{"id":2534062,"date":"2024-07-17T09:33:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T09:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/?page_id=2534062"},"modified":"2026-05-07T04:36:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T04:36:56","slug":"does-royal-flush-beat-a-straight-flush","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/poker-hands\/does-royal-flush-beat-a-straight-flush\/","title":{"rendered":"Does a Royal Flush Beat a Straight Flush? (Odds Explained)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yes, a royal flush beats every straight flush in poker. The reason is that a royal flush is specifically the A-K-Q-J-10 combination in any single suit, making it the highest possible straight flush. There are only 4 possible royal flush combinations in a standard deck, one per suit, compared to 36 non-royal straight flush combinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you ever make a straight flush, approach the hand as though it is the nuts, because in almost every situation it is. The only adjustment worth making is on boards where four cards to a royal flush are visible, which is the one scenario where slowing down briefly to consider your opponent’s holding makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a royal flush is a moment that certainly stands out, but the rare moments that you end up with a royal flush are often disappointing as the board often locks other players from having a big hand to pay you off with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not the case when another player has a straight flush, an inferior hand to your royal flush, but one that everyone will be happy to lose their entire stack with.<\/p>\n\n\n\"tournament<\/a>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Why Does Royal Flush Beat a Straight Flush?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A royal flush<\/a> is the best possible hand in the poker hand charts<\/a>, so by default, it beats all other poker hands. Technically speaking, a royal flush is just the highest possible version of a straight flush, with cards between a T and A of the same suit making it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It goes without saying, then, that a royal flush will beat any other straight flush. Besides, there is no other hand in poker that can beat a royal flush, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination counts confirm the rarity relationship:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hand<\/strong><\/th>Possible 5-card combinations<\/strong><\/th>5-card draw probability<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Royal flush<\/td>4<\/td>0.000154% (649,739-to-1)<\/td><\/tr>
Straight flush (non-royal)<\/td>36<\/td>0.00139% (72,193-to-1)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Non-royal straight flushes occur nine times as often as royal flushes. Both hands are extraordinarily rare in absolute terms, but the royal flush is the rarest hand in poker by a significant margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I hold a non-royal straight flush at showdown, the only losing scenario is the opponent completing a royal flush on the same suit. In Texas Hold’em, this requires the opponent to have specific hole cards in the same suit as the A-K-Q-J-10 sequence that must appear on the board. In practice, both players being in a royal flush vs. straight flush collision is one of the rarest situations in poker, which is why many casinos use it as the qualifying condition for their bad beat jackpot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this, of course, is the fact that royal flush is the hardest hand to make by far, and there are only select starting hands with which you can even make one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when you do start with two suited Broadways, the chances of catching a royal flush by the river are very low, as you can see in the table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chances To<\/strong><\/td>Royal Flush<\/strong><\/td>Straight Flush<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Make it on the Flop<\/td>0.01%<\/td>0.01 \u2013 0.02%<\/td><\/tr>
Make it from a Flopped Gutshot<\/td>4.3%<\/td>4.3%<\/td><\/tr>
Make it from a Flopped Open Ender<\/td>8.42%<\/td>8.42%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Often Will You Make a Royal Flush?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The royal flush is the most unlikely hand to make in Texas Hold’em<\/a>, as it requires you to start with very specific cards and then hit a very specific set of cards on the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to make a royal flush in a hand, you will need to start with at least one Broadway<\/a> card in your hand, although it is much easier to get there with two suited Broadways like JsTs or AdKd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when you do get dealt these cards, you will only make a royal flush on the flop some 0.005% of the time, about 1 in 19,600 times, which means you might have to play hundreds of thousands of hands before you see a flopped straight flush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flopping a gutshot or open-ended royal flush draw, on the other hand, is a lot more common, and about 0.72% of all flops will bring you such a draw if you start with two Broadways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, making a draw does not mean you will turn or river the hand, as only 8.42% open-enders and 4.3% guthosts will end up making you a royal flush by the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my playing career, royal flushes are genuinely one of the rarest things that happen at the table, which makes them a poor strategic target. The correct way to think about royal flush equity is as a byproduct of flush draw equity. When I have suited Broadway cards and a flush draw, the royal flush is the best possible outcome of that draw, but the flush itself is the primary target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chasing a royal flush by calling off chips when the equity does not justify it is a mistake I see occasionally at the table, particularly from recreational players who treat the hand as a goal rather than a fortunate result. Play your suited high cards for their combined equity in flushes, straights, and pairs. The royal flush comes when it comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, remember that these draws are very powerful hands, as even making a simple straight or flush will usually give you the best hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a royal flush draw will allow you to play aggressively, get folds from your opponents, and often end up with the best hand by the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Often Will You Make a Straight Flush?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A straight flush<\/a> is quite similar to a royal flush in many regards, with the one big difference being you can make a straight flush with any cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, any starting card combination can end up turning into a straight flush if four appropriate cards hit the board, and any suited and connected hand can turn into a two-card straight flush with the three right cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making a straight flush on the flop with two suited cards is a bit more likely than a royal flush, as up to 0.02% of all flops will bring you a made straight flush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exact odds depend on how many possible flops can make your hand, with hands like 8s7s more likely to make it than 7c4c. The smaller the gap between your cards, the higher the chances of flopping a straight flush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t quite make the full straight flush on the flop, you can make quite a few gutshot and open-ended straight flush draws there, which can turn into the made hand by the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The odds for making a straight flush from a draw are the same as those of a royal flush, with 4.3% of gutshot and 8.42% of open-ended straight flush draws getting there by the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Straight flush draws have significant strategic value that goes well beyond their rare completion as straight flushes. When I flop an open-ended straight flush draw with suited connected cards, I am drawing simultaneously to a flush, a straight, and occasionally the straight flush itself: a combination that can add 15 or more effective outs in the right circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result is that straight flush draws justify aggressive semi-bluffing in many spots where the pot odds alone would not support continued investment. When a straight flush does complete, the strategic challenge shifts entirely to extraction: how do you get paid on a hand your opponent will never believe you have? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, the answer is usually to bet small on the street the draw completes and larger on the final street, giving the opponent a chance to build the pot before you close it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like a royal flush draw, a straight flush draw allows you to play an aggressive strategy<\/a>, often make your hand, and represent all sorts of strong hands in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n
\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t

