Royal Flush in Poker

Definition and Meaning

The pinnacle of poker hands, the Royal Flush represents the dream for every player. Its power derives from the combination of its two central components:

• The highest Straight in poker (10 through Ace).
• The same suit.

While Straights and Flushes on their own rank highly, together they create an unstoppable hand.

Definition in short: A Royal Flush is the highest ranking poker hand, comprised of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 all of the same suit.

Examples of a Royal Flush

Below we will show you an image of what a Royal Flush looks like:

Logically, due to there being four different suits in a standard deck of cards, there are only four different ways of completing this hand.

• Hearts: A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥
• Spades: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
• Diamonds: A♦ K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦
• Clubs: A♣ K♣ Q♣ J♣ 10♣

Probabilities

Assuming the most popular variation, Texas Hold’em Poker, the data is as follows:

Odds	Probability
1 in 649,739	0.000154%

The odds of being dealt a Royal Flush on the flop in a random 5-card hand are 1 in 649,740. This means that it will occur, on average, once in every 649,740 hands.

So while this combination is extremely rare, it is still possible to hit it by getting very lucky. You are statistically more likely to flip Heads on a coin 19 times in a row than being dealt a natural Royal Flush!

Royal Flush Strategy

The best strategy for capitalizing on a Royal Straight Flush opportunity involves maximizing value before and after hitting the hand.

• When drawing to a Royal Flush, bet aggressively to build the pot, while avoiding exposing the draw. Make reads on opponents to determine how much they are willing to call.
• Once you hit it, continue raising while disguising your holding. Since this hand almost never materializes, opponents will likely call large bets, believing you to be bluffing. Milk every street to swell the pot as much as possible.
• Finally, on the extremely rare occasion of facing a possible tie, avoid overplaying the hand before the river, as that may tip off any opponents also drawing to a Royal Flush. Even when another player hits one too, splitting the pot is still a success when holding poker’s best hand.

Just remember, the goal in poker is not to hit a Royal Flush, but to walk away with more chips than you joined to the table with!

FAQs

What cards make a Royal Flush?

A Royal Flush consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten all of the same suit. There are only four possible combinations: A, K, Q, J, 10 all of spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs.

Is a Royal Flush a guaranteed win in poker?

Yes, a Royal Flush is a guaranteed win in standard poker games like Texas Hold’em. Since it is the highest possible hand. The only exception is if multiple players have it, in which case the pot is split between them.

Disclaimer: It is important to remember that In lowball poker games like 2-7 Triple Draw and Badugi, a Royal Flush is not an automatic winning hand. In these games, the lowest possible hand wins, so it would actually be one of the worst hands you could make.

Who wins when there are two Royal Flushes?

If two or more players make a Royal Flush in the same hand, the pot is split evenly between them. This is because there is no ranking between them based on suits.

Just know that the odds of a tie with multiple Royal Flushes are extremely slim, and close the impossible.

What is a Natural Royal Flush?

In poker variants that use wild cards, a Natural Royal Flush refers to getting the A, K, Q, J, and 10 all of the same suit without the help of any wild cards.

The “natural” is held in higher regard because it is formed purely from the standard deck, without relying on wild card luck.

What beats a Royal Flush?

Nothing! A Royal Flush always is the ‘nuts’, meaning it beats every hand including:

• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card