What is an inside straight?

[Julio88]

In poker, an inside straight is a hand in which a player has four of the five cards needed for a straight, but the fifth card is not consecutive with the other four and would need to fall in the middle of the sequence to complete the straight. For example, if a player has 5-6-7-9 in their hand, they would need an 8 to complete the inside straight.

An inside straight is considered a less attractive hand than an open-ended straight, in which there are eight possible cards that could complete the straight, or a flush or a pair, but it still has the potential to win the pot if the missing card is drawn. A player holding an inside straight typically has four outs (cards in the deck that can complete the straight) to make their hand.

It's important to note that it can be risky to chase an inside straight draw, as the odds of making the hand are relatively low.

 

[Crazy_winner]

Because there are fewer ways out, inside straights are often thought to be harder to finish than open-ended straights. As a result, before deciding whether to pursue an inside straight draw, players must carefully consider the pot odds, possible risks, and rewards.