What is a Straight Flush?
A Straight Flush is the second-highest hand in standard poker, consisting of five consecutive cards all of the same suit. It ranks just below a Royal Flush but above Four of a Kind in the poker hand hierarchy.
Unlike a Royal Flush, which must contain A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit, a Straight Flush can be any five consecutive cards (like 9-8-7-6-5 or 7-6-5-4-3) as long as they're all in the same suit.
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A 9-high Straight Flush in spades – a powerful hand in any poker game
When ranking Straight Flushes against each other, the hand with the highest card wins. For example, a J-10-9-8-7 Straight Flush beats a 10-9-8-7-6 Straight Flush.
Straight Flush Odds and Probability
While not as rare as a Royal Flush, the Straight Flush is still an extremely uncommon hand that most players will seldom see. Let's look at the probabilities:
| Poker Hand | Combinations | Probability | Odds Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 4 | 0.000154% | 649,739 : 1 |
| Straight Flush | 36 | 0.00139% | 72,192 : 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 624 | 0.0240% | 4,164 : 1 |
| Full House | 3,744 | 0.1441% | 693 : 1 |
As you can see, a Straight Flush is about nine times more likely than a Royal Flush, but still extremely rare. In Texas Hold'em:
- The odds of flopping a Straight Flush are approximately 1 in 3,590.
- The odds of making a Straight Flush by the river are roughly 1 in 3,165.
Why Are There 36 Possible Straight Flush Combinations?
Unlike a Royal Flush, which has only one possible card arrangement per suit (and therefore only 4 total combinations), there are 9 possible Straight Flush combinations in each suit:
- A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel" or "steel wheel" when suited)
- 2-3-4-5-6
- 3-4-5-6-7
- 4-5-6-7-8
- 5-6-7-8-9
- 6-7-8-9-10
- 7-8-9-10-J
- 8-9-10-J-Q
- 9-10-J-Q-K
With 4 suits and 9 possible combinations per suit, that gives us 36 total possible Straight Flush combinations in a standard 52-card deck.
The highest ranked Straight Flush is the King-high straight flush, just below a Royal Flush
Strategy: Playing a Straight Flush
Having a Straight Flush puts you in an incredible position, as there's only one hand (a higher Straight Flush or Royal Flush) that can beat you. Here's how to capitalize on this rare opportunity:
Tips for Playing a Straight Flush
Advanced Straight Flush Strategy
- Value bet aggressively: Unlike with a Royal Flush, there are hands that can beat your Straight Flush (a higher Straight Flush or Royal Flush), so be aware of the board texture.
- Watch for paired boards: If the board is paired, be aware that a Full House or Four of a Kind is possible, which gives your opponents strong hands they'll be willing to bet with.
- Consider slow playing: In early betting rounds, consider checking or making small bets to induce action from opponents with strong, but inferior hands.
- Gradually increase your bets: As the hand progresses, increase your bet sizing to build the pot without scaring away opponents.
- Pay attention to flush draws: If there are four cards of the same suit on the board, be aware that other players might also have a Straight Flush or a regular flush.
Tricky Scenarios with Straight Flushes
There are some specific scenarios to be aware of when playing a Straight Flush:
Shared Straight Flush on the board: If five consecutive suited cards are on the board in community card games like Texas Hold'em, everyone still in the hand has the same Straight Flush, resulting in a split pot.
Blocking potential higher Straight Flushes: If you hold, for example, a 9-high Straight Flush, your hand blocks some of the cards needed for a higher Straight Flush, making it less likely an opponent has a higher one.
Famous Straight Flush Moment
One of the most famous Straight Flush moments in poker history occurred in the 2008 WSOP when Justin Phillips hit a Queen-high Straight Flush against Motoyuki Mabuchi's Jack-high Straight Flush, resulting in an $800,000 pot!
Drawing to a Straight Flush
While you should never specifically chase a Straight Flush due to the low probability, there are situations where you might find yourself with a draw to one.
Straight Flush Draws
A Straight Flush draw typically starts as either a flush draw or a straight draw with the potential to become both. For example:
- Open-Ended Straight Flush Draw: You have 8♠-9♠ and the flop is 10♠-J♠-2♦. You can complete your Straight Flush by catching either a 7♠ or Q♠.
- Double Gut-Shot Straight Flush Draw: You have 8♠-J♠ and the flop is 9♠-10♠-2♦. You can complete your Straight Flush by catching either a 7♠ or Q♠.
- Flush Draw + Gutshot Straight Draw: You have A♠-J♠ and the flop is 10♠-9♠-8♦. You can complete your Straight Flush by catching a Q♠.
To Draw or Not to Draw
When deciding whether to pursue a Straight Flush draw, consider:
- Pot odds: Are the potential winnings worth the cost of calling?
- Implied odds: How much can you win if you hit your hand?
- Alternative outs: Even if you miss the Straight Flush, you might make a regular flush or straight.
- Position: Your position at the table affects the profitability of drawing hands.
Remember that most of the value in these draws comes from the potential to make a regular flush or straight, not specifically the Straight Flush. The Straight Flush possibility is just a nice bonus that can sometimes lead to a monster payday.
Straight Flush in Different Poker Variants
The Straight Flush is consistently ranked as the second-best hand across most poker variants, but the way you might encounter or form it varies:
Texas Hold'em
In Texas Hold'em, you'll need to combine your hole cards with the community cards to form a Straight Flush. Often, this happens when players have suited connectors (like 7♠-8♠) and the board completes their draw.
Omaha
Omaha requires you to use exactly two of your four hole cards and three community cards. This means you need at least two suited connected cards in your hand to have a chance at a Straight Flush.
Seven-Card Stud
In Seven-Card Stud, you're dealt seven cards and make your best five-card hand. This gives you more opportunities to complete a Straight Flush compared to five-card games.
Lowball Variants
In some lowball variants like Razz or 2-7 Triple Draw, the hand rankings are inverted, making a Straight Flush one of the worst possible hands rather than one of the best.