A gutshot, or inside straight draw, needs one specific rank to fill a gap, such as 9-8 on a J-7-2 flop, where only a ten makes a straight. There are four tens in the deck, so a gutshot has 4 outs, half as many as an open-ended draw.
Gutshot odds
| Draw | Outs | Flop to turn | Turn to river | Flop to river |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutshot | 4 | 8.5% | 8.7% | 16.5% |
| Open-ended straight draw | 8 | 17.0% | 17.4% | 31.5% |
With one card to come you hit 8.5% of the time, or 10.8 to 1 against. Even seeing both cards, you complete the straight only 16.5% of the time.
Why gutshots are hard to call with
Facing a half-pot bet, you need 25% equity to call on pot odds alone; a gutshot has 8.5%. To break even you would need big implied odds: in a $100 pot facing a $50 bet, you would have to win about $388 more on average after hitting. That is rarely realistic, so calling bets with a bare gutshot is usually a mistake.
When a gutshot is worth playing
- With extra outs. A gutshot plus two overcards, or plus a backdoor flush draw, adds equity and makes calling or semi-bluffing much better.
- As a semi-bluff. A small bet with a gutshot can win the pot outright, and you keep 16.5% to improve if you get all-in on the flop.
- When the price is tiny. Against a very small bet, for example a quarter of the pot, you need about 16.7% equity; implied odds can make up the gap.
- Double gutshots. Some boards give two gutshots at once, such as 9-7 on a J-8-5 flop needing a ten or a six. That is 8 outs, as good as an open-ender.
The quick rule
Multiply outs by 2 for one card and by 4 for two: 8% and 16% for a gutshot, very close to the exact 8.5% and 16.5%. If the bet asks for much more than that, fold unless you have extra outs or fold equity.
See how a gutshot compares with every other draw on the poker outs chart, and check any call with the pot odds calculator.