A five-card hand of a single suit is strong enough to beat a straight, three of a kind, and two pair, all of which are more common and easier to create from two hole cards and the five community cards. But drawing to a flush can be equal parts exciting and intimidating. 

When on a flush draw, the player must balance the odds of hitting the flush with the remaining cards in the deck versus missing the flush and choosing whether or not to portray said flush as a bluff. And unless the player is holding the ace for the nut flush draw, they must determine whether any opponents are drawing to a higher flush or even a straight flush.

Every flush starts with a flush draw, as it requires more than the initial hole cards to complete. The key is knowing how to play that draw, what to do with the actual flush when you get there, and how to handle it if you don’t make that flush.

What Is a Flush Draw in Poker?

A flush draw is the position in which a player is drawing to a flush. In the traditional order of hand rankings for Hold’em poker, the flush – five cards of a single suit (spades, hearts, clubs, or diamonds) – is in the middle of the chart. The order, from worst hand to best hand, is:

• High card
• One pair
• Two pair
• Three of a kind
• Straight
• Flush
• Full house
• Four of a kind
• Straight flush
• Royal flush

Therefore, drawing to a flush is a common spot for poker players, especially if you receive two hole cards of the same suit. There are many situations in which you may be on a flush draw, such as two hole cards of the same suit and a third card of that suit on the flop. An even better flush draw is when two cards of your suit hit on the flop, and you need only one more on the turn or river. There are also situations in which a player flops a flush draw by surprise, as two or three of the flop cards match one of the hole cards. What started as one sort of hand can turn into a flush draw by virtue of the cards that come on the flop.

Types of flush draws

There are numerous types of flush draws, some more common than others. While the definition of a draw is simply an incomplete hand that requires one or two more cards to be complete, there are several situations in which a player can draw to a flush. Knowing the terminology helps segregate those possibilities for study, strategy, and awareness of the common terms used at a poker table amongst players.

Four flush

A typical flush draw assumes that you have three or four cards of the same suit in your hand and only need one or two more to complete a flush. When you have four of the same suit in your hand, regardless of when you draw them, it is sometimes referred to as a four flush. 

Backdoor flush draw

When you play poker online, you’re most likely playing Texas Hold’em or Omaha poker, where all players share community cards in the hand. In these formats, you may receive three cards of the same suit with the display of the flop. This gives you opportunities to complete a flush at both the turn and the river. This is known as a backdoor flush draw.

The odds of finding a flush with a backdoor draw are slim, at approximately 4% or 5%, but it can be worth pursuing with few people in the hand and if you know that your opponent is weak.

Straight or Royal flush draw

Drawing to a specific flush type is quite tricky, but a straight flush or a royal flush is such a valuable hand that it often pays to take a chance. A straight flush draw means that the draw already includes three or four cards in sequential order and of the same suit. A royal flush draw is the same premise but involves only the cards of a royal flush – ace, king, queen, jack, and ten – of the same suit. Many players will be able to tell that you are drawing to a straight flush or royal flush, and their subsequent bet or raise will indicate their instinct. This heightens the risk but can lead to a profitable pot if you make it.

Nut flush draw

A nut flush is the best possible flush in a particular hand. Most often, a nut flush draw involves the ace of that suit, as it ensures that if two players draw to a flush, the one with the ace will be the highest and winning flush. If there is an ace of that suit in your draw on the board and you hold the king, both players drawing to a flush will have the ace-high flush possibility, but your king ensures that you have the best kicker. A flush with an ace and a king will beat a flush with an ace and a queen.

Examples of Flush Draws in Texas Hold’em

There are many types of flush draws in Texas Hold’em. Let’s dive into some examples that illustrate that.

Hand 1:  Jane receives 8-7 of clubs as her hole cards on the button. A player limps from middle position, so Jane decides to raise on the button. Suited connectors are often good hands to play strongly from a solid position. The blinds call, and the original limper folds. The flop brings two more clubs. While they do not create a straight draw, the flush draw is there and worth pursuing in most cases.

Hand 2:  John is in early position but is dealt A-K of spades. He raises and finds callers in the blinds. The flop brings only one spade, but a strong bet isolates the hand to just one opponent for the backdoor flush draw. When the turn delivers another spade, the nut flush draw is even stronger, and it is worth taking to the river to see if the flush can materialize or if a big bet prompts his opponent to fold.

