Directly connecting (no gap) cards and their double belly buster Potential

Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
Ok, here we go. Look at this hand and flop, absent of suit:
You hold: 5-6
You flop: 2-4-8

Notice the draw you have here. You can hit a 3 or a 7 for the straight. Nice, huh? It gets better...
Same hand, you hold: 5-6
Only, you flop: 3-7-9.

Notice the draw you also have with this flop as well. You can hit a 4 or a 8 for the straight. While everyone just loves an open end straight, it is clearly inferior to this. Why? Let’s look at the flop that gives you an open end straight;

You hold 5-6
You flop: K-3-4 (need a 2 or a 7)
Or: 7-8-K (need a 4 or a 9)

See the difference? While you still need one of two possible cards to make your straight, this open end straight stands out on the flop like a sore thumb. If you bet at it, you are not going to get near the action when that 3rd straight card hits; you are clearly chasing a straight. So, when the card you need comes, they will be very leery. The double belly buster is far better hidden. It is far better disguised.

Now, if you also throw in the flush draw, well! Now you really got a hand. There are, however, a few drawbacks;

You can turn the DUMB (small) end of the straight. Watch out for that. As always, when you have the small end, ask yourself; “could my opponent have a higher straight?” Then ask yourself “What did he do post flop?” “On the flop?” “The turn?” Those answers could save you. Does it make sense? If he 3-bet preflop and you called, would he do that with the 2 little cards that could beat you? Or, is that a clear sign he has a big pair or AK, etc? Or, did you both limp in? Or, did he just call your raise?

You only have a small flush, unless you hit the straight flush. However, if you hit the straight flush and they have the ace high flush, wow! You are going to make a lot of chips. An obvious open end straight flush draw completed with a 3rd card might make them fold. It is way more obvious. Be careful if you have, say, only a 6 high flush! Also, a fourth flush card means you are more likely dead as well.

These are also reasons for skipping 5-6 off, but playing 5-6 suited. It increases your chances dramatically. So, look for these hands and these flops;

You hold:_____________You flop:
3-4__________________A-5-7

4-5__________________A-3-7 / 2-6-8

5-6__________________2-4-8 / 3-7-9

6-7__________________3-5-9 / 4-8-10

7-8__________________4-6-10 / 5-9-J

8-9__________________5-7-J / 6-10-Q

9-10_________________6-8-Q / 7-J-K

10-J_________________7-9-K / 8-Q-A

J-Q__________________8-10-A

Let’s have some feed back, comments, questions and later I will move onto the other Double belly busters. As you might imagine, they get far better than just those with directly connecting cards!!!
 
Last edited:
AugustWest

AugustWest

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Total posts
608
Awards
1
Chips
1
If you hold JTs, I think you can wind up with the highest straight?
Oh yeah, gotta love the DBBGs :p
 
PurgatoryD

PurgatoryD

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
Total posts
736
Chips
0
Great read! Thanks for the heads up! :)

I never really gave this any thought, but you are so right. The odds are exactly the same as an open-ended straight, but this "double drawing" hand is much better masked. This is exactly the kind of situation you look for in tournament play. The tricky part is to not play this like a draw so that you can really cash in if you do hit. Pure evil! :)

Thanks for the great writeup. I can't wait to read about some of the other "double belly busters" as well!
 
Aleksei

Aleksei

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Total posts
1,527
Chips
0
This is all super standard stuff. Like, it's in the strategy articles for this very site.
 
Propane Goat

Propane Goat

Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't
Moderator
Joined
Apr 26, 2013
Total posts
7,475
Awards
4
US
Chips
217
Great topic, I've never looked into these in depth yet. It's funny, if you make this hand it's one of those where you actually want to see Aces on the board when you don't have any in the hole.
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
Great topic, I've never looked into these in depth yet. It's funny, if you make this hand it's one of those where you actually want to see Aces on the board when you don't have any in the hole.

Especially when they incorrectly play those aces, right? Give you a free/cheap card thinking they "got this", you hit the st8 and then they regret it, big time. And if they hit a set of aces on the river (on a non paired board) you know they will call a shove. Just make sure it's the high end!! With some of these, it is pretty obvious that they DO NOT have a st8, like when they raise 3x UTG and you are on the button w 56 suited, so even the small end could be "safe". Just depends. If you see them raise UTG with 67, you might think twice. I actually do sometimes and people get mad! But, you got to shift gears, do not become predictable! Not like I always do.
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
This is all super standard stuff. Like, it's in the strategy articles for this very site.

Now, pee in my wheaties, I will just grab a donut at the office, lol.

I like to revisit the basics like this. I have made a few friends who are newer to poker, so it fits. Yes, I am sure it is in the strat articles someplace, but people glaze over a lot of that stuff. Plus, I am adding specific strategy to it. We can drag it here out piece by piece, dissect it, etc.

