Does a straight flush beat a flush?

Yes. A straight flush beats a flush in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, straight flush is #2 and flush is #5. Categories are compared first: even a five-high straight flush beats an ace-high flush — the category always decides first.

#2
Straight Flush — wins

Five cards in a row, all one suit.

9♥8♥7♥6♥5♥
#5
Flush — loses

Five cards of one suit, any order.

A♣J♣8♣6♣2♣

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 straight flush shows up in 0.00139% of them (36 combinations), while a flush appears in 0.197% (5,108 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.

Does a flush ever beat a straight flush?

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

Prove it to yourself

Which hand wins? Tap it.

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