Also think about the betting patterns of the other players. If your hole cards complete a straight on the lower end, consider the possible hands. That’s because it’s less likely that the other player also holds two to make a straight.īe aware of the possible straights from using the community cards, especially when you’re using four of them. And holding two cards to a straight with the other three on the board is more likely to win. The higher the top card in the straight, the better the likelihood of winning the hand with that straight.

An ace-high straight (ten-to-ace) beats all other straights in a head-to-head battle. The straight ranks as the sixth-best hand you can make according to the poker hand rankings. How does a straight hand rank?Ī straight represents a strong hand, often good enough to win the pot in many poker games. For example, Q♥K♣A♠2♦3♥ is just an ace-high hand, not counting as a straight. Wrap-around straights using the ace as a bridge don’t qualify as a straight.

If two straights go head-to-head, the hand with the highest-ranking top card wins.Īn ace can be used as the low card in a five-high straight (aka the wheel) or the high card in an ace-high straight (aka broadway). The highest card in the straight determines the hand’s strength. The suits of the cards don’t matter, as any mix of suits can be used to make a straight. The straight hand explainedĪny five-card hand that includes five sequential cards qualifies as a straight. Ace-to-five makes the lowest possible straight, while ten-to-ace is the highest possible straight.Īll other straights in between the low and high ends use the highest-ranking card to determine the hand’s strength. The ace can act as both the low end of an ace-to-five straight (5♥4♦3♣2♥A♠) as well as the high end of a ten-to-ace straight (A♥K♣Q♥J♠T♦). The suits don’t matter when it comes to making a straight, and the highest card in the straight determines the strength of the hand. How do straights work in poker?Ī straight consists of five sequential cards in the same hand.

The following article takes a look at the straight, including the math behind making a straight in a game of poker.Įxamples of straights include hands like A♥K♣Q♥J♠T♦ and 6♠5♥4♦3♣2♥. ’s continuing series on poker hand rankings describes each possible made hand on the poker hand rankings chart.

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