Draw
An unmade hand that needs one card to become strong
Definition
A draw is a hand that isn't made yet but can become very strong if the right card falls. The two big families: the flush draw (4 cards of the same suit, 9 outs) and the straight draw — open-ended (OESD, 8 outs) when two ranks complete it, gutshot (4 outs) when only one middle card fills it. A draw's strength is measured in outs, converted to equity with the rule of 2 and 4: a flush draw on the flop has about a 35% chance of coming in by the river, an OESD about 32%, a gutshot about 16%. Combo draws (flush + straight, 15 outs) exceed 50% — they're often favorites against a mere top pair. Strategically, draws are the natural semi-bluff candidates: betting or raising with a draw stacks two ways to win — your opponent folds right away, or you hit your card. That double path is what makes draws so valuable in aggression, whereas calling passively reduces them to their raw equity, at the price quoted by the pot odds.
You defend the BB with 8♥7♥, flop T♥9♣2♥: flush draw (9 outs) plus an open-ended straight draw (6 additional outs once the already-counted ♥ are removed) ≈ 15 outs, about 54% equity by the river. A semi-bluff check-raise is excellent here: you're a favorite against top pair while also being able to win the pot immediately.