Flush Draw
A flush draw is four cards of one suit needing one more to make a flush. It has 9 outs: about 35% to hit by the river from the flop.
A flush draw is a hand with four cards of the same suit, needing one more of that suit to complete a flush. In Texas Hold'em this usually means two suited hole cards plus two cards of that suit on the board, such as A♥ 5♥ on a flop of K♥ 8♥ 2♣. It is one of the most common and important draws in the game.
Flush draw outs and odds
A suit has 13 cards. If you can see four of them, 9 remain, so a flush draw has 9 outs.
| Situation | Chance to hit |
|---|---|
| Flop to turn (one card, 47 unseen) | 9/47, about 19.1% |
| Turn to river (one card, 46 unseen) | 9/46, about 19.6% |
| Flop to river (two cards) | about 35.0% |
| Backdoor draw from the flop (needs turn and river) | about 4.2% |
The rule of 2 and 4 gets you close quickly: 9 outs times 4 is 36% with two cards to come, and times 2 is 18% with one.
Worked example: should you call?
You hold A♥ 5♥. The flop is K♥ 8♥ 2♣ and the pot is 100. Your opponent bets 50. You must call 50 to win 150, so your pot odds require 25% equity (50 divided by 200).
- If your opponent is all-in, you will see both cards and hit about 35% of the time. Calling is clearly profitable.
- If they will bet again on the turn, you should think of your call as buying only one card, about 19%. That is less than 25%, so the call relies on implied odds: winning extra chips when you hit. Holding the nut flush draw, as here with the A♥, makes those implied odds better, because when you hit you have the best possible flush.
Ways to play a flush draw
- Call: fine when the price is right and you are in position.
- Bet or raise as a semi-bluff: you can win immediately when your opponent folds, and still hit your flush when called.
- Combine with other draws: a flush draw plus an open-ended straight draw has 15 outs, about 54% with two cards to come, which often makes you the favourite.
Common mistakes
- Counting dirty outs. If your opponent may hold a set, a flush card that also pairs the board can give them a full house.
- Chasing low flush draws. With 6♣ 4♣ you can make a flush and lose to a higher one.
- Using the rule of 4 when more bets are coming. The two-card figure only applies if you will see both cards without paying again.
Frequently asked questions
How many outs does a flush draw have?
Nine. There are 13 cards in a suit, and you can already see four of them.
What are the odds of hitting a flush draw?
About 35% by the river from the flop, about 19.1% on the turn alone and about 19.6% from the turn to the river.
What is a backdoor flush draw?
Three cards of one suit on the flop, needing both the turn and river to be that suit. It completes only about 4.2% of the time.
Related poker terms
- Outs — Outs are the unseen cards that will improve your hand to the likely winner. Counting them is the first step in working out your odds on a draw.
- Flush — A flush is five cards of the same suit in any order. It beats a straight and loses to a full house, and flushes are compared by their highest card.
- Rule of 2 and 4 — The rule of 2 and 4 estimates your chance of hitting a draw: multiply outs by 4 on the flop (two cards to come) or by 2 on the turn (one card to come).
- Pot Odds — Pot odds compare the cost of a call to the size of the pot you could win, telling you the minimum equity you need for a call to be profitable.
- Semi-Bluff — A semi-bluff is a bet or raise with a drawing hand that is behind now but can improve. It wins if opponents fold or if you hit your draw.
- Implied Odds — Implied odds count the extra chips you expect to win on later streets when you hit, making some calls profitable despite poor direct pot odds.