Why does a royal flush beat a straight flush?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

A royal flush is the best possible hand in poker. It beats all other poker hands, including all straight flushes, which are technically different versions of the same hand, made up of lower cards of the same suit.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t

How often will you make a royal flush?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

A royal flush is an incredibly rare hand in poker. If you start your hand with two suited Broadway cards, you will only ever flop a royal flush about 0.005% of the time, while flopping a draw to a royal flush about 0.72% of the time, in which case you will have between 4 and 8% chance to hit by the river.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t

How often will you make a straight flush?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

A straight flush is almost as rare as a royal flush. Depending on your exact starting cards, you will have between 0.005% and 0.02% chance to flop a straight flush. If you catch a straight flush draw, you will have between 4 and 8% chance to make the hand by the river.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t

What does a royal flush beat in poker?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

A royal flush beats everything, according to poker rules<\/a>. It is the highest hand on the poker hand rankings and one that cannot be beaten. If you have a royal flush, rest assured that any chips you put into the pot will be coming back and probably bringing some friends with them.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t

What does a straight flush beat in poker?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

A straight flush beats all poker hands except a royal flush. A straight flush is at the very top of the food chain and beats four of a kind<\/a>, full house<\/a>, flush<\/a>, straight<\/a>, and all lower ranked poker hands. The only had it loses to is a royal flush, and such scenarios are extremely rare.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes, a royal flush beats every straight flush in poker. The reason is that a royal flush is specifically the A-K-Q-J-10 combination in any single suit, making it the highest possible straight flush. There are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":0,"parent":2532176,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"right-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2534062","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"author_image":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Tadas Peckaitis","author_link":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/author\/tadas-peckaitisgmail-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Yes, a royal flush beats every straight flush in poker. The reason is that a royal flush is specifically the A-K-Q-J-10 combination in any single suit, making it the highest possible straight flush. There are […]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2534062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2534062"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2534062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2548093,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2534062\/revisions\/2548093"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2532176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2534062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}