What is a Straight Flush in Poker?

A straight flush is the second-strongest of all poker hands, losing only to a Royal Flush (which is, in fact, the best possible straight flush).

A straight flush consists of five cards of the same suit in consecutive order, and it is a very rare and equally as powerful poker hand.

Poker Hand	Explanation	Example
#1. Royal Flush	Five highest cards of the same suit	AcKcQcJcTc
#2. Straight Flush	Any five consecutive cards of the same suit	JcTc9c8c7c
#3. Four of a Kind	Four cards of the same rank	4c4s4d4hJc
#4. Full House	Three cards of one rank + two cards of another rank	3c3s3d7h7c
#5. Flush	Five cards of the same suit	KdJd7d5d3d
#6. Straight	Five consecutive cards in different suits	6s5s4d3d2h
#7. Three of a Kind	Three cards of the same rank	7c7h7d2hJ2
#8. Two Pairs	Two cards of one rank + two cards of another rank	QcQs2c2hJs
#9. One Pair	Two cards of the same rank	8h8sAcKs5d
#10. High Card	Any other hand	AcQdJs4h3c

Examples of a Straight Flush Poker Hand

This hand Is a combination of two hands – a straight and a flush, all in one. Some examples of a straight flush are:

5s 6s 7s 8s 9s – a Nine-high straight flush in spades
7h 8h 9h Th Jh – a Ten-high straight flush in hearts
4c 5c 6c 7c 8c – an Eight-high straight flush in clubs
2d 3d 4d 5d 5d – a Six-high straight flush in diamonds

In rare instances where two or more players at the table end up showing down a straight flush, the winner is the player with the highest-ranking card in their combination. For example, 4d 5d 6d 7d 8d beats 3d 4d 5d 6d 7d.

In stud and draw poker variations, it is possible for two (or more) players to have the same flush but in a different suit. In this case, they’ll split the pot. Suits have no bearing on determining the winner; i.e., a straight flush in clubs is equally as strong as a straight flush in spades.

What Beats Straight Flush in Poker?

As mentioned, a straight flush is an extremely powerful hand. It beats almost all other hands you’ll come across, including high card, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, and four of a kind.

A straight flush is the second-strongest holding in poker hand rankings that loses only to a Royal Flush. A Royal Flush is, in fact, the highest possible straight flush (made up of an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit), but as the strongest poker hand in existence, it has a special place in hand rankings.

Of course, a straight flush can beat another straight flush. When two players hold a straight flush, the one holding a combination with the highest-ranking card wins.

Straight Flush Probabilities

A straight flush is a very rare hand that you may not come across over numerous sessions. The odds of being dealt a straight flush from a deck of 52 cards are just 0.00139%.

In Texas Hold’em, these are your odds of making a straight flush on different streets when starting with two suited connectors:

Street	Odds
Flop	0.0046%
From flop to the turn (with an open-ended draw)	4.44%
From turn to the river (with an open-ended draw)	4.54%

Here are a few more interesting facts about a straight flush poker hand:

The odds of flopping a straight flush with T8s specifically are 0.02%
With A2s, the odds of flopping a straight flush are 0.01%
The odds of improving your straight flush open-ended draw from flop to river are 8.42%

How to Play a Straight Flush in Poker?

A straight flush is an extremely strong hand that you almost never have to worry about or think much about strategy. When you hold this hand, your main line of thinking should be how to extract the maximum value from your opponent.

In many cases, a straight flush will be the absolute nuts, i.e., an unbeatable hand, allowing you to play it tricky and allow your opponents to catch up. By letting them improve their holdings, you’ll give them more rope and entice them to put more money into the pot.

The only time when you might want to be careful with a straight flush is when you make this hand using four community cards and you have the dummy end. For example, if the board reads 5d 6d 7d 8d, and you have a 4d. Although you have a straight flush here, it is still susceptible to someone holding an 8d, so it’s perfectly fine to exercise some caution in these spots.

FAQ

What is a straight flush hand in poker?

In poker, a straight flush is a hand consisting of five cards of the same suit and consecutive in raking, i.e., 3h 4h 5h 6h 7h.

What beats a straight flush?

There is only one poker hand that beats a straight flush, and that is a Royal Flush.

What does a straight flush beat?

A straight flush beats every other poker hand apart from a Royal Flush, namely four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card.

How often will you make a straight flush?

As expected, the odds of making a straight flush aren’t very high. When five random cards are dealt from a standard deck, you’ll get a straight flush only 0.00139% of the time.

What happens when two players have a straight flush?

When two players hold a straight flush, the win goes to the player holding the highest-ranking card in their straight flush combination. If two players have the exact same straight flush, they’ll split the pot regardless of the suits.