Backdoor in Poker | Meaning & Examples

In poker, a backdoor refers to completing the hand by hitting the required cards on both the turn and the river. This is also sometimes called a “runner-runner.” For example, if you hold two spades, hit only a spade on the flop, but then hit spades on both the turn and river to make a flush with 5 spades, you’ve hit a backdoor flush.

What Does Backdoor Mean in Poker?

A backdoor is a very specific way for you to reach your hand. Instead of getting there with a single card, you need two consecutive cards, one on the turn and one on the river:

• You must hit the turn card that opens the door to your draw.
• You then also need the river card to finish the hand.
• Backdoors are most commonly seen with flushes and straights, but they can also create full houses or trips in rare cases. 
   

Backdoors are rare but powerful, and they will most likely change the outcome of a pot when they hit.

Common Types of Backdoor Hands

The term applies to several scenarios and can create many hands:

• Backdoor flush: Holding a pair of spades, flopping one spade, then hitting spades on the turn and river.
• Backdoor straight: Needing two exact ranks to complete a straight.
• Backdoor full house: Improving from a pair to trips to a full house across the turn and river. 
   

Although backdoor possibilities are slim, they add hidden outs you must account for in your play.

Strategy With Backdoor Draws

Backdoor draws can also be very valuable in subtle ways:

• Semi-bluffing tool: A hand with backdoor potential adds equity to a bluff.
• Implied odds: If you hit your hand, opponents often won’t even see it coming.
• Board texture reading: Recognizing when opponents might hit backdoors helps you to avoid surprises or being caught losing a lot of chips. 
   

While you won’t hit it often, factoring backdoor equity into your decisions sharpens your game and takes you to the next level.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a backdoor and an out? 
An out is any card that can improve you immediately. A backdoor requires two consecutive cards to fall.

What is a runner-runner in poker? 
It’s another name for a backdoor, hitting the needed cards on both the turn and river.

Are backdoor draws worth chasing? 
Usually not alone, since the odds are relatively slim. But combined with other draws, they can add profitable equity to your position.