Playing Backdoor Draws in Texas Hold'em Poker

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Backdoor draws are important not just because they add extra equity when you hit a strong hand, but also because they often lead to more opportunities to see the river, giving you more playability and potential for equity realization in larger pots.

1. When your non-made hand has a backdoor flush draw, you should lean towards betting.

If you have a non-pair hand with a backdoor flush draw, you should consider betting aggressively (if you have the betting initiative). This is especially true when you have position.

Betting with these backdoor flush draws can be profitable because you can bluff with them in two scenarios on the turn:

- When the turn card gives you a backdoor flush draw. You gain a lot of equity, so you should typically continue your aggression with a double barrel. Additionally, you might improve to a flush on the river and win a substantial pot.
- When many draws complete on the turn. Betting with draws that complete a scary board can lead opponents to over-fold. These opponents often think, "All semi-bluffs are completed, so he is unlikely to be bluffing."

2. Backdoor flush draws can turn a hand that is worth folding into a hand worth calling or raising.

Imagine you raised with 86 from the button, got called by the big blind, and the flop comes T♠ 7♠ 3♦. Now, imagine the big blind check-raises you significantly.

In this scenario, it might be best to fold a pure gutshot like 8♥ 6♥. But if your gutshot is accompanied by a backdoor flush draw like 8♦ 6♦, you should probably call. These backdoor flush draws are valuable for two reasons:
- They have a slightly higher equity than their non-backdoor counterparts (around 4% more).
- They increase the playability of your hand, as you can hit a backdoor flush on the turn, giving you more equity and more bluffing opportunities.

These reasons won't always be enough to change the correct decision, but they can influence your decision in close spots, which are common in poker.

3. Backdoor straight and flush draws as check-raise bluffs are very effective.

When seeking a check-raise bluff, you should typically use strong draws, like open-ended straight draws and flush draws, as they are suitable for playing in large pots. However, some board textures do not have enough of these strong draw combinations to construct a balanced check-raise range.

This is where backdoor straight and flush draws can come into play.

Backdoor draws have excellent playability on the turn and can improve to very disguised strong hands on the river, allowing you to win a sizable pot. Additionally, if you get check-raised and have to fold to a 3-bet, you won't be giving up too much equity.

Examples of suitable check-raise candidates include:

- T♣ 6♠ 4♥ flop with a T♦ 8♣ hand.
- J♦ 8♣ 3♥ flop with a 6♥ 4♥ hand.
- 9♠ 4♦ 2♣ flop with a K♠ 5♠ hand.

These hands are excellent check-raise candidates in certain situations. Note: Avoid deep check-raising with backdoor draws on board textures that are unfavorable to your range, such as an A-K-Q flop.

4. Float-call with high card backdoor draws in big blind vs. small blind battles.

When facing a single raise from the small blind in the big blind position, you need to defend with most of your range to prevent the opponent from profitably continuation betting. Floating with non-made hands and high card backdoor draws is essential in this spot to achieve the desired defense frequency. For example, T♣ 9♥ 2♠ on a Q♥ 4♥ flop.

You don't need to hit your high card or backdoor draw to win. You'll find yourself frequently taking down pots on the turn or river, or winning at showdown when both players check.

5. Don't overuse backdoor draws.

While backdoor draws are valuable, they should not be overused. Just because they have some good qualities does not mean you should blindly call or raise when you hit a backdoor draw.

For example, suppose you defend the big blind with 9♣ 5♣ against a small blind raise. The flop comes K♦ T♣ 6♦, and the opponent bets 2/3 pot. Even though you have multiple backdoor draws, this is not a hand to call with.