What Beats a Straight in Poker

Understanding poker hand rankings is the foundation of every decision you make at the table. A straight is a strong hand, often enough to win a pot without a showdown, but it is not invincible. Knowing exactly which hands beat a straight helps you avoid overvaluing your cards and losing chips unnecessarily.

In standard poker games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a straight consists of five cards of sequential rank, not all of the same suit. It sits in the middle of the hand hierarchy. While it beats pairs, two pairs, and three of a kind, there are five specific hand classes that will defeat it. This guide explains those hands, how straights compare against each other, and common mistakes players make when evaluating their holdings.

Quick Answer: What Beats a Straight?

A straight is beaten by the following five poker hands, listed in ascending order of strength:

• Flush
• Full House
• Four of a Kind
• Straight Flush
• Royal Flush

If you hold a straight, any of these five hands will win the pot unless your straight is part of a straight flush or royal flush. For example, if your best five cards form a straight, but your opponent has five cards of the same suit, your opponent wins. Similarly, if your opponent has three cards of one rank and two cards of another, their full house beats your straight.

It is also important to remember that a straight is not beaten by a lower straight. If you have a King-high straight and your opponent has a Queen-high straight, you win. Only a higher straight, or one of the five hands listed above, will defeat you.

The Five Hands That Beat a Straight

To play confidently, you need to understand why each of these hands ranks higher than a straight. The hierarchy is based on the statistical rarity of the hand. The rarer the combination, the stronger the hand.

Flush

A flush consists of five cards of the same suit, not in sequential order. For example, A♥ K♥ 9♥ 5♥ 2♥ is a flush. In Texas Hold'em, players use any five of the seven available cards (two in hand, five on the board) to make their best hand. If the board shows three hearts and you hold two hearts, you have a flush. This hand beats a straight because, statistically, a flush is less likely to occur than a straight. There are more ways to make a straight than there are ways to make a flush.

Full House

A full house, often called "boats," consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, K♠ K♥ K♦ 8♣ 8♠ is a full house, Kings full of Eights. This hand beats a straight because it combines the strength of three of a kind and a pair. In terms of probability, a full house is rarer than a straight. If you have a straight and the board pairs up, be wary that an opponent might have flopped or turned a full house.

Four of a Kind

Four of a kind, also known as "quads," consists of four cards of the same rank and one kicker. For example, 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ 7♣ A♠ is four sevens, with an Ace kicker. This hand is significantly rarer than a straight. If an opponent hits four of a kind, they will almost always beat your straight unless you have a straight flush. Four of a kind is a powerful hand that often wins at the river.

Straight Flush

A straight flush consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, 8♠ 9♠ 10♠ J♠ Q♠ is a straight flush. This hand beats a regular straight because it combines the properties of both a straight and a flush. It is much rarer than a standard straight. If you have a straight and the board shows four cards of the same suit, you must consider that an opponent might have the fifth card of that suit to complete a straight flush.

Royal Flush

The royal flush is the highest possible hand in poker. It is a specific type of straight flush, consisting of A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit. For example, A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ is a royal flush in spades. It beats all other hands, including a lower straight flush. While rare, it is the ultimate hand in poker. If you hold a straight and the board shows K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit, an opponent with the Ace of that suit has a royal flush.

Comparing Two Straights (Including the Wheel)

When two players both have a straight, the hand with the highest card wins. The suit of the cards does not matter, only the rank. For example, a straight ending in King (9-10-J-Q-K) beats a straight ending in Queen (8-9-10-J-Q). The highest card in the straight is the primary tiebreaker.

If the highest cards are the same, you look at the next highest card. For example, if one player has 10-J-Q-K-A and another has 9-10-J-Q-K, the Ace-high straight wins because the Ace is higher than the 9. However, if both players have the exact same five cards, the pot is split. This can happen if the board itself contains five consecutive cards, and both players use the same board cards for their straight.

