Straight Flush
A straight flush is a hand made of five cards in sequence, all of the same suit. It is the second-best hand in poker, after the royal flush, which is the highest straight flush.
The simple explanation
For example, 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠ 9♠ is a straight flush. It beats four of a kind and everything below it. It is very rare: about one in 72,000 five-card hands.
A closer look
The higher the top card, the stronger the straight flush. The ace-high straight flush is the royal flush. The lowest is the steel wheel, A-2-3-4-5 of one suit. Because it is so rare, you do not often see it. When you have one, your job is to win as much as you can, since you are almost sure to have the best hand.
A practical example
You hold 7♥ 6♥ and the flop is 8♥ 9♥ 10♥. You have a straight flush.
Full explanation
A straight flush is a hand made of five cards in sequence, all of the same suit. It is the second-best hand in poker, after the royal flush, which is the highest straight flush.
A straight flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit.
It is the second-best hand in poker.
The royal flush is the highest straight flush.
It is extremely rare.
A straight flush
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB 77 of hearts (7h)66 of hearts (6h) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB 77 of hearts (7h)66 of hearts (6h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB 77 of hearts (7h)66 of hearts (6h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player A has five hearts in a row, from six to ten. This is a straight flush, a straight in one suit.
Board: 88 of hearts (8h)99 of hearts (9h)1010 of hearts (Th)
- Player A BTN / SB 77 of hearts (7h)66 of hearts (6h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB AAce of clubs (Ac)AAce of diamonds (Ad) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.