Does a Flush Beat a Straight in Poker? (2026 Answer)

This is one of the most Googled poker questions — and one of the most commonly misremembered rules at the table. The answer is clear: a flush always beats a straight in all standard poker games including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, and casino poker. Here is exactly why, when it matters, how tie-breaking works, and the one important exception you need to know.

"Poker is a game of people. It's not the hand that matters — it's the person sitting across from you."

New to hand rankings? Start with our complete poker hands in order guide, then come back here for the flush vs. straight deep-dive.

Does a Flush Beat a Straight in Texas Hold'em?

Yes, without exception. In Texas Hold'em, a flush (rank #5) outranks a straight (rank #6) at showdown. The player with the lower rank number wins. So if one player holds a flush and another holds a straight, the flush wins — regardless of the individual card ranks involved.

Example: A♥ J♥ 8♥ 5♥ 2♥ (ace-high flush) beats 9♠ 8♥ 7♦ 6♣ 5♠ (nine-high straight), even though the straight contains a 9 and the flush's lowest card is a 2.

The hand type always determines the winner first. Individual card ranks only matter when two players hold the same hand type.

Why Does a Flush Beat a Straight? The Math

Poker hand rankings are determined entirely by mathematical probability. Rarer hands rank higher. Here is the exact count for each from a standard 52-card deck:

Straights are 1.996× more common than flushes. Since flushes are harder to make, they rank higher. This is not arbitrary — it is pure combinatorial mathematics. The same principle governs every hand ranking in the game.

For context: there are 2,598,960 total possible 5-card hands from a 52-card deck. Both flushes and straights are relatively rare, but straights appear roughly twice as often — which is exactly why the flush ranks one position higher.

What Is the Exception? The Straight Flush

A straight flush is a hand that is simultaneously a straight AND a flush — five consecutive cards all of the same suit. Example: 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣.

A straight flush ranks #2, above all regular flushes (#5). So while a flush beats a straight, a straight flush beats a regular flush.

The Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit) is the highest straight flush and ranks #1 overall — above everything, including regular straight flushes.

Flush vs. Flush: Who Wins When Both Players Have a Flush?

When two players both hold a flush, the hand type is the same (both rank #5). In this case, you compare the individual card ranks from highest to lowest:

1. Compare the highest card — the flush with the higher top card wins. A♥ flush beats K♥ flush.
2. If the top cards tie, compare the second card — A♥ J♥ flush beats A♥ 10♥ flush.
3. Continue down through all 5 cards — if all 5 card ranks are identical, the pot splits. This can happen in Texas Hold'em if all 5 flush cards come from the board (the community cards).

Important: Suits are never compared in Texas Hold'em. There is no suit that outranks another. An ace-high flush in spades ties an ace-high flush in hearts if all 5 card ranks match.

Straight vs. Straight: Tie-Breaking Rules

When two players both hold a straight, the one with the higher top card wins:

• Broadway (A-K-Q-J-10) is the highest straight
• 9-high straight (9-8-7-6-5) beats 8-high (8-7-6-5-4)
• The wheel (A-2-3-4-5) is the lowest straight — ace plays low here
• If both straights have the same top card (using shared community cards in Hold'em), the pot splits

Does the Rule Change in Other Poker Games?

In standard poker variants — Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Five-Card Draw — a flush always beats a straight. The one major exception is Short Deck poker (6+):

In Short Deck, all cards below 6 are removed from the deck (aces, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s removed except ace). With fewer cards, it actually becomes harder to make a flush than a full house — so in Short Deck poker, a flush beats a full house, and hand rankings shift accordingly. Always check the rules of the specific game before assuming standard rankings apply.

Why Do Players Confuse Flush and Straight?

The confusion usually comes from two places:

1. Both feel impressive visually — a five-card straight looks connected and deliberate; a five-card flush looks color-coordinated. Both seem like they should be equally strong.
2. Players learn the names before they learn the math — without understanding that rankings are based on probability, the ordering feels arbitrary and easy to mix up.

The simplest fix: remember that a flush requires all five cards to share a suit — an additional constraint on top of just having five cards — which is why it is harder to make and ranks higher. A straight just needs consecutive ranks in any suit combination.

Quick Memory Trick

Flush = all same suit = harder constraint = higher rank. Straight = just consecutive = easier = lower rank.

If you still find yourself second-guessing at the table, keep a free printable poker hands chart in front of you — completely accepted at home games — or display a poker hands wall chart in your game room.

Key Takeaways

• Yes — a flush beats a straight in all standard poker games, every single time
• Flush ranks #5; straight ranks #6 — the lower number wins at showdown
• The reason: there are 10,200 possible straights but only 5,108 possible flushes — rarer hands rank higher
• Exception: a straight flush (consecutive + same suit) ranks #2 and beats a regular flush
• Flush vs. flush: compare highest card first, then second, and so on; suits are never compared
• Short Deck poker changes this: with fewer cards in the deck, a flush actually beats a full house
• Get the full rankings: free poker hands PDF or premium wall chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a flush beat a straight in all poker games?

Yes in all standard poker games — Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Five-Card Draw, and casino poker variants. The one exception is Short Deck poker (6+), where hand rankings shift because removing low cards changes the probability of each hand.

Can a straight ever beat a flush?

No. A straight (rank #6) never beats a regular flush (rank #5) in standard poker. However, a straight flush (rank #2) beats a regular flush — but a straight flush is also a flush, not just a straight.

What if both players have a flush in the same suit?

In Texas Hold'em, two players can absolutely have flushes in the same suit — if four or five flush cards are on the board, both players may complete a flush using different hole cards. The winner is whoever holds the higher flush card not present in the other player's flush. If all 5 cards come from the board and both players play the board, the pot splits.

Does a straight flush beat a royal flush?

No. A Royal Flush is the highest possible straight flush — A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit. It ranks #1 and cannot be beaten by any other straight flush.

Which is rarer — a flush or a straight?

A flush is rarer: 5,108 possible flush combinations vs. 10,200 straight combinations in a 5-card deal. In Texas Hold'em (7 cards), flushes occur about 3.03% of the time vs. 4.62% for straights — flushes remain rarer even with 7 cards.