Many newbie poker players ask whether a flush beat a straight in poker. If you are one of these people, the answer to your question is yes; a flush does beat a straight. A flush is the sixth highest-ranking poker hand, followed by a straight.
Poker hand rankings can get a bit confusing for newer players. Even people who have been playing poker for a while still don’t comprehend the hand rankings very well. So, don’t be hard on yourself if you still cannot distinguish what beats what between a flush and straight hand.
What is a Flush in Poker
A hand with a combination of five cards bearing the same suit. These cards do not have to be sequential, if they are sequential, the hand is considered a straight flush. A straight flush is stronger than a flush.
If you hold a hand with five sequential cards of the same suit ranked from 10 to an ace, you are holding a royal flush. A royal flush is the highest-ranking poker hand, and there are only four possible ways to make this hand.
Why does a Flush Beat a Straight in Poker
A flush, a straight flush, and a royal flush are the only three poker hands that use suits. Poker hands are essentially ranked based on the probability of making them. The reason a flush beat a straight in poker is thus based on the probabilities of making either.
The probabilities of making a flush are less than that of making a straight, and there are 10 200 possible ways to make a straight instead of only 5108 ways to make a flush. This is the reason a flush beat a straight in poker.
Rules for Ranking Flush Combinations in Poker
If you are playing a high-hand poker variant such as Texas Hold’em, the following rules for ranking flush hands are applied:
- If more than one player is holding a flush and a flush is the best-ranking hand in the showdown, the highest card is used to determine the winner.
- If two or more of the players’ highest card is of the same value, the second-highest cards are compared.
- In an occasion where the third-highest cards are of the same value, the third-highest card is used, and so on.
What is a Straight in Poker
A straight is a hand with five consecutive cards of any suit. However, as already stated, the hand becomes a straight flush if all five cards are of the same suit. So, in this case, at least one card has to be of a different suit.
Straight is the sixth highest-ranking poker hand. A straight flush and a royal flush both comprise of straights, only they are straights of the same suit.
Rules for Ranking a Straight Combination in Poker
In a situation where two or more players are holding a straight hand as the best hand during the showdown, this will happen:
- A player with the highest-ranking high card wins.
- If two players have the same high card, the second-highest cards will be compared until the winner is determined.
Conclusion
A flush beats a straight in poker, mainly because it is more challenging to make a flush than to make a straight. The odds of making a flush hand are 509:1, whilst the odds of making a straight are 254:1. There are also 10 200 possible ways to make a straight and only 5108 possible ways to make a flush.
John Ford has been writing online gambling content for over 18 years. Born and raised in the heart of the Short Pump, Virginia, John’s journey through the casino industry began on the casino floor itself. He started as a dealer in various games, including blackjack, poker, and baccarat, cultivating an understanding that only hands-on experience can provide. John’s passion for writing casino guides stems from his casino experience and his passion for helping fellow punters. His articles are more than reviews; they are narratives that guide both novices and seasoned players through the labyrinth of online casinos.
