Does a flush beat a straight?

Yes. A flush beats a straight in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, flush is #5 and straight is #6. Categories are compared first: even a seven-high flush beats broadway (10-to-ace) — the category always decides first.

#5
Flush — wins

Five cards of one suit, any order.

A♣J♣8♣6♣2♣
#6
Straight — loses

Five cards in a row, mixed suits.

9♠8♦7♣6♥5♠

How rare is each hand?

Rarity is exactly why the order is what it is. Out of 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, a flush shows up in 0.197% of them (5,108 combinations), while a straight appears in 0.392% (10,200 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.

Does a straight ever beat a flush?

No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible straight still loses to the lowest possible flush. Ranks inside a category only matter when both players hold the same category.

Prove it to yourself

Which hand wins? Tap it.

More matchups