cause so many factors dictate your correct move.

They are good hands but not unbeatable.A 10 is descent but not unbeatable.It depends on how you want to look at the situation.Many players feel the need to go all in with that hand and maybe also on a straight draw such as with the jqka and 910jq.It's basically just a gamble but many feel the need to do this and either usually end up winning or losing the hand.

I just feel that it's much easier to catch a flush than a straight.

with as straight you need one or two of 13 ranks..with a flush you only need one of four suits, or am I missing something?

Sorry, there are higher odds of getting a straight than a flush.

A flush from two suited cards 118/1 (0.84%)
A straight from two max stretch connectors 76/1 (1.3%)

http://www.pokerupdate.com/pokerodds.htm

I meant draws though..not preflop...you're more likely to hit the fluush, I would think...thirteen cards of the same suit gives you 9 outs if you have four...drawing to a straight, you're down to at MOST eight outs..unless im missing something?

LOL, if it were easier to catch a flush then a straight, then don't you think a straight would beat a flush? I'm sorry, but i about dropped on the floor when i read this. LOLOL

If you are talking about drawing to the flush/straight, i completely agree with you. I actually never thought about this until now. I am very interested to hear what anyone else has to say....sorry for laughing at you BTW...lol.

If you play those sort of cards, and there is As and picture cards on the board...expect the pot to get big quick. Can be costly. You have to play them smart - then again other players may be tentative with that kinda board.

Lemme illustrate... Let's take a hand like KJ off suit
Flop comes 10 Q 3 rainbow
Maximum Potential outs.... 8 Ah As Ad Ac 10h 10s 10d 10c
Now let's take the exact same starting hand but suited... kjh
Flop comes 2h 4h 6c
Maximum Potential outs:9 Ah 3h 5h 6h 7h 8h 9h 10h Qh

And thats why I like to draw at flushes more.

[quote=IamRude;1526466]Sorry, there are higher odds of getting a straight than a flush.

A flush from two suited cards 118/1 (0.84%)
A straight from two max stretch connectors 76/1 (1.3%)
/quote]

This is only odds for the flop, the odds change to a slightly better % for the flush as you move to the river.
A flush from a four-flush by the river (9 outs) 1.9/1 (35%)
A straight from an open-ended straight draw by the river (8 outs) 2.2/1 (32%)

A flush from a four-flush on the final card (9 outs) 4.1/1 (20%)
A straight from an open-ended straight draw on the final card (8 outs) 4.8/1 (17%)

With your pocket the same suit and 2 more on board, yes, the flush draw is a better draw than the OESD. I like these more myself. You simply have more outs, and a flush is a strong hand. In any draw situation of any kind, its gonna be the pot odds (and perhaps implied odds if you are not going all in or putting someone else all in) that should help you decide whether or not to chase. (and the table dynamics as well)

just for info purposes:
There are 5,148 possible flushes, of which 40 are also straight flushes, the probability of being dealt a flush, which is not also a straight flush, in a five-card hand is

5108
-----------
2,598,960 =.20%



There are 10,240 possible straights, of which 40 are also straight flushes, the probability of being dealt a straight, which is not also a straight flush, in a five-card deal is

10,200
------------------
2,598,960 = 0.39%

The above numbers are supposed to be fractions, i.e. 5108 over 2,598,960 and so on, I cant get my keyboard to make it look better.

well..if the flop was Ah 2h 9d
and you have a suited connector which are hearts too..
you are 30% to get the heart on the turn..
and I believe if you miss it on the turn ..
you have 17% chance to get it on the river.. not sure with the percent on the river though.. hope it helped! goodluck!

I won't even MENTION gutshot vs flush draw...with a gutshot, you're at best a FOUR outer..compared to nine outs drawing to the flush...

You're ignoring a vital piece of information here, and that's the price you're being laid to draw.

You're right, a flush draw on the flop has nine out and you're a 34.9% chance to make it by the river. An OESD only has eight outs and you're 31.4% to hit one of them by the river.

First off, that's not a very big difference in odds. Certainly not a big enough one to come up with a crazy rule like "I never want to draw at straights".

Second, whether you've got a flush or a straight draw, it's the pot odds you're being laid that dictate how and when you should be drawing. If there's $100 in the pot and your single opponent bets just $20 you're getting the right price to continue with both OESD and flush draws. If the pot is $100 and he bets $80, on the other hand, you're not really getting the right odds to continue with either.

Gutshots are a different matter entirely, but if you've got an OESD you're only slightly less likely to make your hand than if you've got a flush draw. Throw both away in places where you're not getting the right price to draw, and play both when you are getting the right price. Simples.

You can't be biased to hands, pro and anti. Not playing straight draws when the situation calls for it is costing you money, and playing flush draws when the situation isn't right is costing you money. I think you need to learn the proper situation and stop being biased to certain types of hands.

This is by far the dumbest rule someone has ever put into play. Here's a scenario for you.

Flop comes 4 6 9 rainbow and you have 78, your straight draw is to the nut hand. You hit the straight, you can't be beat.

Now the flop comes 3 9 K with 2 hearts, and you have 78 of hearts, you have far from the nut hand, and it's unlikely you'll have the best hand if the stacks are going in.

Everything in poker is situational, embrace everyone you come across and learn from them.

Download pokerstove (free) and plug in straight draws vs. flush draws, sd's vs. overpairs, fd's vs. overpairs, sd's vs. sets, fd's vs. sets, etc.