Poker Hand Rankings: Flush

Poker Hand Rankings: Flush


A flush consists of any five cards that are all the same suit. Here’s an example of what a flush looks like:

Poker Hand Rankings: Flush

Other examples of flushes could be hands like A♠ T♠ 7♠ 6♠ 2♠ or J8543. Note that the standard flush refers to five cards of the same suit but not in sequential order. Sequential flushes fall into the straight flush or royal flush category, and both of those hands outrank the standard flush.

When two or more players get to showdown with a flush, the flush with the stronger high-card rankings wins. For example, a queen-high flush always beats a ten-high flush. If multiple players have flushes with the same high card, the next highest card in the hand determines the winner.

How Does a Flush Rank?

It’s important to remember that a flush beats a straight, as well as all other hands below it in the standard poker hand rankings.

From a 52-card deck, you have 1,277 ways to draw a distinct flush (excluding royal flushes and straight flushes). Multiplied by the four suits, there are 5,108 total ways to make a flush if you randomly draw five cards from the deck. The probability of making a flush in this fashion is 0.1965% or 508.8-to-1 odds against.

Texas Hold’em requires players to make the best five-card hand out of seven total cards. You have a 3.03% chance of making a flush in Texas Hold’em (32.1-to-1 odds against).


Home > Poker Hand Rankings: Flush
Home > Poker Hand Rankings: Flush
About the Author

Geoffrey Fisk

Freelance writer and poker player based in San Diego, California.

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