Backdoor potential in O8B

Even the best starting hands need help from the flop. You can hold four promising cards preflop but it is the best five card hand that wins. After the flop is revealed, seven out of in total nine cards are known. That means that you should have a really good understanding of what your final holding will be. Do not expect a miracle from the last two cards, nor should you ignore backdoor potential.

So how does backdoor potential look like? Here is an example! Take a look at this starting hand which looks decent enough. It is definitely worth playing for one bet.



The 2 is a key card for this hand. It would be beautiful if the flop came with the 2, another low diamond, and a king. Two aces and a king would be nice too. While you are drifting into “lala-land”, what if the flop instead comes:



Now what do you have? Not much! You had a good starting hand, yet you can not be over confident any more. Although it is not healthy to hang around sinking ships, do not abandon prematurely! There are two streets remaining and you do not have a complete overview of the situation yet. What if you are sitting around back and there doesn’t seem like anybody else likes this flop either. Then it is time to reevaluate.

OK! Right now you have an ace high for the high side of the pot and there will not be a low side unless two low cards hit on fourth- and fifth street. What about backdoor draws? A backdoor draw is when you use both of the last two cards to make the draw. Yes, there is plenty of backdoor possibility here.

Backdoor draws

There is a draw to a flush. Runner-runner diamonds will give you a flush, the nut flush. That is the kind of hand that you want. Generally, it is not as important to have the nut-flush if it comes in as a secondary draw. That is because; it is not as likely that the nut-flush is up against you. If the ace of the flush suit was in someone’s hand on a flop where it only gave that player the backdoor flush draw, then that player will probably throw it away. In this scenario you can find more outs though.

One jack and either a queen or a ten will give you a straight, the nut straight. Hardly a strong draw by itself, but it adds outs. The added outs are “nut-outs”.

There is also a possibility that you will win the low side of the pot. It is not certain that there will be one, and even if there is one: you are only a candidate to it. If a deuce comes along, and there is no reason it can not come, a third low card will give you the nuts. Otherwise, this draw is not necessarily to the nuts. It is still worth something if you are up against a pure high-hand. Due to the connectivity in the starting hand, you could make a wheel, you could even make a steel wheel (a straight flush, A-5).

Is the hand playable?

Finally, there are a lot of ifs and maybes when the strength of this hand is summarized. You have to tread lightly to play this hand. If it is jammed before it gets to you, it is unplayable, you are probably up against something to strong. You could lose some money by catching for example the T. It looks like you have a really strong draw but you could lose even if you make your draw as the nut flush gets pounded by a full house. Do you pay off a bet if you get the ace-trey low? With most scenarios, you win if you make your draws though.

Therefore what is nothing at the flop is playable if you are able to keep an open mind. There is money at the center of the table that could be yours. Draw as long as it is profitable, and remember to avoid raising wars as long as you are on the come.