What is the difference between a "draw" and a "made hand" in poker?

[ProGambler]

The terms "draw" and "made hand" in poker refer to several kinds of hands a player may possess. The two are different in the following ways:

Draw: A hand that is yet unfinished but has the potential to strengthen is referred to as a draw. A player holding a draw hopes to complete their hand by hitting particular cards on upcoming communal cards. A player can be drawing to a flush or straight, respectively, if they have four cards of the same suit or if they have four cards in a row. The amount of outs (cards that can finish the hand) and the possibility of hitting those outs determine the strength of a draw.

 

[CR7]

The strength of a draw also depends on the context of the game and the opponent's play. For instance, a flush draw on a flop with two of the same suit may not be as strong as a flush draw on a flop with three of the same suit. Similarly, if an opponent is playing aggressively, a draw could be leveraged to win a big pot if it hits.

Made Hand: On the other hand, a made hand is a hand that is complete and cannot be improved further. When a player has a made hand, they do not need to draw any more cards to have a strong hand. Some examples of made hands include pairs, two pairs, three-of-a-kind, straights, flushes, full houses, four-of-a-kind and straight flushes. The strength of a made hand is determined by the rank of the hand and also by the context of the game such as the number of players and the size of the pot.

In summary, a draw is an unfinished hand that has the potential to improve while a made hand is a complete hand that does not require further improvement. Understanding the difference between a draw and a made hand is crucial to making the appropriate decisions in poker games and knowing when to bet, call, raise or fold.

 

[Crazy_winner]

Players that have a draw hope to complete a particular hand, like a flush or a straight, by getting the required cards during following betting rounds. They have some cards that could make a strong hand, but the hand as a whole is not yet complete, as opposed to players who have a made hand, who already have a hand ranking that has a chance to win the pot.