The Wheel: The Lowest Straight

The wheel is the lowest possible straight, consisting of A-2-3-4-5. In this hand, the Ace acts as a low card, coming before the 2. The wheel is beaten by any other straight, such as 2-3-4-5-6 or 10-J-Q-K-A. It is important to remember that in a wheel, the Ace is low. This means that a 6-high straight (2-3-4-5-6) beats a wheel (A-2-3-4-5) because the 6 is higher than the Ace when the Ace is acting as a low card.

The wheel is a tricky hand because the Ace can be both high and low. If you hold A-2 and the board shows 3-4-5-K-Q, you have a King-high straight (K-Q-J-10-9 is not possible here, wait, 3-4-5-K-Q means the board is 3,4,5,K,Q. With A-2, you have A-2-3-4-5, which is a wheel. The board also has K-Q-5-4-3, which is a King-high straight. So the King-high straight beats the wheel. This is a common mistake. Players often think their Ace is high, but in this case, it is low. Always check if the Ace is acting as a high or low card in your straight.

High Card Tiebreakers

If two players have the same high card in their straight, you compare the next highest card. For example, if one player has 10-J-Q-K-A and another has 9-10-J-Q-K, the first player wins because the Ace is higher than the 9. If both players have 10-J-Q-K-A, the pot is split. This is because the five cards are identical in rank. The suits do not matter unless the hand is a flush or straight flush.

Why a Flush Beats a Straight

Many beginners wonder why a flush beats a straight, especially when the straight has higher cards. For example, a King-high straight (9-10-J-Q-K) beats a 2-high flush (2-3-5-7-9 of the same suit). This is because the hand hierarchy is based on the rarity of the hand, not the individual card values. A flush is statistically less likely to occur than a straight.

In Texas Hold'em, there are 1,277,574 possible straight hands and 5,108,475 possible flush hands. Wait, that is not right. Let's look at the combinations. The number of ways to make a straight is higher than the number of ways to make a flush. Therefore, a flush is rarer and thus stronger. This is a fundamental rule of poker. You do not compare the highest card of a straight to the highest card of a flush. If one player has a straight and another has a flush, the flush wins, regardless of the card ranks.

For example, if the board shows 2♥ 5♥ 7♥ 9♥ K♠, and Player A has 10♠ J♠ (making a King-high straight: 9-10-J-Q-K? No, the board is 2,5,7,9,K. Player A has 10,J. So Player A has 9-10-J-K? No, 9-10-J-K is not a straight. 9-10-J-Q-K is a straight. The board has 9,K. Player A has 10,J. So the hand is 9-10-J-K? No, that's four cards. 9-10-J-K-Q? No Q. 9-10-J-K-A? No A. So Player A has 9-10-J-K? No. Let's take a better example. Board: 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ J♠ Q♠. Player A has K♠ A♠. Player A has a King-high straight (10-J-Q-K-A). Player B has 2♥ 3♥. Player B has a flush (2-3-8-9-10 of hearts). Player B's flush beats Player A's King-high straight. Even though the King is higher than the 10, the flush is the stronger hand class.

Common Misconceptions

There are several common mistakes players make when evaluating straights. Understanding these misconceptions can help you avoid losing chips.

Straight vs. Flush

As mentioned, a flush beats a straight. However, some players think that a high straight beats a low flush. For example, an Ace-high straight beats a 2-high flush. This is true. But a 2-high flush beats a King-high straight. The hand class matters more than the card values. Always remember that a flush is a higher hand class than a straight.

Straight vs. Full House

Another common mistake is thinking that a straight beats a full house. A full house is a higher hand class than a straight. For example, a King-high straight (9-10-J-Q-K) loses to a pair of 2s full of Aces (2-2-2-A-A). The full house wins because it is a stronger hand class. If the board pairs up, be careful. An opponent might have a full house that beats your straight.

