A straight and a flush have similar requirements. Your main goal is a royal flush, but you need some backup plan in case the communal cards are not drawn in your favour. For example, a suited 10, Queen, King and Ace requires the “inside” suited Jack to complete the royal flush. This is when you have a draw that has a gap in it. For example, if you have a suited 10, Jack, Queen and King, then you have a 4 card open ended draw to a royal flush. Open Ended DrawĪn open ended draw means that you have a draw and only need the one (or two) cards on the top or bottom to finish the hand. Likewise, a 4 card draw to a royal flush means you are 1 card away from the hand. A 3 card draw to a royal flush means you need 2 more cards to complete your hand. Draw to a Royal FlushĪ draw is basically a build up, or a line of cards that do not form a royal flush, but are 1 or 2 cards away. You can milk the betting rounds as far as possible, and it can be a potential game-ender.īefore carrying on, here are some useful terms to know in connection with the hand. This works tremendously in your favour if you have a royal flush. It is such a long shot that your opponents will virtually always assume that you are bluffing, or have a weaker card. How to Maximise a Royal Flush HandĪ royal flush is not only useful because it is the strongest hand, but also because of its rarity.

There are only 4 combinations for this hand, and the probability is 0.000154%. The theoretical odds of forming a royal flush are 649,739 to 1. However, it is a near-impossible scenario. Then, the players in the round who have continued to the showdown collect the pot. The only way you can draw is if the entire royal flush is in the communal cards. Because of the requirements, it is impossible for a round to produce two royal flushes. It requires a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit.

What is a Royal Flush in PokerĪ royal flush is the best straight flush you can form. This can easily shoot up to once every 200,000 hands, as the criteria are so specific.

Just to put it into perspective, a royal flush occurs once every 40,000 hands or so at casinos. A royal flush is the best hand you can form in poker, and it is a true rarity in the game.

What is a straight flush in poker