Footballguru
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007, 11:29 AM
QUOTE (Merby @ Tuesday, June 26th, 2007, 11:51 PM)

Amongst all the times where you are facing a decision on whether or not to pursue a gutshot, I think the worst possible one is to play Ax where the gutshot is for the wheel. Three reasons:
1) Since the ace is needed to complete the wheel, and most players are more likely to play hands involving an ace, it is more likely than usual that *if* you make your gutshot, you're splitting with one or more players who also have an ace.
2) It is guarenteed that if you hit it, it is not the nut straight. What is more, there will be a four card straight out there, so it is *very* difficult to get a worse hand to call any bet you make (any ace or 6 makes a straight: not very disguised). Therefore not only do you have not positive implied odds, but you in fact have negative implied odds (your opponent might have 66, 67 etc)
3) If you hit your ace, there is now four cards to a wheel out there, and even if you have the best hand, it's hard to feel very good about it, therefore it will be difficult to value bet (and even more difficult to get a worse hand to call).
Don't forget, on top of that, it's a one card gutshot straight draw, so it carries with it the misfiortune of:
a) having only 4 outs to make the straight

since you're not drawing to broadway, it is also guarenteed to never be the nut straight if you hit it.
I agree that under most circumstances it is awful to draw here. But, your points are moot in this circumstance.
1) He is my only opponent, and unless he holds AA here, no chance he has an ace.
2) I am either push or folding, implied odds are irrelevant. true, 66 is in his range, but i would lean more towards 88,99,1010 based on his preflop play, and he would most likely just call on the flop if he did have a draw with a pair.
3) I wont be value betting, we would be all in.
4) In these circumstances, if i do hit it will give me the best hand nearly 100% of the time.