Poker
Royal flush poker
A royal flush is the highest possible straight flush: five consecutive cards of the same suit from ten to ace (A-K-Q-J-10 suited). It is the top-ranked hand in standard poker.
Key points
- A royal flush is an ace-high straight flush; it beats every other hand in standard poker.1
- The hand consists of the ten, jack, queen, king and ace of the same suit.1
- In games with wild cards, a five-of-a-kind hand can outrank a royal flush.3
- The term is sometimes called a royal straight flush or, in non-English contexts, scala reale or Floş Royal.7
Royal flush vs straight flush
| Hand | Cards | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | A-K-Q-J-10 suited | Highest |
| Straight flush | Any five consecutive suited cards (e.g., 9-8-7-6-5) | Second highest |
How a royal flush works
A player must hold or make the top five cards of one suit in sequence from ten through ace. In standard poker hand ranking, it is the highest-ranking straight flush and is usually the highest hand when wild cards are not used.12
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Straight flush — a royal flush is the highest possible straight flush, A-K-Q-J-10 suited
Related terms
Poker
Royal flush
Detailed explanation of the ace-high straight flush hand.
Poker
Gto poker
Game theory optimal strategy for poker.
Poker
Straight flush poker
Overview of the straight flush hand in poker.
Poker
Royal straight flush
Alternative name for a royal flush.
Poker
Straight flush vs royal flush
Comparison between a straight flush and a royal flush.
Poker
Straight flush
Definition and ranking of a straight flush hand.
Sources
- List of poker hands en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition and hand ranking of a royal flush.
- Wikipedia:Today's featured list/April 4, 2014 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Confirms that a royal flush is the highest hand when no wild cards are used.
- Non-standard poker hand en.wikipedia.org Explains that wild cards can create hands that outrank a royal flush.
- Texas hold 'em en.wikipedia.org Confirms that Texas hold 'em uses the royal flush in its hand rankings.
- Video poker - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Confirms that video poker uses the royal flush in its hand rankings.
- Poker Rules - Pagat pagat.com States the number of straight-flush ranks when a royal flush is counted separately.
- Regole dei giochi di carte: Il Valore delle Mani di Poker pagat.com Provides non-English terms for royal flush.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.