A straight is a five-card poker hand containing five consecutive ranks, such as 5-6-7-8-9. The suits do not need to match. If all five cards are also the same suit, the hand is a Straight Flush, which ranks higher.
The name is simple, but three details cause frequent mistakes: how the ace works, whether a sequence can “wrap,” and whether a straight draw is actually the best video poker hold.
Why poker straights depend on rank sequence rather than suit
A straight is about rank order, not suit.
Valid examples:
- A-2-3-4-5, commonly called a wheel or five-high straight;
- 4-5-6-7-8;
- 10-J-Q-K-A, called an ace-high or Broadway straight.
Invalid examples:
- Q-K-A-2-3, because the sequence wraps around the ace;
- 2-3-4-5-7, because the 6 is missing;
- 5-6-7-8-9-10, because a standard poker hand uses the best five cards, not six.
The ace can normally be high or low, but not both at the same time. Standard high-poker rules do not recognize K-A-2-3-4.
Where a Straight Ranks
In standard high poker, the order around a straight is:
- Three of a kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Full house
A straight beats three of a kind but loses to a flush. A straight flush is a separate, much stronger category.
The 2026 World Series of Poker official tournament rules provide current official examples of poker tournament procedures and game-specific low-hand treatments. Lowball variants can ignore or treat straights differently, so always use the rules of the game being played.
Comparing Two Straights
Straights are compared by their highest card.
- 9-10-J-Q-K beats 8-9-10-J-Q.
- 10-J-Q-K-A is the highest ordinary straight.
- A-2-3-4-5 is treated as five-high, so it loses to 2-3-4-5-6.
Suits do not break a tie between equal straights in standard poker. If two players make the same five-card straight from a shared board, the pot is normally split.
Straights in Video Poker
In video poker, a completed straight is a paying hand on most common games, but the amount varies by paytable. Many Jacks or Better schedules pay 4-for-1 for a straight, while another game can use a different award.
The paytable matters in two ways:
- it determines what the completed straight pays;
- it changes the expected value of straight draws compared with pairs, high cards, flush draws, and straight-flush draws.
A ranking chart tells you what a straight is. A strategy chart tells you whether to chase it.
Open-Ended and Inside Straight Draws
Open-ended draw
A four-card sequence such as 5-6-7-8 can be completed at either end. A 4 or 9 makes a straight.
When holding four cards from a five-card video poker deal, 47 cards remain unseen. There are normally eight completing cards—four of each rank.
Probability = 8 ÷ 47 = 17.02%
Inside or gutshot draw
A hand such as 5-6-8-9 needs only a 7. There are normally four completing cards.
Probability = 4 ÷ 47 = 8.51%
One-ended ace draw
A-2-3-4 needs only a 5, and 10-J-Q-K needs only an ace. These are also four-out draws, not open-ended eight-out draws.
The probabilities above assume none of the needed ranks is already visible in the discarded card. In a five-card deal, all five cards are known, so a discarded card that matches an “out” reduces the number of available completing cards.
Example: Why “Four to a Straight” Is Not Enough
You are dealt 6♣-7♦-8♠-9♥-K♣.
Holding 6-7-8-9 gives eight ways to complete a straight: any 5 or any 10. That looks attractive.
Now change the hand to 6♣-7♣-8♣-9♣-K♦. You have four to an open-ended straight and four to a straight flush. The suited hold has additional premium outcomes and can be much more valuable.
Change it again to 6♣-7♦-8♠-10♥-K♣. This is an inside straight draw needing a 9, with only four rank outs. If the hand also contains a paying pair or strong high cards, the correct hold may be different.
The label “four to a straight” hides important structure.
Straight Draw Expected Value
A simplified one-pay calculation for a four-card open-ended draw on a game paying 4-for-1 for a straight is:
- 8 straight cards × 4-unit profit or award basis;
- 39 non-straight cards with other possible outcomes evaluated separately.
A complete expected-value calculation cannot count only straights because the draw may also create pairs, flushes, straight flushes, or other paying hands depending on the cards held.
Expected value = sum of each final hand’s probability × its paytable award
That is why reliable video poker strategy is computed from every possible draw, not from a single “outs × payout” shortcut.
Straights in Table Games and Side Bets
Poker-derived casino games often use straights in several ways:
- player-versus-dealer hand ranking;
- dealer qualification;
- ante bonus or blind bonus payouts;
- three-card or five-card side bets;
- progressive qualifying hands;
- tie comparisons.
The definition can differ when the game uses three cards. In Three Card Poker, for example, a three-card straight is a defined hand and the relative ranking of straight versus flush differs from five-card poker because the probabilities are different. Never carry a ranking chart from one game into another without checking the rules.
Reading Straights Correctly Across Poker and Casino Side Bets
Dealers and supervisors need to identify the best legal five-card sequence quickly and consistently. Common operational errors include:
- treating an ace as both high and low in the same sequence;
- accepting a wraparound straight;
- overlooking a higher straight on a shared board;
- applying five-card rankings to a three-card side bet;
- missing a straight flush because attention stopped at “straight”;
- paying the wrong paytable amount on a machine or electronic table.
In live poker, the cards speak when properly tabled under the applicable rules. In a house-banked game, the dealer must follow the approved comparison and payout procedure.
Common Misunderstandings
“A straight has to be the same suit.”
No. Same suit plus consecutive ranks is a straight flush.
“A flush loses to a straight because a straight is harder to see.”
No. In standard five-card high poker, a flush ranks above a straight.
“Q-K-A-2-3 is a straight.”
No. Standard rules do not allow the sequence to wrap through the ace.
“Every open-ended draw has eight outs.”
Usually, but visible cards can remove an out, and some sequences that look open-ended are blocked by ace rules.
“Four to a straight should always be held in video poker.”
No. A made paying hand, a higher-value draw, wild-card rules, or the paytable can change the correct play.
Near-straight value depends on completing cards and the paytable
Hard Truth: “Almost a straight” has no payout value by itself. The value comes from the exact number of completing cards, the other possible final hands, and the paytable.
FAQ
Does a straight need matching suits?
No. Matching suits would make it a straight flush.
Can an ace be low?
Yes, in many standard high-poker games A-2-3-4-5 is a valid five-high straight.
Can an ace sit in the middle of a straight?
No. It is normally used at the high end or low end, not as a bridge between king and 2.
Does a straight beat a full house?
No. A full house ranks above both a straight and a flush in standard high poker.
What is the chance of completing an open-ended straight draw in one video poker draw?
With eight available outs among 47 unseen cards, about 17.02%. Visible blockers can reduce the outs.
Why do three-card games rank hands differently?
Hand frequencies change when only three cards are used. The game’s approved ranking table controls.
Related Reading
Continue with Flush, Straight Flush, Royal Flush, Hold/Draw, Paytable, Expected Value, and the Video Poker Analyzer Guide.