Which Poker Hand Wins? Flush vs Straight and Every Other Matchup

The single most searched poker question is "does a flush beat a straight?" — the answer is yes. Poker hand rankings follow one rule: the rarer the hand, the stronger it is. This page compares every common matchup head to head, with the probability behind each ranking.

A flush beats a straight — flushes are rarer (0.20% vs 0.39%).
A full house beats a flush; four of a kind beats a full house.
Any two pair beats any single pair, including aces.
When both players hold the same hand, the kicker decides the pot.

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Subject to Terms of Use and Responsible Gaming Policy · 21+

התשובה הקצרה

צבע מנצח רצף

כי צבע נדיר כמעט פי 2 מרצף בחפיסה של 52 קלפים.

Head-to-head comparison table

Hand A	Hand B	Winner	Why
Flush	Straight	Flush	A flush is rarer than a straight — 0.20% vs 0.39% of hands.
Full House	Flush	Full House	A full house appears in only 0.14% of hands.
Four of a Kind	Full House	Four of a Kind	Quads occur in just 0.024% of hands.
Three of a Kind	Two Pair	Three of a Kind	Trips are rarer than two pair.
Two Pair	One Pair	Two Pair	Any two pair beats any single pair, even aces.
Royal Flush	Straight Flush	Royal Flush	A royal flush is the ace-high straight flush — the best hand.
Ace High	Pair of 2s	Pair of 2s	Even the lowest pair beats any high-card hand.
Flush	Three of a Kind (trips)	Flush	A flush outranks both a straight and trips — trips appear in 2.1% of hands.
Straight	Three of a Kind (trips)	Straight	A straight (0.39%) is rarer than trips (2.1%), so it wins.
Straight Flush	Four of a Kind	Straight Flush	A straight flush (0.0014%) is about 17x rarer than quads.
Full House	Straight	Full House	A full house outranks a flush, and a flush outranks a straight.

The rule behind every ranking

Poker hand rankings are not arbitrary — they follow the mathematical frequency of each hand in a 52-card deck. The fewer combinations that make a hand, the higher it ranks. That is why a flush (5,108 combinations) beats a straight (10,200 combinations), and why four of a kind beats both.

Ties and kickers

When two players make the same hand, the highest cards decide. Two players with a flush compare their highest flush card; two players with one pair compare their kicker. If all five cards are identical the pot is split (a chop).

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All 10 poker hands Cheat sheet Texas Hold'em guide

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a flush beat a straight?

Yes. A flush (five cards of the same suit) beats a straight (five consecutive cards), because a flush is statistically rarer.

Does a full house beat a flush?

Yes. A full house ranks above a flush and below four of a kind.

Does three of a kind beat two pair?

Yes. Three of a kind is rarer and therefore ranks higher than two pair.

What beats a royal flush?

Nothing. A royal flush is the highest possible hand in Texas Hold'em.

Does a flush beat trips?

Yes. A flush beats three of a kind, and so does a straight — trips rank below both.

Does trips beat a straight?

No. A straight beats three of a kind, because a straight is statistically rarer.

Straight flush vs four of a kind — which wins?

The straight flush wins. Only a royal flush, which is an ace-high straight flush, ranks above it.

Is 10-J-Q-K-A a straight?

Yes — that is the highest straight, known as Broadway. If all five cards share a suit it is a royal flush.

Is J-Q-K-A-2 a straight?

No. Straights cannot wrap around the ace. The ace plays high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), never both in one hand.

Which Poker Hand Wins? Flush vs Straight and Every Other Matchup

A flush beats a straight — flushes are rarer (0.20% vs 0.39%).

A full house beats a flush; four of a kind beats a full house.

Any two pair beats any single pair, including aces.

When both players hold the same hand, the kicker decides the pot.

Subject to Terms of Use and Responsible Gaming Policy · 21+

Head-to-head comparison table

Hand A	Hand B	Winner	Why
Flush	Straight	Flush	A flush is rarer than a straight — 0.20% vs 0.39% of hands.
Full House	Flush	Full House	A full house appears in only 0.14% of hands.
Four of a Kind	Full House	Four of a Kind	Quads occur in just 0.024% of hands.
Three of a Kind	Two Pair	Three of a Kind	Trips are rarer than two pair.
Two Pair	One Pair	Two Pair	Any two pair beats any single pair, even aces.
Royal Flush	Straight Flush	Royal Flush	A royal flush is the ace-high straight flush — the best hand.
Ace High	Pair of 2s	Pair of 2s	Even the lowest pair beats any high-card hand.
Flush	Three of a Kind (trips)	Flush	A flush outranks both a straight and trips — trips appear in 2.1% of hands.
Straight	Three of a Kind (trips)	Straight	A straight (0.39%) is rarer than trips (2.1%), so it wins.
Straight Flush	Four of a Kind	Straight Flush	A straight flush (0.0014%) is about 17x rarer than quads.
Full House	Straight	Full House	A full house outranks a flush, and a flush outranks a straight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a flush beat a straight?

Yes. A flush (five cards of the same suit) beats a straight (five consecutive cards), because a flush is statistically rarer.

Does a full house beat a flush?

Yes. A full house ranks above a flush and below four of a kind.

Does three of a kind beat two pair?

Yes. Three of a kind is rarer and therefore ranks higher than two pair.

What beats a royal flush?

Nothing. A royal flush is the highest possible hand in Texas Hold'em.

Does a flush beat trips?

Yes. A flush beats three of a kind, and so does a straight — trips rank below both.

Does trips beat a straight?

No. A straight beats three of a kind, because a straight is statistically rarer.

Straight flush vs four of a kind — which wins?

The straight flush wins. Only a royal flush, which is an ace-high straight flush, ranks above it.

Is 10-J-Q-K-A a straight?

Yes — that is the highest straight, known as Broadway. If all five cards share a suit it is a royal flush.

Is J-Q-K-A-2 a straight?

No. Straights cannot wrap around the ace. The ace plays high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), never both in one hand.