Poker
Straight flush vs royal flush
A straight flush is any five cards of the same suit in consecutive rank; a royal flush is the specific straight flush of A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit, the highest possible hand in standard poker.
- Straight flush
- Five consecutive cards, same suit, e.g. 9-8-7-6-5 of clubs. Ace can be high or low, but not both.
- Royal flush
- The A-K-Q-J-10 straight flush of one suit. It is the highest straight flush and cannot be beaten.1
- Probability (royal flush)
- 0.000154% (649,739:1) in five-card draw.4
- Video poker royal flush
- Probability of 0.000025; typical payout 800.5
Key points
- Every royal flush is a straight flush, but most straight flushes are not royal flushes.1
- Among straight flushes, the hand with the higher top card wins; 5-4-3-2-A (ace low) is the lowest.2
- A royal flush is simply the top-end case of a straight flush, using A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit.3
Comparing straight flush and royal flush
| Feature | Straight flush | Royal flush |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Five suited cards in sequence | A-K-Q-J-10 suited |
| Rank | Second-highest hand in poker | Highest hand in poker |
| Example | J-10-9-8-7 of hearts | A-K-Q-J-10 of spades |
| Probability | Varies by rank; royal is rarest | 0.000154% (649,739:1)4 |
Where this term is used
Related terms
Poker
Royal straight flush
Another name for a royal flush, the highest straight flush.
Poker
Royal flush
The A-K-Q-J-10 suited hand, the best possible poker hand.
Poker
Straight flush
Any five suited cards in sequence, including the royal flush as its highest form.
Poker
Straight flush vs flush
How a straight flush beats a plain flush in poker hand rankings.
Poker
Royal flush poker
The royal flush in the context of poker games and strategy.
Poker
Straight flush poker
The straight flush in the context of poker games and strategy.
Sources
- Ranking of Poker Hands pagat.com Defines straight flush and royal flush, and explains that every royal flush is a straight flush.
- Poker Rules - Pagat pagat.com Provides the ranking of straight flushes and the low straight flush (5-4-3-2-A).
- List of poker hands - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Defines both hands and states that a royal flush is a type of straight flush.
- Poker probability - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Gives the probability of a royal flush (0.000154%, 649,739:1).
- Video poker - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Provides video poker royal flush probability (0.000025) and payout (800).
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.