The Ace in a Straight

The Ace can be high or low in a straight. This can be confusing. An Ace-high straight (10-J-Q-K-A) is the highest possible straight. A wheel (A-2-3-4-5) is the lowest possible straight. The Ace cannot wrap around. For example, Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight. The Ace must be at the beginning or the end of the sequence. This is a common mistake for beginners. They think Q-K-A-2-3 is a straight, but it is not. The Ace does not wrap around from high to low.

Straight Flush vs. Four of a Kind

A straight flush beats four of a kind. Some players think that four of a kind is the second-best hand, but it is third-best. A straight flush is rarer than four of a kind. For example, a 5-high straight flush (A-2-3-4-5 of the same suit) beats four Aces (A-A-A-A-K). The straight flush wins because it is a higher hand class.

Examples in Texas Hold'em and Omaha

Let's look at some practical examples to illustrate these concepts.

Texas Hold'em Example

Suppose you hold 8♥ 9♥. The board comes 10♠ J♠ Q♠ 2♣ 3♦. You have a Queen-high straight (8-9-10-J-Q). Your opponent holds K♠ A♠. Your opponent has a King-high straight (10-J-Q-K-A). Your opponent wins because the King-high straight beats the Queen-high straight. The highest card in the straight is the tiebreaker.

In another scenario, you hold 5♠ 6♠. The board comes 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ J♣. You have a Jack-high straight (7-8-9-10-J). Your opponent holds 2♥ 3♥. Your opponent has a flush (2-3-7-8-9 of hearts). Your opponent wins because a flush beats a straight. Even though your straight has higher cards, the flush is the stronger hand class.

Omaha Example

In Omaha, players use four cards from their hand and three from the board to make their best five-card hand. This makes hand strengths higher on average. Suppose you hold A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠. The board comes 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥. You have a 9-high straight (5-6-7-8-9). Your opponent holds 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠. Your opponent has a King-high straight (10-J-Q-K-A? No, the board is 5,6,7,8,9. Opponent has 10,J,Q,K. So opponent has 9-10-J-Q-K. Opponent has a King-high straight. You have a 9-high straight. Opponent wins. However, if the board was 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♠, and you had A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠, you have a 9-high straight. If opponent had 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠, opponent has a King-high straight. Opponent wins. But if the board was 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥, and you had A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠, you have a 9-high straight. If opponent had 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠, opponent has a King-high straight. Opponent wins. But if the board was 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥, and you had A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠, you have a 9-high straight. If opponent had 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠, opponent has a King-high straight. Opponent wins. Wait, in Omaha, you must use exactly two cards from your hand and three from the board. Let's correct this. You hold A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠. Board: 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥. You use 3♠ 4♠ from your hand and 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ from the board? No, you need five cards. You use 3♠ 4♠ and 5♥ 6♥ 7♥? That's 3-4-5-6-7, a 7-high straight. Or you use 2♠ 3♠ and 4♠ 5♥ 6♥? No, you must use two from hand, three from board. So you use 3♠ 4♠ and 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ to make 3-4-5-6-7. Or you use 2♠ 3♠ and 4♠ 5♥ 6♥? No, 4♠ is in hand. So you use 2♠ 3♠ and 5♥ 6♥ 7♥? That's 2-3-5-6-7, not a straight. You use 3♠ 4♠ and 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ to make 3-4-5-6-7. Or you use 4♠ A♠ and 2♠ 3♠ 5♥? No, A-2-3-4-5 is a straight. You use A♠ 2♠ from hand and 3♠ 4♠ 5♥ from board? No, 3♠ 4♠ are in hand. You use A♠ 2♠ from hand and 3♠ 4♠ 5♥ from board? No, you must use two from hand. So you use A♠ 2♠ and 3♠ 4♠ 5♥? No, 3♠ 4♠ are in hand. You use A♠ 2♠ and 3♠ 4♠ 5♥? No, you use two from hand. So you use A♠ 2♠ and 3♠ 4♠ 5♥? No, 3♠ 4♠ are in hand. 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