Poker

Royal straight flush

A royal straight flush is an ace-high straight flush: the A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit. It is the highest possible hand in standard poker and cannot be beaten.

Also called: Royal flush
Number of ways: 4
Probability (five-card): 1 in 649,740²
Cards required: A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit
Highest hand: Yes, in standard poker

Key points

A royal straight flush is the best possible straight flush: it uses the ace-high sequence A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit.¹³
In a 52-card deck there are exactly 4 ways to make a royal straight flush, one per suit.²
No other straight flush beats a royal straight flush; it is the highest hand in standard poker.¹³
A royal straight flush is a specific type of straight flush, restricted to the ace-high sequence only, unlike lower straight flushes.³⁴

Probability of a royal straight flush

Odds in five-card poker with a standard 52-card deck.
Hand	Number of ways	Probability
Royal straight flush	4	1 in 649,740²

Common questions

What beats a royal straight flush?

Nothing beats a royal straight flush in standard poker. It is the highest possible hand, and no other hand, including other straight flushes, can beat it.¹³

Where this term is used

Poker

Not the same as

Straight flush vs royal flush — a comparison page that explains the difference between a straight flush and a royal flush
Royal flush — a synonym for royal straight flush, used interchangeably in poker
Straight flush — any five consecutive cards of the same suit; a royal straight flush is the ace-high version
Straight flush vs flush — a comparison page that distinguishes a straight flush from a regular flush
Royal flush poker — another term for royal straight flush, often used in poker contexts
Straight flush poker — a page covering straight flush hands in poker, including the royal variant

Poker Straight flush vs royal flush Explains the difference between a straight flush and a royal flush. Poker Royal flush Synonym for royal straight flush, the highest poker hand. Poker Straight flush Any five consecutive cards of the same suit; the royal flush is the ace-high version. Poker Straight flush vs flush Compares a straight flush to a regular flush in poker. Poker Royal flush poker Covers the royal flush hand in poker contexts. Poker Straight flush poker Covers straight flush hands in poker, including the royal variant.

Sources

List of poker hands en.wikipedia.org Defines the royal straight flush as an ace-high straight flush and confirms it is the highest hand.
Poker probability en.wikipedia.org Provides the probability of a royal flush: 4/2,598,960 or 1 in 649,740.
Ranking of Poker Hands pagat.com Confirms the royal straight flush is the highest possible straight flush and cannot be beaten.
Poker Rules - Pagat pagat.com Distinguishes the royal straight flush from lower straight flushes by its ace-high sequence.

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.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.