Royal Flush Poker

If you are a poker fan, you must have heard about the royal flush poker hand mightily. A royal flush is the ultimate hand in various card games, including poker.

This hand consists of five cards of the same suit in sequence, from 10 to Ace. It's a rare hand, and it is super thrilling to achieve it.

As a poker player, you strive to achieve this victorious moment with a poker hand royal flush at least once in a lifetime. Royal flush poker is also known as Ace High Straight Flush in games like Texas Hold 'em or Omaha.

But what is a royal flush in poker, and why is it so sought-after? Here's everything you need to know about this highest-ranking poker hand.

What is a Royal Flush?

What's a royal flush in poker? Let's answer this question before we discuss royal flushes in more detail.

A poker hand royal flush or ace-high straight flush is one of the best poker hands you can get when playing poker games like Texas Hold'em. The hand consists of five consecutive cards, all of the same suit, starting from 10 and going up to Ace.

Simply put, a royal flush includes 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit. Royal flushes can belong to hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades. Getting this hand in a poker game is rare, but it beats all other hands. Getting a Royal Flush or ace-high Straight flush is like hitting the jackpot!

The Poker Hand Rankings

In poker games, the poker hand rankings play the most important role because they determine the value of your cards. Here are the poker hand rankings from highest to lowest. As poker players, you must know which is the best hand.

Royal Flush

A, K, Q, J, and 10 of the same suit make a royal flush in poker. Royal flush is an extremely rare poker hand and is unbeatable. It defeats all other hands, such as straight flushes, two-pair, one-pair, etc.

Straight Flush

A hand is called a straight flush when five cards are in a sequence. Here, all the cards in the sequence must belong to the same suit. Examples of straight flushes include: ♥5 ♥6 ♥7 ♥8 ♥9 or ♥2 ♥4 ♥7 ♥8 ♥10. While a straight flush is strong, it loses to the royal flush. However, it beats other hands like two-pair, one-pair, full house, three-of-a-kind flush, etc.

Four of a Kind

As the name suggests, four cards of the same rank make a four of a Kind. ♥K ♠K ♣K ♦K. Four of a Kind defeats a full house, flush, three of a kind, two pairs, and one pair.

Full House

Three cards of one rank and two of another make a full house. Full House defeats flush, three of a kind, two pairs, and one pair. Example: ♥K ♠K ♣K ♥8 ♥9.

Flush

You call a hand a flush when you have five cards of the same suit but not in sequence. While it is not the best in games like Texas Hold'em, flush is a great hand in other poker games like lowball. Example: ♥3 ♥6 ♥8 ♥10 ♥A.

Straight

You call it a straight when you have five cards in a sequence but not all of the same suit. Example: ♥5 ♠6 ♣8 ♦8 ♥9.

Three-of-a-Kind

There's also a Three of a Kind like Four of a Kind. The hand consists of three cards of the same rank. ♥K ♠K ♣K ♦8 ♥10. 

Two Pair

Two cards of one rank and two of another make a two-pair. An example of two-pair include ♥K ♠K ♠6 ♣6 ♥10.

One Pair

Two cards of the same rank make one pair. This is the weakest hand of the lot. Example: ♥K ♠K ♠3 ♣6 ♥10 

High Card Hands

High Card hand consists of mixed cards in no particular order. If no poker players have any of the above hands, the highest card wins.

Starting Hands in Poker

Above, the poker hands ranked from high to low, starting with the royal flush. Now, let's take a look at the starting hands in poker. Each represents a specific combination of two-hole cards that a player might receive at the beginning of a hand.

Pocket Aces

This is the best starting hand in Texas Hold'em. It consists of two Aces called bullets. This pocket pair is highly valued for its strong chance of winning pre-flop.

Pocket Kings

Another powerful starting hand in poker is pocket kings. It features two Kings, sometimes referred to as cowboys. It has excellent odds against most other hands pre-flop.

Pocket Queens

Pocket queens are two queens as starting cards. They are also known as ladies. It is a strong hand that can dominate many opponents but is vulnerable to Aces and Kings.

Pocket Jacks

Pocket jacks are two jacks in hand and are nicknamed hooks. They are considered strong but tricky to play post-flop due to the possibility of overcards.

Ace-King Suited

Ace-King Suited is a powerful hand featuring one Ace and one King of the same suit. It offers the potential to ace high-value flushes or straights. If you plan a royal flush, you will need 10, Q, and J.

Pocket Tens

Two Tens as starting cards are called pocket tens. They are considered strong but often susceptible to overcards on the board.

Ace-King Offsuit

Ace-King Offsuit is one Ace and one King of different suits, also known as big slick. This pair offers high potential but less strength compared to Ace-King suited.

Ace-Queen Suited

One Ace and one Queen of the same suit is called Ace-Queen Suited. It offers the potential for strong flushes, even royal flush in poker, or straight possibilities.

