Straight Flush in Poker
What is a Straight Flush?
A straight flush is five cards of consecutive rank all in the same suit. It is a combination of a straight and a flush. A straight flush holds the second-highest ranking in the poker hand rankings, below only a royal flush.
Where a Straight Flush Ranks
A straight flush is the second-highest hand in poker. A royal flush sits directly above it in the hand rankings and is technically the highest possible straight flush. Four of a kind sits directly below it. Every other poker hand ranks lower than a straight flush.
Example Hands
A straight flush poker hand is named after its highest card:
- K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 9♠ is referred to as a king-high straight flush
- 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ 4♥ is an eight-high straight flush
The lowest straight flush is 5, 4, 3, 2, A, where the ace plays low. This five-high straight flush ranks below any other straight flush. Just like a regular straight, the ace does not wrap around the top of the sequence, so 3, 2, A, K, Q, of the same suit is not a straight flush.
What a Straight Flush Beats and Loses To
In high-hand poker games, a straight flush beats four of a kind and all hands below it. A straight flush hand loses only to a royal flush as it is the highest possible straight flush. A straight flush beats an ace-high flush, unless that ace-high flush is a royal flush.
Ties and Kickers
When two straight flushes meet at showdown, the winner of the pot is determined by which is higher. A king-high straight flush, K♣ Q♣ J♣ 10♣ 9♣, beats an eight-high straight flush, 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣ 4♣, because the king outranks the eight. All suits are equal.
A straight flush does not have a kicker because all five cards are used in the main formation of the hand. When two players hold the same top card in Texas Hold'em, the hands are identical in rank and the pot is split at showdown.
Straight Flush Probability and Odds
A straight flush is one of the rarest hands in poker. The chance of getting a straight flush by being dealt five random cards out of a 52-card deck is 0.00139%. In Texas Hold'em, the chance of making a straight flush, not including a royal flush, by the river is 0.028%. The Texas Hold'em figure is higher because there are more opportunities to make it using the best five cards from a total of seven cards.
Straight Flush Across Variants
A straight flush ranks the same in most poker games, sitting below a royal flush and above four of a kind. It sits in the same ranking slot for Short Deck poker despite there being fewer cards in the deck.
In Razz, the lowest hand wins, but because straights and flushes don't count against the value of the hand, a low straight flush remains a very strong hand. In Deuce to Seven Triple Draw and Deuce to Seven Single Draw, the lowest hand wins, and straights and flushes count against your hand, so the straight flush is very weak.
Frequently Asked Questions
A straight flush is five cards of consecutive rank in the same suit, such as 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥. It ranks second in poker hand rankings, one below a royal flush and one above four of a kind.
In high-hand poker games, a straight flush beats four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. A straight flush loses only to a royal flush, which is the highest version of a straight flush.
When two players both hold a straight flush at showdown in Texas Hold'em, the higher straight flush wins. A queen-high straight flush beats a ten-high straight flush. Suits are of equal value, so suits never break a tie between straight flushes. When both hands share the same top card, they are equal in rank and so the pot is split.
A straight flush is one of the rarest hands in poker. Across the maximum seven cards seen by the river in Texas Hold'em, the chance of making a straight flush in a five-card hand is 0.028%.
An open-ended straight-flush draw has two outs to complete the straight flush. The chance of hitting it by the river from the flop is roughly 8%. The same draw carries separate flush and straight outs, which raises its total value on the flop.