What is a straight in poker?
Updated November 2026
A straight is five cards in a row in mixed suits, such as 10-9-8-7-6. It beats three of a kind and loses to a flush, which makes it the sixth-best hand in poker.
The ace can sit at either end, so A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest straight and A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest.
| Cards | Five in a row, mixed suits |
|---|---|
| Beats | Three of a kind and below |
| Loses to | Flush and above |
| Dealt five cards | 1 in 255 |
| By the river | 1 in 21.6 |
Highest and lowest
Which straights are legal?
Any five ranks in a row, with the ace counting high or low but not both. It can't wrap around, so K-A-2-3-4 is just ace-high.
The top straight is called Broadway and the bottom one the wheel. The wheel is five-high, because the ace is playing as a one.
Not a straight
The run can't go around the ace.
What if two players have a straight?
The higher top card wins. If the tops are equal, the whole hand is equal, and the pot is split however different the suits are.
How do you spot one on the board?
You need three board cards that fit inside a stretch of five ranks. On K-7-2 nobody can have a straight, because those three cards can't sit together in five ranks.
On 9-8-6, anyone with 10-7 or 7-5 has one already. Our guide to straight draws covers the hands that are still one card short.
Is a straight possible?
How often will you make one?
By the river, about 4.6 times in 100. It's more common than a flush at 3.0, and that's why it ranks below one. Hold two connected cards such as 10-9 and you'll flop a straight 1.31 times in 100, or 1 time in 76.
Chance of each hand by the river
Every 7-card deal counted
Can you tell which hand wins?
Twelve spots in three rounds.
Questions players ask
Can a straight have an ace in the middle?
No. The ace only works at either end.
Does a straight beat three of a kind?
Yes. Our page on straight against three of a kind explains why.
Do you need both hole cards for a straight?
No. You can use one, both, or even none if the board makes the straight on its own.
How the numbers on this page were worked out
We counted all 2,598,960 possible five-card hands and all 133,784,560 seven-card deals. The totals match the published tables on Wikipedia's poker probability page. "By the river" assumes you stay in until all five community cards are out, and in a real game you fold most hands long before that.
Know someone who thinks K-A-2-3-4 is a straight?
Send them this page.