How strong is a flush draw?

Many recreational poker players who play online are immediately excited by the prospect of a flush draw, regardless of the strength of their cards. As soon as they see three or four cards of the same suit, they assume they are on to a winning hand. 

However, it is essential to know that not every flush draw will be the highest-ranking hand, even when completed, especially when you consider that a flush is only the fifth-highest-ranking hand in poker. 

This means that even if you complete your flush, you still run the risk of being beaten by a full house, four of a kind, a straight flush or a royal flush. 

Flush rankings

Flushes are ranked by the value of the highest card, followed by the second-highest and so on. If you have low cards in your flush draw, it is probably not a good idea to pursue it, as your opponents may very well complete a higher-ranking flush than you. 

Better hands

Considering that a flush is only ranked fifth, you also need to assess whether others might have better hands based on the community cards available. 

For instance, if you are holding a backdoor flush draw with high-ranking cards, but there is a pair of tens at the turn on the table, there is a strong possibility that an opponent may have a full house. 

Be aware of what’s on the table before you bet aggressively unless, of course, you’re heading toward a straight or royal flush. 

How Many Outs Does a Flush Draw Have?

What are the odds of completing a flush draw?

This is where it gets interesting. If you’re a regular at Texas Hold’em or Omaha online poker tournaments, you will know that the probability of a flush (excluding straight or royal flushes) is around 3%. 

A flush draw, on the other hand, is far more probable. Assuming you draw two suited hole cards like a pair of spades or diamonds pre-flop, the probability of hitting a flush draw at the flop is around 10.9%. 

Should you get the flush draw on the flop, the probability of completing it goes up to 19.1% at the turn and 19.6% at the river. 

Another way to calculate your probability is to count the outs. Outs are cards that are likely to give you the winning advantage, depending on the hand you’re trying to build. Should you have a flush draw, then you know that there are nine outs (the remaining cards in the suit you’re building) 

A rule of thumb to assess the probability of completing the flush on the turn is to multiply the outs by two i.e. 9 X 2 = 18%. That doubles on the river. 

Flush Draw vs Nut Flush Draw: What’s the Difference?

When to pursue a flush draw

The excitement of looking down at cards of the same suit and then doubling that feeling with another one or two of that suit on the flop is tempting. That’s why it’s important to temper those feelings and use strategic thinking before pursuing a flush draw. 

Implied odds

Implied odds refer to the potential amount of money you could win based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the size of your opponent’s stack, the skill level of your opponent and super aggressive opponents. 

When faced with any of the above, playing a flush draw to possible completion has a high probability of winning. However, you have to be on your toes. 

Calculating your implied odds can be tricky and requires some skill if you’re playing online poker for real money. 

For instance, if only one of your hole cards forms part of the flush draw, then the other three are on the table. This means there is a high probability that your opponents are holding the same or better than you, in which case, they may have already completed their flush. 

Your implied odds in this instance are low. Understanding this can save your stack.

Aggression

If you’re confident of your chances based on your flush draw, then aggression is a tactic to scare your opponents into folding before the river, especially if they are recreational or risk-averse players. 

By re-raising, you can thin the herd, knowing that your flush draw has a high probability of completion and, if you’ve done your calculations well enough, you can see off stubborn opponents. 

Defence against a call

Should an opponent survive your re-raise and call, you need to go into serious assessment mode. At this point, you will have to get a little more granular in checking your odds before deciding on your next course of action. 

Let’s say you didn’t complete your flush at the turn. You know that there is still an 18% chance of completing it at the river based on the outs. Revisit your earlier assessments. 

How do you rank your flush draw? Is there a pair on the table? 

Based on your calculations, your best action is to check at the turn and see what happens at the river, given you still have a chance of completing your flush. 

Should the opponents re-raise, then you will need to assess your appetite for risk relative to all the calculations you’ve made up to that point and decide whether to call, fold or raise. 

Should You Play a Flush Draw: Basic Tips for Beginners

Flush draws, in general, can be a rookie’s Achilles heel. At first glance, it appears that you are onto a winning hand, and this can drive a false sense of security. 

To genuinely play a flush draw, you need to have a good grasp of Texas Hold’em poker rules, read the table, and assess your opponents beyond just a blind bluff. Take time to work out the probabilities and examine your opponents’ tactical nous before blindly trying to complete your flush. 

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