# Royal flush vs. straight flush **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459 "2006-11-14T23:36:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/1 "2006-11-14T23:36:41Z")
When poker hands are listed by rank, the top two are nearly always given as Royal Flush and Straight Flush. But isn’t a royal flush nothing more than the highest possible straight flush? It seems to me that it would make equal sense to distinguish a “royal straight” from an ordinary straight. Is there any value to regarding these as two different types of hands? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/2 "2006-11-14T23:39:09Z")
I don’t know about all of the real-life games of Poker but video poker often has a special win for a Royal Flush over a regular straight flush. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/3 "2006-11-14T23:40:08Z")
There is no real difference, what gets refered to as a royal flush is simply the highest possible straight flush. I know some game sites give a bonus for a royal flush, but in actual poker there is no difference except that an ace high royal flush is the best hand possible. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/4 "2006-11-14T23:41:06Z")
A Royal Flush is indeed the highest possible straight flush. But since a straight flush beats every other type of hand, a Royal Flush is unbeatable. (You can tie with another Royal Flush, but not beat one.) And the unbeatable poker hand deserves a name! ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/5 "2006-11-14T23:42:41Z")
Unless there are wild cards. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/6 "2006-11-14T23:43:35Z")
It is, of course, simply the highest ranking straight flush. One exception I’ve seen, very rarely, is that some house rules allow that when playing with wild cards, five of a kind outranks any “normal” straight flush but loses to a royal flush. (I don’t care to calculate odds to say whether this is proper, but as I said, I have seen people play with that as a house rule.) ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/7 "2006-11-14T23:45:48Z")
You’re correct on the royal flush vs. straight flush. I’ve never heard “royal straight” for the highest possible straight, but they do refer to it as “Broadway” for reasons I’ve yet to hear. Other hand slang that I’ve heard: A-5 straight: Wheel A-5 straight flush: Steel Wheel In hold 'em, there’s tons of names for hole cards: A-A: pocket rockets, american airlines K-K: cowboys J-K offsuit: bachelor hand (that one always gets a smile when you make the connection) A-K: big slick 5-5: presto (from rec.gambling.poker) 8-5: gumbo (from same) Anyhow, I’ll stop rambling now. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/8 "2006-11-15T00:07:16Z")
One reason for having “straight flush” AND “royal flush” is for formatting. If you include the royal flush, then you get eight hands rather than seven. This allows a two by four arrangement on a playing card-shaped card. It just looks better. Plus, **glee** ’s right, the absolute top hand deserves a cool name. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/9 "2006-11-15T00:50:42Z")
Well, there are only four different ways to get a royal flush, but 2-9=8 starting cards for a non-royal flush\*4=32 ways to get a normal straight flush. So one is a small subset of a set that is fairly small itself. However, with straights, there are 8 starting cards, times 4^5 different arrangements of suits, so there are 8,192 different straights; a much larger initial pool, so it’s much harder to get a royal set from a random straight. Less than .1% of straights are royal flushes, whereas 25% of straight flushes are royal flushes. If you’re going to make a rarefied distinction, it might as well not be quite such a big jump. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/10 "2006-11-15T00:55:45Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] When poker hands are listed by rank, the top two are nearly always given as Royal Flush and Straight Flush. But isn’t a royal flush nothing more than the highest possible straight flush? It seems to me that it would make equal sense to distinguish a “royal straight” from an ordinary straight. Is there any value to regarding these as two different types of hands? [/QUOTE] I always thought part of the reason it had its own name is because you can have an A-5 straight, or a 10-A straight. Since you’re using the ace to “round the wheel”, so to speak, it’s different than simply using consecutive cards. Sort of. ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/11 "2006-11-15T01:56:48Z")
No difference, also, when I was in The Tropicana a few years ago, they had a promo going the offered $5000.00 to anyone who got a Royal Straight Flush in any poker game. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/12 "2006-11-15T02:29:02Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Carrot] …whereas 25% of straight flushes are royal flushes. If you’re going to make a rarefied distinction, it might as well not be quite such a big jump. [/QUOTE] There are 8 different straight-flushes for each suit, for a total of 32. Only 4 of these are royal flushes. That’s 12½% ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/13 "2006-11-15T03:35:57Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] There are 8 different straight-flushes for each suit, for a total of 32. Only 4 of these are royal flushes. That’s 12½% [/QUOTE] There are, in fact, 10 different straight-flushes for each suit (counting aces as both high and low). So it’s only 10%. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/14 "2006-11-15T16:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=Lazlo] In hold 'em, there’s tons of names for hole cards: A-K: big slick [/QUOTE] Also called “Anna Kournikova”, because it looks good, but seldom wins. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/15 "2006-11-15T16:32:59Z")
On second thought, see [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_slang_names_for_poker_hands#Texas_hold.27em_slang) for a quite massive list. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/16 "2006-11-15T19:41:32Z")
[QUOTE=milquetoast] There are, in fact, 10 different straight-flushes for each suit (counting aces as both high and low). So it’s only 10%. [/QUOTE] How the hell did I get 8? Thanks for the correction on my correction. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/17 "2006-11-15T20:28:44Z")
> [@](#): > > It is, of course, simply the highest ranking straight flush. One exception I’ve seen, very rarely, is that some house rules allow that when playing with wild cards, five of a kind outranks any “normal” straight flush but loses to a royal flush. (I don’t care to calculate odds to say whether this is proper, but as I said, I have seen people play with that as a house rule.) If you’re going to distinguish the “Royal Flush” as its own hand, rather than just a special case of “Straight Flush”, this is justified (I did the calculations once, but I’d rather not re-do them here). But they you have to ask whether it’s justified to call the “Royal Flush” its own hand in the first place. By the same reasoning that leads to the Royal Flush getting its own name, I could likewise give a special name to a hand of five aces. And five aces is even rarer than a royal flush. Does that mean that the ranking table should go “five aces” \> “royal flush” \> “5 of a kind” \> “straight flush” … ? For that matter, I could also name a hand, say, the Chronos Hand. The Chronos Hand consists of a 2 of diamonds, a 3 of clubs, a 5 of hearts, a 6 of hearts, and a 7 of spades. The Chronos Hand is also rarer than the Royal Flush; does that mean that it should rank higher? ---
**Author:** ![Carnacki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carnacki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnacki)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/18 "2006-11-15T22:18:21Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] (snip) For that matter, I could also name a hand, say, the Chronos Hand. The Chronos Hand consists of a 2 of diamonds, a 3 of clubs, a 5 of hearts, a 6 of hearts, and a 7 of spades. The Chronos Hand is also rarer than the Royal Flush; does that mean that it should rank higher? [/QUOTE] It’s weird but true: The more often I get The Chronos Hand, the more often I end up with The Kidscruffy Chipcount (i.e., $0). ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/19 "2006-11-15T22:51:51Z")
I can understand wanting to call the highest straight flush a different name but some of the guys I’ve played with insist that it is a different hand :rolleyes: I’ve resolved that if I ever hit one, I will calmly annouce “straight flush, ace high”. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459/20 "2006-11-16T00:12:15Z")
I play in a silly card game that occasionally but not always looks like poker. We often play hands with TWO wild cards, and of course, there are tons of big hands. I’ve lost a few times with five of a kind. BUT, our house rules are such that the Royal Flush has a special place in the game, and it beats five aces. No other straight flush would beat that hand, of course, but a Royal will. I think, as someone said, house rules often state that. I once had a Chronos, but lost to a pair. xo, C. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-flush-vs-straight-flush/380459.md?page=2)