In Poker, What Is a Straight?

A straight in poker is a hand that consists of all five cards in a subsequent order. Therefore, you have a straight whenever your card combination has five cards that increase by the minimum based on their value. For example, if you have 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in your hand, you have a straight. That also applies if you have, for instance, a 10, J, Q, K, and A.

Please take into account that a straight has nothing to do with the cards’ suits. Therefore, your straights in poker can have all different suits — hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades — and still, help you make a good hand.

Straights in Poker

A straight exists in almost all forms of poker, and it has its place in poker hand rankings. It’s not the strongest hand out there, but it’s still a pleasant sight.

A straight is not to be confused with a flush. Namely, a flush is very similar because it involves all five cards, except that the suit matters, whereas the face value doesn’t. For example, you can have 2, 5, 10, Q, and A of hearts — that’s a flush.

That said, it’s important to mention that there’s also a combination of the two — a straight flush, which is five consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, 7, 8, 9, 10, and J of diamonds is a straight flush, and it’s a higher-ranking hand than both a straight or flush individually. Finally, there’s the royal flush, which is also technically a straight — 10, J, Q, K, and A of the same suit.

The thing about a straight is that when you play it in land-based poker rooms as a newcomer, you might not even notice that you have it. Therefore, make sure to start with live poker in online casinos as a practice.

What Does a Straight Beat in Poker?

A straight beats one pair, two pairs, and three-of-a-kind hands. In other words, it’s a weaker hand than a flush, a full house, a four-of-a-kind, and a straight flush. 

Does that mean a straight is a weak hand? Absolutely not. Getting five consecutive cards is not that common, and if you get it, it’s probably a good idea to proceed to the end of the round with it. Folding a straight only happens in particular situations when you’re almost 100 percent sure that your opponent has a better hand.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, a straight is a pretty decent hand ranking somewhere in the middle based on its overall “strength” in Texas hold ’em and many other forms of poker that follow the basic poker hand rankings.

If you get a straight, it’s always a good idea to play it until the end and not fold, no matter whether you play poker online or in land-based poker rooms.