Gambling terms, explained straight

Poker

Straight poker

Straight poker is a poker variant in which each player is dealt five cards, there is one betting round, and the best five-card hand wins at showdown.

Cards per player
5
Betting rounds
1
Straight definition
Five cards in consecutive rank, not all the same suit. Ace can be high (A-K-Q-J-10) or low (5-4-3-2-A).3
Hand ranking focus
The straight is the hand category being compared at showdown.2

Key points

  • Each player receives five cards face down, then a single betting round occurs with raising and re-raising allowed.1
  • At showdown, the pot goes to the best five-card hand; a straight (five consecutive ranks) is the relevant hand type.3
  • Ace can serve as the highest card (A-K-Q-J-10) or the lowest (5-4-3-2-A) in a straight, but cannot wrap around the middle.3
  • Straight poker differs from draw poker (which has a draw step) and stud (which has multiple betting rounds).45

How to play straight poker

  1. Deal five cards to each player, all face down.
  2. Conduct one round of betting, starting with the player to the dealer's left; players may call, raise, or fold.
  3. If more than one player remains, reveal hands at showdown; the best five-card hand wins the pot.

Common questions

How to play straight poker?

Each player is dealt five cards, then a single betting round takes place. After betting, players reveal their hands, and the best five-card hand wins the pot. There is no draw or additional betting rounds.

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • High straight poker — not a standard synonym; 'high straight' refers only to the highest possible straight (A-K-Q-J-10), not a variant
  • 4 card straight poker — a non-standard game that may use straights of four cards, unlike the five-card straight in straight poker
  • Straight poker with ace — a variant that may treat the ace differently, whereas standard straight poker allows ace high or low but not in the middle
Poker Straight flush poker A poker variant where the best hand is a straight flush, five consecutive cards of the same suit. Poker High straight poker A variant that focuses on the highest possible straight hand. Poker 4 card straight poker A non-standard poker game using four-card straights instead of five. Poker Straight poker with ace A variant that may alter how the ace is used in a straight. Poker Straight flush A poker hand consisting of five consecutive cards of the same suit. Poker Pai gow poker A casino game combining poker hand rankings with Chinese domino rules.

Sources

  1. Poker en.wikipedia.org Defines straight poker as a five-card variant with one betting round.
  2. List of poker hands en.wikipedia.org Provides the hand ranking for a straight and its role in poker.
  3. Poker Rules - Pagat pagat.com Details the rules for a straight, including ace high and low.
  4. Draw (poker) en.wikipedia.org Distinguishes straight poker from draw poker.
  5. Five-card stud - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Distinguishes straight poker from five-card stud.

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.