What is an open-ended straight draw (OESD)?
An open-ended straight draw is four consecutive cards that can complete a straight at either end — for example 9-8 on a T-7-2 board, where any six or jack makes the straight. That's 8 outs: about 32% to hit by the river from the flop, 17% on the next card.
Why it matters
The OESD is the workhorse semi-bluff: enough equity to call a normal bet, enough to bet or raise as a bluff with the backup of hitting. With a flush draw added (a combo draw) it becomes a favorite against most one-pair hands.
Its danger is the dominated straight — drawing to the low end of a board where a higher straight is possible — and paired boards where hitting can still lose.
The numbers
- 8 outs: 31.5% by the river from the flop, 17.4% on the turn alone. Add a flush draw (15 outs) and it's 54.1% by the river.
- Against a half-pot bet on the flop (25% needed), an OESD is a profitable call on pot odds alone with two cards to come.
Figures come from the same preflop charts and research data the rest of the site uses (charts last updated July 5, 2026); they change when that data does.
Exact turn, river and by-the-river odds for 1–20 outs.
Common questions
How many outs does an open-ended straight draw have?
Eight — four cards of each rank that completes the straight. Fewer if some of those cards are already on the board or would pair it for a possible full house.
Should you bet or call with an OESD?
In position against one opponent, raising or betting as a semi-bluff is often best — you win the pot immediately sometimes and still have 32% when called. Out of position, calling and check-raising the right turns is more common.
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