Beginner’s Poker Guide: How to Play the Straight Poker Hand

If you’re looking to learn how to play poker, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we’ll teach you about the Straight poker hand, its position in poker hand rankings, and some basic strategy tips. So whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player looking for a refresher course, we have all the information you need.

What is a straight?

A Straight is the fifth most powerful hand in the poker hand rankings list. It is composed of five consecutive or sequential cards.

A straight poker hand is easily recognizable because it contains five cards in a row.

A K Q J 10 is the highest possible Straight poker hand that you can form. This is also known as Broadway.

A 2 3 4 5 is called the Wheel or Bicycle in poker lingo.

Straights are not influenced by suits. However, not all straights are ranked equally.

It’s the hand rank and denomination that are important when comparing one straight hand to the next.

How to rank a straight poker hand

In a 52-deck card, there are 10 different ranks of Straights and 10,200 possible combinations of Straight hands. Each Straight is ranked according to its highest card, then the rank of its second-highest, and so on.

Here are some examples of a Straight hand in poker:

K Q J 10 9

Q J 10 9 8

J 10 9 8 7

10 9 8 7 6

The highest straight card, not the suit, determines the best Straight hand. For example, Queen-high Straight is better than a Jack-high Straight, regardless of suit.

How does a Straight compare to other hands in poker?

Although the Straight is only the fifth most powerful hand in poker, it is still a formidable hand in Texas Hold’em.

One rank above the Straight is the Flush, and one rank below the Straight is the Three-of-A-Kind.

Tips and strategies when playing a straight poker hand

A straight poker hand contains five cards of the same rank. For example, 56789.

Aces can create a straight hand as the low or high card, but the Ace must appear either at the beginning or end of the hand structure.

The rank of the card at the top of the run determines the strength of a straight. The Broadway Straight is the strongest, while the Wheel Straight is the weakest.

In Texas Hold’em, straight hands are strong but they can be affected by the board texture. Straights are always strongest when there is no pair on the board and there is no flush or higher straight.

You’ve probably heard of the term wraparound straight. On this hand, the Ace appears in the middle of the structure. For example, Q K A 2 3. However, wraparound straights are not legal in most poker tournaments.

Conclusion

This guide discussed how to play a straight poker hand. We hope you found it helpful. If you’re looking for more information, be sure to check out our other poker guides. And good luck at the table!