Pocket Nines

Two Nines as starting cards are called pocket nines. It is considered a solid hand but vulnerable to higher pairs.

Ace-Jack Suited

One Ace and one Jack of the same suit make Ace-Jack Suited, which offers the potential for a poker hand with a royal flush and straight possibilities.

Royal Flush Poker Rules and Ranking

In the game of poker, the royal flush poker hand is the best and unbeatable. It consists of five cards in a sequence: A, K, Q, J, and 10. All cards must be of the same suit. No other sequence of the same suit will be called the royal flush; you need 10 to Ace to make it happen.  

It is incredibly rare and holds the highest ranking among all other hands in poker. A few rules of poker hand royal flush are:

• Even though a flush, especially a Royal Flush, is a strong hand in most poker games, it doesn't guarantee a win in some variants of poker, like lowball or low-hand games.
• It's difficult to calculate the odds of completing a royal flush draw precisely, so you must rely on implied odds and consider potential future bets and winnings.
• To decide whether to chase a royal flush draw, you need to think about your opponent's style of play. Chasing might be worth it if they are aggressive or likely to bluff. 
• Chasing royal flush draws without good reasons can lead to loss. So, you must always make an intelligent decision about whether it is worth it.

How Does a Royal Flush Hand Rank?

Royal flush poker is one of the best poker hands. A flush is ranked based on the cards it contains. If a flush has 10, J, K, Q, and A of the same suit, it's a royal flush. When it comes to the winner among players with flushes, the highest straight card decides, regardless of the suit. For instance, an Ace-high flush beats a King-high flush. In poker, the Ace is the highest-ranking card, so having an Ace in your flush instantly boosts your chances of winning.

Royal Flush Poker Probabilities

With a standard deck of 52 cards, there are 5,108 possible flush combinations with 1,277 different ranks of flushes. The odds of getting a royal flush poker hand are extremely rare; the chances are 1 in 2,598,960 hands. Let's look at the probability of getting a royal flush, the winning hand in poker games.

Texas Hold 'em Probability of Getting Royal Flush Poker Hand

Texas Hold’em 

Stage

Probability

Based On

Pre-flop

0.000154%

When you are holding two suited cards and need three specific cards to complete the Royal Flush on the board.

Flop

0.0008%

When you have two suited cards and require two specific cards from the flop to complete the Royal Flush.

Turn

0.0032%

When you are holding two suited cards and need one specific card from the turn to complete the Royal Flush, given that the flop had two suited cards.

River

0.0008%

When you have two suited cards and require one specific card from the river to complete the Royal Flush, given that both the flop and turn had two suited cards.

Pot Limit Omaha Probability of Getting Royal Flush Poker Hand

Stage

Probability

Based On

Pre-flop

0.000009%

When you are holding four suited cards and need one specific card to complete the Royal Flush on the board.

Flop

0.0004%

When you have four suited cards and require two specific cards from the flop to complete the Royal Flush.

Turn

0.0016%

When you are holding four suited cards and need one specific card from the turn to complete the Royal Flush, given that the flop had three suited cards.

River

0.0004%

When you have four suited cards and require one specific card from the river to complete the Royal Flush, given that both the flop and turn had three suited cards.

Odds of Making a Royal Flush on the Flop

The odds of making a Royal Flush on the flop in Texas Hold 'em depend on several factors, mainly the starting hand. However, you can calculate the general odds, assuming you already have two suited cards.

So, to make a Royal Flush on the flop, you will need to hit two specific cards of the same suit out of the three flop cards and the probability is 0.0008%.

Odds of Making a Royal Flush Postflop

To calculate the odds of making a Royal Flush after the flop in Texas Hold'em, consider the remaining cards in the deck and the remaining community cards to be dealt, including the turn and the river.

So, the odds of making a Royal Flush post-flop in Texas Hold'em, assuming you hold two suited cards and there's a possibility of completing it with the turn and river cards, are 0.0925%.

Strategies For A Royal Flush Poker Table

Now that you know everything about the royal flush poker hand, let's look at a few strategies to help you out.

Go Through Videos And Practice

Before you play, learn the hands. Check out the video poker royal flush to see how the veterans play. You understand how to build a royal flush and pick up other crucial strategies. This will give you an idea and guide you in the right direction. Also, try to play as many free games, either online or offline, to fine-tune your game.

Starting Hand Selection

If you want to win the game, you should focus on strong starting hands to build a Royal Flush. Go for Suited Broadway cards (10, J, Q, K, and A) or high pairs. These hands enable the possibility of the highest-ranking flush. Suited Broadway cards give you a shot at getting flush or straight, further increasing your odds of landing that poker royal flush. 

Positional Awareness

Use your position at the table to your advantage. When seated in a late position, such as the dealer button or close to it, take advantage of the extra information you have about opponents' actions. For instance, if players before you have checked or folded, it shows weaker hands or uncertainty. So, use this opportunity to play more aggressively. This lets you control the game's pace and increase your chances of success.