What is a Gutshot in Poker? A Rare Straight Draw

You may see the term being used when playing Texas Hold’em online, but it’s more likely that you’ll hear it discussed around live poker tables and by commentators covering these events.

Examples of a Gut Shot Poker Hand

We discussed an example above, but here are a few more to make sure you fully understand the concept of a gut shot in poker:

• Your hand = 7, 8; the flop = 10, J, 2 (you need 9)
• Your hand = 4, 5; the flop = 7, 8, K (you need 6)
• Your hand = 2, Q; the flop and turn = 8, 9, 10, K (you need J)

What is a Gutshot Nut Draw?

The “nuts” in poker refers to the best possible hand at any given time. A gutshot nut draw, therefore, is one where you’re drawing to the highest hand available at that time. If the board shows A, K, and J, you will draw to the nuts if you have a 9 and 10, with the queen being your gutshot.

Of course, it doesn’t mean you will have the best hand at the end. If you’re holding two hearts and both the A and K are clubs, you could be in a situation where the queen lands to give you a straight, but it’s a club and gives your opponent a flush, straight flush, or even a royal flush, all of which will beat your straight.

A straight is no longer the nuts when the third club is drawn.

The nuts is the hand everyone wants, and as discussed in our guide to poker tips at a casino, getting the nuts could secure a significant return if played correctly.

Poker Gut Shot Strategy

Any worthwhile online poker strategy will advise you that you shouldn’t be betting big when you have a slight chance of winning. Sure, the gutshot might give you a good hand so that that call will be tempting, but a gutshot straight is rarely something that you should chase.

Poker players will always calculate something known as expected value (EV). They will consider the value of a call compared to the probability of a win. For instance, let’s assume you’re holding a 2 and a 3 off-suit, and the flop comes 5, 6 and 7 of different suits. You need a 4 to complete a straight and get a good hand, but there are only two cards left to draw, and there are only four 4s in the deck.

Furthermore, your opponents could have a high straight, and even if they don’t, there’s a good chance they will win the hand if you miss the draw. In this case, you may consider calling small bets when the pot is high but do not risk too much when it’s low or your opponent is betting more than the pot.

For more advice on how to play particular draws and hole cards, check out our poker tips. If you prefer video poker to Hold’em, we also have some helpful video poker tips.

What are the Odds to Hit a Gut Shot Straight Draw?

There are 52 cards in a deck, and if you’re on a gutshot draw on the turn, we know the card you need is not in your hand or on the board. That means you have a 4/47 chance of hitting the gutshot on the turn, equating to around 8.5%. This jumps to about 8.7% going from the turn to the river.

That might seem like a decent probability for a powerful hand, but if that’s all you’ve got, it means your opponent has a near 92% chance of beating you. Those odds are not favorable.

Summary: The Poker Gutshot

Countless beginners have chased a gutshot, which has cost them dearly while frustrating their opponents on rare occasions when they land. As discussed above, however, sometimes it makes sense to chase a gutshot, such as when the pot is high, the bets are small, and you believe your opponent is weak.