Double Gutshot
Double Gutshot
Term: Double Gutshot A double gutshot is a type of draw where a player's hand, combined with the community cards, creates two different gutshot draws (i.e., missing one middle card to complete a straight), totaling eight outs. In practice, a double gutshot is highly disguised, making it difficult for opponents to read your drawing range. Despite having the same number of outs as an open-ended straight draw, its path to completing the straight is more hidden, often yielding favorable implied odds. For example, if a player holds 9-10 and the board is 7-8-J, the 9-10 can make a straight by hitting a 6 forming 6-7-8-9-10 or a Q forming 8-9-10-J-Q. Each gutshot has four outs, for a total of eight.
Overview
Double Gutshot is a type of draw in Texas Hold’em where a player holds two different gutshot draws simultaneously, each missing one middle card to complete a straight. Because the two draws do not overlap, the total number of outs is 8, making the draw strength close to that of an open-ended straight draw, but the way it completes is more concealed.
Example
Suppose the player holds 9♠ 8♠ and the board is J♣ 7♦ 5♥. In this case, the player needs a 10 to complete the 8-9-10-J straight (gutshot), and also needs a 6 to complete the 5-6-7-8-9 straight (another gutshot). Therefore, the player has 8 outs (four 10s and four 6s), forming a double gutshot.
Difference from Open-Ended Straight Draw
- An open-ended straight draw (e.g., player holds 9♠ 8♠, board J♣ 10♦ 7♥) has 8 outs (four Qs and four 6s), and the straight is continuous.
- A double gutshot also has 8 outs, but the straight is not continuous. For example, in this case the straight completes on a 6 or a 10, with a gap in between.
Strategic Implications
A double gutshot is generally considered a strong draw because it has many outs (8) and often wins a large pot when it completes. However, due to its concealed nature, opponents may have difficulty reading your draw, allowing you to combine it with a semi-bluff for aggressive betting. Nevertheless, on the flop, the actual equity of a double gutshot may be slightly lower than that of an open-ended straight draw, because some outs may be blocked by opponents’ draws or made hands.
Notes
- A double gutshot is sometimes also called a “double inside straight draw” or “double belly buster.”
- When counting outs, be careful of duplicate cards (e.g., if both gutshots share the same out), but by definition a double gutshot requires that the outs of the two gutshots do not overlap.