Open-ended (poker)


Open-ended refers to a situation in poker where the player has four of five cards needed for a straight that can be completed at either end. For example, a player with 3♥ 4♥ 5♣ 6♠ is open-ended, because a deuce or a seven would give the player a straight. This situation is also called an outside straight draw or double-ended straight draw as the cards needed to complete the straight are cards which are on the outside of the current hand, as opposed to an inside draw such as 2♦ 3♠ 4♠ 6♥ or A♣ 2♣ 3♣ 4♦, which can only be completed by a five. The term originated with draw poker but is also used in games like Texas hold'em.
Seven-card games like hold'em and stud also allow the possibility of double belly-buster draws, also called double-inside or two-way draws, which, like an inside draw, a card is needed within a series to fill. But unlike simple inside draws, two ranks can fill the hand. An example of this is A♥ 3♥ 4♣ 5♠7♣, in which a deuce fills the inside straight A2345, and a six would fill the inside straight 34567.
These terms are also used for straight flush draws. 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ 5♥ is a straight-flush draw, since A♥ and 6♥ will create straight flushes. Such hands are optimal drawing hands, since the player has up to fifteen outs.