Poker can often feel like a complicated game for newcomers, especially when the dealer starts throwing out terms like Flush, Straight, and Full House.

However, it takes a bit of practice in familiarizing yourself with the terms and then investing time in going over who beats what to get more familiar with some of the nuances in the game.

One of the most popular questions amongst newer players is whether Flush beats a Straight. Both of these terms can be a bit confusing based on what they denote in a match. Hence, it’s not all that surprising why even some intermediate players have to look it up to know which hand is better.

Hence today’s Poker guide will go over what Flush and Straight denote in the game and which beats the other.

What does Flush stand for in Poker?

A Flush Hand, as it’s commonly called, is when you have five cards of the same suit but in no particular order or sequence. Four suits are in a deck: Diamonds, Clubs, Spades, and Hearts.

When it comes to the poker hand rankings, a Flush sits at the 5th position, making it the 5th strongest hand in the game.

In general, if you are holding the King, Queen, 10, 7, and 4 of a suit, then you have a Flush hand. If two or more players on the table have gotten a Flush hand in a game, the player with the highest-ranking card will win.

What does Straight stand for in Poker?

A Straight Hand is when you have five cards of different suits that are arranged in a sequence. Hence, a series like A, K, Q, J, and 10 will be considered the best Straight Hand in a game, and a Straight Flush is when there is a sequence from the same Suit.

The lowest straight will be A,2,3,4,5, and much like with Flush, the hand with the higher numbers will be the one to win out in the end.

Straight sits at the 6th position on the hand rankings, making it the 6th most powerful hand in the game.

Will Flush beat a Straight in Poker?

It should be evident by their hand rankings that a Flush will indeed beat a Straight. Hand rankings in Poker are usually based on probability, and the lower the chance of getting a hand, the higher its value will be in the game.

The probability of getting a Straight hand is 0.003925, while the likelihood of getting a flush is 0.001965. Hence, it is not surprising that Flush will always win against a Straight.

However, a Straight Flush, which is a sequence in the same suit, has an even lower probability and will be beating both a Flush and a Straight in the game.