Does a Flush Beat a Straight?
Short answer
Yes. A flush always beats a straight. It ranks higher because it is rarer: there are 5,108 flushes in five-card poker but 10,200 straights.
Flush (wins)
Straight (loses)
Even the best possible straight, ace high, loses to the weakest flush. The type of hand is compared first, and the cards inside it only matter when both players have the same type.
Why a flush ranks higher
Poker hands are ranked by how hard they are to make. Out of 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, 10,200 are straights and 5,108 are flushes, so a flush is about twice as rare. The poker hand odds page has every number.
Is it the same in Texas Hold'em?
Yes. Hold'em, Omaha and five-card draw all use the same order. In Hold'em you play the best five of seven cards, but a flush still beats a straight.
What about a straight flush?
If the five cards are both in a row and the same suit, that is a straight flush. It beats a flush, a straight and four of a kind.
Easy way to remember
Say it in order: full house, flush, straight. Or keep a printable poker hand chart on the table.
FAQ
Does a flush beat a straight in Texas Hold'em?
Yes. Texas Hold'em uses the standard hand rankings, where a flush beats a straight.
Does a straight ever beat a flush?
Not in standard poker. A straight flush beats a flush, but a plain straight never does.
What beats a flush?
A full house, four of a kind, a straight flush and a royal flush.
Does a flush beat a straight in 3 card poker?
No. Three card poker uses its own ranking where a straight beats a flush, because with only three cards a flush is easier to make. This page covers standard five-card rankings.