Does a straight flush beat a pair?
Yes. A straight flush beats a pair in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, straight flush is #2 and one pair is #9. Categories are compared first: even a five-high straight flush beats a pair of aces — the category always decides first.
Five cards in a row, all one suit.
Two cards of the same rank.
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 pair appears in 42.3% (1,098,240 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.
Does a pair ever beat a straight flush?
No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible one pair 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.