How do you make a Straight Flush in poker, and can you ever lose with this hand? Despite being incredibly hard to make, it’s possible to lose with a Straight Flush if you don’t know how poker hand rankings work.
I’ll show you how to make a Straight Flush hand in poker and, more importantly, how to get maximum value when you do. So, if you want to maximize your ROI with one of the best hands in poker, let’s get started.
What is a Straight Flush Poker Hand?
A Straight Flush in poker is five suited cards in sequential order. Broken down into its constituent parts, it’s a run of cards in numerical order, e.g., 4-5-6-7-8. That’s the Straight part.
The flush part of a Straight Flush is the fact that all five cards share the same suit. So, from the above example, a Straight becomes a Straight Flush if it looks like this: 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥.
That’s the basics of how to make a Straight Flush in poker. But, as I’ll explain, knowing how to make this hand and actually making it are two different things.
Where Does Straight Flush Rank in Poker?
A Straight Flush is the second-best hand in poker behind a Royal Flush. In fact, what’s interesting to note here is that a Royal Flush is a type of Straight Flush. In essence, it’s the best Straight Flush you can make.
Poker Hand Rankings
Rank
Hand
Example
01
Royal Flush
02
Straight Flush
03
Four-of-a-Kind (Quads)
04
Full House (Full Boat)
05
Flush
06
Straight
07
Three-of-a-Kind (Set/Trips)
08
Two Pair
09
One Pair
10
High Card
A Royal Flush is the best Straight Flush you can make because it consists of the five highest-value cards in a standard deck.
Just like Straights, the value of a Straight Flush is determined by its highest-value card. This is only relevant if two players have a Straight Flush. Indeed, if you have a Straight Flush at a showdown, you’ll win the pot unless someone else has a Royal Flush.
However, for the purposes of understanding what a Straight Flush in poker is, it’s worth discussing the concept of high-value cards. As I said, the value of a Straight Flush is determined by the highest-value card within the sequence.
Here’s an example to clarify this concept:
Player A has 4♥ 5♥
Play B has 9♥ 10♥
The board = 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 2♣ J♠
Player A hand = 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥
Player B hand = 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥
Result = Player B wins
Both players have a Straight Flush, but Player B wins because the highest value card in their sequence is a 10, while Player A’s is an 8.
That’s how you separate two players with Straight Flushes. It’s also the reason why a Royal Flush is the top-ranking Straight Flush.
What Are the Odds of Making a Straight Flush?
The odds of making a Straight Flush in poker are 72,192:1 against. Expressed a different way, you have a 0.00139% chance of making a Straight Flush with five random cards.
That’s a lot better odds than making a Royal Flush (649,739:1) but significantly longer odds than the next best hand in poker, Four-of-a-Kind (4,164:1).
These odds tell us how likely you are to make a Straight Flush in poker with five random cards. We know, however, that smart poker players choose their starting hands carefully. Therefore, if you’re aiming to make a Straight Flush in Texas Hold’em, you’ll need to start with suited connectors.
Suited connectors are two cards of the same suit with sequential values, e.g., 8♠ 9♠. Starting with suited connectors gives you the best chance of making a Straight Flush. According to the numbers, you’ve got a 0.0279% chance (3,590:1 against) of making a Straight Flush in Hold’em with suited connectors.
Your chances of making this hand with suited one-gappers (e.g., 7♠ 9♠) or suited two-gappers (6♠ 9♠) are longer, which is why hand selection is an important skill you need to master.
How to Play a Straight Flush in Poker: 3 Basic Strategy Tips
Playing a Straight Flush is relatively easy because it’s so strong that you’re going to win almost every showdown.
Knowing you can win showdowns is great, but getting to a showdown can be tricky. Moreover, it’s hard to get maximum value from strong poker hands such as Straight Flushes.
So, with this in mind, here are three tips for playing this hand:
1. Be Aware of Your Position
It’s much easier to play hands in position than out of position. If you’re in position, use the fact that you’re acting last to gauge the strength of your opponent’s hand and react accordingly. If you’re the first person to act, my advice is to play cautiously. Betting too much on scary boards (i.e., boards with a lot of straight and flush cards) can get people to fold.
2. Think About Your End Goal
You should be aiming to win the maximum number of chips when you have the best hand. We know a Straight Flush is almost unbeatable at showdowns, so start planning your goal before you get to the river. This means betting enough to build the pot so you can make a big bet/go all-in on the river without scaring away your opponents.
3. Be Creative
The two tips I’ve just given you are applicable at all times. However, the real skill in poker is knowing when to go against convention. I recommend playing solid, aggressive poker when you’ve made a Straight Flush.
I also think there are reasons to do something unexpected. For example, you could go all-in on the turn to make it look like you’re bluffing. This might not work. However, you’ll win a decent pot when it does work.
Mistakes to Avoid with a Straight Flush Poker Hand
The biggest mistake I see people make with a Straight Flush poker hand is playing too passively. I agree that you need to disguise the strength of your hand by checking and making slightly smaller bets.
What you can’t do, though, is play passively on every street. You want to build big pots with strong hands, so you have to find ways to bet aggressively. One way to avoid being too passive is delaying your aggression until the turn.
Players often feel committed to the pot at this point, so they’re less likely to fold. Therefore, if you want to bet or raise with a Straight Flush, I suggest waiting until the turn in most cases.
Conclusion: How to Play a Straight Flush in Poker
That’s everything you need to know about Straight Flushes in poker. You might not make this hand very often, but when you do, there’s a very good chance you’ll win a big pot. Just remember to play smart, exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, and bet responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, a Straight Flush loses to a Royal Flush in poker. Despite the fact that you won’t win 100% of the time, a Straight Flush is still the second-best hand in poker. So, if you make one, don’t be afraid to play it aggressively.
The amount you can win with a Straight Flush in poker depends on the size of your stack and the other players involved in the hand. Your job is to disguise the strength of your hand while simultaneously betting enough to win the most chips without scaring
your opponents.
Yes, you can make a Straight Flush with any suit. This poker hand consists of five suited cards in numerical order. So, as long as all of the cards are the same suit, it counts as a Straight Flush.
