Straight
A straight is five cards in consecutive rank of mixed suits, such as 9-8-7-6-5. It beats three of a kind and loses to a flush.
A straight is five cards of consecutive rank, not all of the same suit, such as T♣ 9♦ 8♥ 7♠ 6♣. In the hand rankings it beats three of a kind and loses to a flush. If all five cards were the same suit, the hand would be a straight flush, which ranks much higher.
Rules for straights
- The ace plays high or low. A-K-Q-J-T, called broadway, is the highest straight. A-2-3-4-5, called the wheel, is the lowest.
- No wrapping around. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight. The ace can only be at one end.
- Ten straights exist, from 5-high (the wheel) up to ace-high (broadway).
- Higher top card wins. Between two straights, the one with the higher top card wins. Equal straights split the pot, regardless of suits.
How straights form in Hold'em
A straight always requires at least three board cards within a five-rank window. On K♠ 8♦ 3♣, for example, no straight is possible yet, because no three of those cards fit together. On 9♦ 8♣ 7♥, many straights are possible, and the board is called connected.
Example: the high end and the low end
The flop is 9♦ 8♣ 7♥. You hold 6♠ 5♠ and have flopped a straight, 9-8-7-6-5. It feels like a monster, but this is the low end of the board, sometimes called the idiot end. An opponent holding J♥ T♦ has J-T-9-8-7, a higher straight, and an opponent holding T♣ 6♦ has T-9-8-7-6. Your 9-high straight is strong, but it is not the nuts.
Now say the turn brings the T♠. Your hand has not changed, but any player with a jack now has a straight to the jack, and J-Q would have the queen-high straight. Your hand dropped from strong to vulnerable without you doing anything wrong.
Drawing to a straight
Four cards to a straight with two open ends is an open-ended straight draw, with 8 outs and about 31.5% to complete by the river from the flop. Needing one specific inside rank is a gutshot, with 4 outs and about 16.5% from the flop.
Strategy tips
- Check which end you hold. Holding the top end of a straight is far more valuable than the bottom end.
- Watch for flush cards. If three of one suit land on the board, your straight may now be beaten by a flush.
- Disguise helps. Straights made with small connected cards are hard to read, so opponents with top pair or two pair often pay you off.
- Count possible straights on wet boards. On a board like J-T-9, many two-card hands make a straight, so be careful with one pair.
Frequently asked questions
Can a straight wrap around in poker?
No. Combinations like Q-K-A-2-3 are not straights. The ace can be high in A-K-Q-J-T or low in A-2-3-4-5, but not both at once.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush ranks above a straight.
What is the lowest straight in poker?
A-2-3-4-5, known as the wheel, is the lowest straight, with the ace playing as a one.
Related poker terms
- Open-Ended Straight Draw — An open-ended straight draw is four consecutive cards that any of two ranks can complete into a straight. It has 8 outs, about 31.5% from flop to river.
- Gutshot — A gutshot is a straight draw that needs one specific inside rank to complete, such as 9-8-6-5 needing a 7. It has 4 outs, about 16.5% from flop to river.
- Flush — A flush is five cards of the same suit in any order. It beats a straight and loses to a full house, and flushes are compared by their highest card.
- Hand Rankings — Poker hand rankings list the ten five-card hands from royal flush down to high card. A rarer hand always beats a more common one.
- The Nuts — The nuts is the best possible hand given the community cards at that moment. Holding the nuts means no other hand can beat you, though ties are possible.
- Suited Connectors — Suited connectors are starting hands with two consecutive ranks of the same suit, such as 8♥ 7♥. They make straights and flushes but rarely strong pairs.