STRAIGHT FLUSH

Whether you’re a poker regular or not, everyone has heard of the widely-popular card game in some way or another. It first appeared in the United States in the early 19th century, but poker’s charm and gripping gameplay conquered the rest of the world in no time at all. 

In the 1970s, poker was introduced in casinos and took over the charts, becoming far more acknowledged than ever before. It had gone from mainly being a recreational, entertaining activity for small groups to an incredibly popular game that appeals to both participants and spectators, online and in-person, with many even pursuing it professionally and competing in pressing tournaments.

In poker, players wager over which five-card hand is the better hand according to that particular game’s rules. In fact, one of the first things to learn when diving into a game is poker hand rankings. Doing so allows you to get an idea of which hand is superior to the other and build a solid strategical foundation. 

Keep reading ahead to learn which poker hand rankings top others and how such hands come to be!

WHAT IS A STRAIGHT FLUSH IN POKER?

The straight flush is at the top of the list of poker hand rankings and is known to be quite the indomitable hand. It consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit, for example, a five, six, seven, eight and nine, all of the hearts suit.

With that said, a straight flush trumps every other hand in the game except the royal flush. How could a royal flush possibly beat it? Well, imagine having a straight flush, but on top of that, the consecutive cards are a ten, jack, queen, king and ace of the same suit — sounds like a pretty unbeatable hand, right? And that is because it is! It pretty much flushes (no pun intended) out every single other hand, like a four-of-a-kind, a two pair or ace to five.

Although the suits are irrelevant, the hand rank and denomination are necessary and important when it comes to winning a round. An ace-high straight flush in any suit counts as a royal flush, and neither ranks better than the other in standard poker hand rankings. So, you can say that an ace-high straight flush is the best possible straight flush one can earn. In games like 2-7 low, the ace-high straight flush is referred to as the ‘steel wheel’ as it has enough power to win the high pot.

The highest-ranking card of a straight flush is what determines the winner. So, we can say that a nine-high straight flush beats an eight-high straight flush, and so on, regardless of the suit.

The straight flush and royal flush are the hardest poker hands to get ahold of and are extremely rare. Not only are the chances of being dealt consecutive cards from five random cards slim, but to also have them all pop up in the same suit is a whole other level of luck. That’s why your fortunate grab will most likely pay off!

HIGHEST STRAIGHT FLUSH COMBINATIONS IN POKER

The straight flush hand can be formed in a number of ways, unlike the royal flush. The 52-card deck is categorised by 13 ranks from two through ace, in which the latter can be counted as both higher than a king and lower than two. Since the straight flush is built of five cards having the same suit and are sequential in rank, there could be a total of 40 possibilities and combinations.

As we’ve mentioned, the best possible hand you can get in a poker game is an ace-high straight flush, also known as a royal flush. It is the hardest hand to be dealt as it can only be formed in one specific way: 10 – J – Q – K – A. On the other hand, the weakest straight flush combination that can be formed is the five-high straight flush: A – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5.

In Texas Hold’em, it is more likely to get a royal flush than a king-high straight flush. Since distinct hands are generated by selecting the best five out of seven total cards, the frequency of some hands coming about is altered.

With that said, let’s take a look at a couple of possible straight flush combination examples that you can run into in a game of poker, in sequential order:

• A royal flush in any suit: 10 – J – Q – K – A
• 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9
• A – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5

With the exception of high card or no pair hands, all hands in traditional poker hand rankings occur more often in Texas Hold’em or other poker variants that require forming the best five-card poker hand out of seven total cards. If you play online poker, you will most likely come across straight flushes more frequently than in the slower-paced live rendition of poker. A straight flush is nonetheless an infrequent occurrence, regardless of whether you’re playing live or online poker.

HOW TO GET A STRAIGHT FLUSH IN POKER

Acquiring a straight flush is not as easy breezy as can be, so boosting your odds by making use of a strategy is never a bad idea in poker! With that said, having an approach and plan does not necessarily guarantee a successful win but could help you climb to that point.

