Straight Flush

What is a Straight Flush Poker Hand?

The straight flush poker hand is exceptionally strong and rare in most variants of poker, including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. When comparing the best texas hold'em hands, it sits near the very top. The definition is simple: you must have five cards of the same suit that are also in sequential order. For example, the 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of clubs is a Straight Flush. It combines the properties of a Straight (five cards in sequence) and a Flush (five cards of the same suit).

Its position in the standard poker hand rankings is near the top. It beats Four of a Kind, a Full House, a Flush, and a Straight. The only hand that can beat a straight flush poker hand is a higher Straight Flush or the ultimate hand, a Royal Flush. Given its rarity, holding one often means you're in a position to win a very large pot.

How Straight Flushes are Ranked

When two or more players have a Straight Flush in the same hand, which is incredibly rare, the winner is determined by the highest-ranking card in the sequence. A Straight Flush that goes up to a Jack (a Jack-high Straight Flush) will beat one that goes up to a 10 (a 10-high Straight Flush).

Expert tip: The suit itself has no bearing on the hand's rank. A Straight Flush in hearts is equal in value to the same sequence in spades. It's all about the highest card.

The Ace can be used as the low card in a 5-high Straight Flush (A-2-3-4-5), often called a 'Steel Wheel', or as the high card in a 10-J-Q-K-A Straight Flush, which is a Royal Flush.

Straight Flush Probability

Understanding what a straight flush is also involves appreciating its rarity. When analyzing the exact straight flush probability, the odds highlight why this straight flush is so valuable. If you are a beginner wondering how to get a straight flush, it requires playing suited connected cards and getting extremely lucky with the community cards. In a standard 52-card deck, if you are drawing five cards, the probability of being dealt a Straight Flush is approximately 0.00139%.

• Total 5-card hands possible: 2,598,960

• Possible Straight Flushes: 36 (not including Royal Flushes)

• Odds: Roughly 1 in 72,193

In Texas Hold'em, where you use your two hole cards and five community cards to make the best 5-card hand, the straight flush probability improves slightly but remains very low. The chances of making a Straight Flush by the river with any two suited connectors (like 7-8 of hearts) are slim, which is why it's such a celebrated hand when it appears.

Straight Flush vs Other Powerful Hands

Newer players sometimes get confused about how a Straight Flush stacks up against other premium hands. The ranking is based entirely on mathematical probability: the rarer the hand, the higher it ranks.

• Straight Flush vs Full House: In the classic matchup of a Straight Flush vs a Full House, the straight flush always wins. While a Full House (three cards of one rank and two of another) is a very strong hand, it's significantly more common than a Straight Flush. There are 3,744 possible Full Houses, making them much easier to achieve.

• Straight Flush vs Four of a Kind: Similarly, a Straight Flush beats Four of a Kind (or 'quads'). There are 624 possible combinations for Four of a Kind, making it a monster hand, but it's still more than 15 times more likely to occur than a non-royal Straight Flush. The straight flush rules are clear: sequence and suit together trump four cards of the same rank.

Is a Royal Flush a Straight Flush?

Yes, a Royal Flush is simply the highest possible Straight Flush. It consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all of the same suit. Because it's the highest possible hand in poker, it's given its own special name. There are only four possible Royal Flushes (one for each suit), making it the rarest hand of all and the pinnacle of poker hand rankings. Ready to chase the rarest hands in the game? Join a safe, regulated table from our approved list of online poker rooms to put your knowledge to the test and enjoy the thrill of the draw.