Inside Straight
An inside straight is a hand that needs one specific card to complete a straight, because the missing card is in the middle. It is also called a gutshot or a belly buster.
The simple explanation
If you hold 9-8 and the flop is J-Q-4, you need a ten. Only four cards in the deck, the tens, complete the straight, so the draw is hard to make.
A closer look
An inside straight draw has four outs. On the flop, with one card to come, you hit it about 8.5 percent of the time (4 outs in 47 unseen cards). With two cards to come, you have about 16.5 percent. Because the draw is weak, you usually need a good price or other outs, such as overcards, to continue.
A practical example
You hold 9♥ 8♦ and the flop is J♣ Q♠ 4♦. Only a ten completes the straight, so you have an inside straight draw.
Full explanation
An inside straight is a hand that needs one specific card to complete a straight, because the missing card is in the middle. It is also called a gutshot or a belly buster.
An inside straight needs one specific card in the middle.
There are four outs.
It is also called a gutshot or belly buster.
Compare it with an open-ended draw.
An inside straight draw
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB 99 of hearts (9h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB 99 of hearts (9h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB 99 of hearts (9h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player A has nine and eight. Only a ten completes the straight, so this is an inside straight draw.
Board: JJack of clubs (Jc)QQueen of spades (Qs)44 of diamonds (4d)
- Player A BTN / SB 99 of hearts (9h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.