• Recognise your hand — It is important to understand what cards make up a straight flush first and foremost. As you head through the rounds, continuing to build your hand is key to forming straight flushes as per the rules of the game. Hence, knowing what you need to obtain ahead of time helps keep your goal in check.
• Keep in mind which poker games are best for making a straight flush — Since poker hands are ranked according to their corresponding rarity, the straight flush takes the first place cake, with the exception of a royal flush. It is more difficult to build a royal flush than to obtain any other regular straight flush, but it is harder to form the latter than a four-of-a-kind, three-of-a-kind or full house. A royal flush beats a straight flush and a straight flush beats a four-of-a-kind and so on.

The poker game you decide to play determines how difficult it is to form a straight flush. In fact, games in which only five cards are dealt, are considered to be the toughest at making straight flushes. There are 40 possible chances of getting this hand in five-card draw or stud poker, four of which are royal flushes. In these games, you have to play the card you are dealt. Draw poker games allow for better chances of earning a straight flush since you are able to discard bad cards and draw new ones.

It is important to note that Wild cards also boost your odds of hitting a straight flush. Wilds substitute for any of the natural cards and fill any position of a straight flush, however, keep in mind that they do not substitute the lowest card. This is due to the fact that if there were four cards in a row, the player would select the wild card to be at the top end of the straight, if we’re assuming the player makes the highest possible hand.

• Know when to hold and fold — In games like Texas Hold’em, knowing when to keep or discard cards could be precisely what amplifies your chances of forming a straight flush. If you are given more cards that make up a straight or royal flush, the better your chances are of forming them. 

You should also take into account the cards of the flush you’re dealt to see whether you should play for a straight or royal flush or subside for a lesser-valued hand. Which cards of the flush you’re dealt also have an impact on whether you should try to play for the royal flush or settle for a lesser hand. You still might be lucky enough to form other hands like a full house or four-of-a-kind, which, despite not being as strong as a straight flush, are still not the weakest of hands. However, if you’re given a one pair or a two pair, you may want to try stronger combinations.

HOW DOES A STRAIGHT FLUSH RANK?

As previously mentioned, a straight flush marks the second-best possible hand in standard rankings and beats most other hands. A royal flush beats a straight flush as it is the best possible hand you can get and the strongest variation of a straight flush.

The strength of a straight flush is determined by the highest ranking card rather than the different suits. If more than one player has a straight flush, the winner is decided by determining who has the highest-ranking straight, for example, a hand consisting of a king-high straight flush beats a seven-high straight flush. With that said, the chances of getting the same hand twice or two players both earning a straight flush are extremely slim as per Texas Hold’em rules.

The odds of forming straight flushes are incomparable to the odds of forming a low hand. Therefore, being dealt a five-card poker hand that makes up a straight flush does take the crown when being opposed with other hands like full houses or four-of-a-kinds, for example. The rarity of the straight flush showing up is what makes this hand rank the most valuable combination in the hand rankings.

Check out the ranking, from the strongest to the weakest poker hands:

• Royal flush: A type of straight flush, from a ten to an ace, with all five cards having the same suit.
• Straight flush: Any straight with five cards of the same suit.
• Four-of-a-kind: Four cards of the same rank and a fifth different card, called the kicker.
• Full house: Three cards of the same rank with any two cards of the same rank.
• Flush: Five non-consecutive cards of the same suit. The strongest is an ace-high flush.
• Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits, with the ace counting as either a high card or a low card.
• Three-of-a-kind: Three cards of the same rank.
• Two pair: Two pairs of cards with each pair having the same rank.
• One pair: Any two same-ranking cards.
• High card: A high card is the lowest hand that consists of hand combinations that do not belong to other hands from those above.

STRAIGHT FLUSH POKER PROBABILITY

In Texas Hold ‘Em, each player is typically dealt seven cards — two hole cards in hand and five community cards. Interested to see how likely you are of being dealt the spectacular straight flush from these cards? Take a look down below and keep these probabilities in mind during your next gameplay.