Never get so good you ignore or forget to respect the basics. I'll bet you play a hand next few days and remember this. Then, you can give me a cut of your profit when you win with it. :)
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
If you hold JTs, I think you can wind up with the highest straight?
Oh yeah, gotta love the DBBGs :p

Right? JT, you flop 7-9-X, turn or river an 8, you are set and it's very well hidden. Especially if its a st8 flush and they have that Ace high flush. That and a paired board is all that has Ace-high flush worried. On a non-paired board, they are in for a shock. It's also why I would rather have a suited 2 gapper than a non-suited connector. I will take these sneaks over an obvious OESD any day :)
 
Aleksei

Aleksei

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Total posts
1,527
Chips
0
I would if I didn't have all this stuff committed to memory already. ;)

But yeah given the responses there do appear to be a few people who haven't bothered to research the basics, so I guess it's good you brought it to their attention. :)

Also, two additional tips: 1) every straight JT draws to is the nuts, including the sucker end one; and 2) 43 and 32 aren't very valuable on account that they flop a minimal number of straight combos and all of them are weak. Generally speaking I would stick to 65 and above because most ranges block the top-end straight for 54 (as A is the most common card in any non-random range).
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
I would if I didn't have all this stuff committed to memory already. ;)

But yeah given the responses there do appear to be a few people who haven't bothered to research the basics, so I guess it's good you brought it to their attention. :)

Also, two additional tips: 1) every straight JT draws to is the nuts, including the sucker end one; and 2) 43 and 32 aren't very valuable on account that they flop a minimal number of straight combos and all of them are weak. Generally speaking I would stick to 65 and above because most ranges block the top-end straight for 54 (as A is the most common card in any non-random range).

Good point! Yes, an ace high st8 with the low end, if you get A-K-Q on board. You are pretty safe unless a set is in looking for board pair on the turn/river. And if it's K-Q or Q-10 vs J-10 where a J has hit the flop giving you top pair/st8 draw (J-8-9), you turn/river a ten, you are screwed to K-Q. You will only want to see a 7 there. Unless they have that Q-10, you are then drawing dead.

Four card st8's on board always make me cringe. I see so many guys hit two pair and ship their chips over to the guy with that one card needed + a rag (in the blinds, often), or they both ship them to the guy with two connectors for the high st8! Sad, man, just sad. In a cash game, I can see it, you only have to be right xx times to make a call worth it (maybe? I don't do cash, mostly MTT), but MTT'ers get nailed and railed quick like that all the time.
 
Last edited:
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
Check this out goat;

Great topic, I've never looked into these in depth yet. It's funny, if you make this hand it's one of those where you actually want to see Aces on the board when you don't have any in the hole.

I was just talking about 4 card board straights. They suck. But this happened earlier:
Ok, 30-60 blinds. I'm in the hijack position w QJ off when it is folded around to me. I 3x it coming in. Folds to BB and SB, who float.

Flop comes 6h-9s-5s. BB and SB folds to me. I could C-bet here, but it is a fairly coordinated board. I think "A flush/st8 draw, a set or bluffer will 3 bet me, a made st8 would have bet (7-8). So screw it, I check as well."

Next card of is a 8c Hmmm......Sb bets out 90. BB calls. I think, I gotta fold, right? I got nothing. Then I remember my original thoughts; I am pretty sure this was not a made st8. Or a set. You would bet 2/3 or pot at least here, right, with a 7 in your hand? Scare off a higher st8 draw. Why the small bet? I smell blood...

So I chase two possible hands. What hands? A board st8 (7) AND a st8 with my QJ (10), of course! I just turned a DBB! Well, sort of, lol.

So, It's 90 into a 360 pot. That is 4 to one. I have 4 outs to the board st8, which I don't think they have yet. So, I count my 2 Q's, 2 J's, 3 10's as well (non-spade). Thats 11 outs, I am only approx. 5 to one to make it (rule of 2). But, if no flush...that's 14 outs. That is 3.5 to one now. I hate chasing a st8 into a flush, but I don't think that is what I am up against. I think if I make the 10, I will make some chips. They must have something. So, screw it, I call the 90 using the 3.5 instead of 5 to one. This is borderline to me.

Next card off is the 7h. I just made a board st8! So, I can bluff, bet it big, it looks like I raised preflop with A-10 maybe! And, thats the only hand that can beat me, one with a ten. High/low kicker is pointless.

Well, the BB checks, the SB bombs it for about 3/4 pot, to 450! Crap! I am screwed, right? No way! I think what 10 could really be in here, A-10? Did he just bet with what I was going to bluff with? Well, why would you bet such a large amount? You want to get callers if you just rivered a st8, right? Value bet. 3/4 pot is not a value bet. Would he chase this odd ball 10 high st8, or would he have called that turn bet with a middle pair? Guy is full of it! Some pair, that is all, gotta be!

I call. BB folds. Guy shows A-5 off. Split pot, thanks for not thinking this out, BB. Otherwise, I would have only broke even on that one!
 
Top