Does a Nut Flush Beat a Straight Flush?
No, a straight flush always beats the nut flush. The nut flush is only the best plain flush, and any straight flush outranks every flush.
On this page · 3 sections
| Rank | Hand | Beats the nut flush? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | Yes |
| 2 | Straight flush | Yes |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Yes |
| 4 | Full house | Yes |
| 5 | Flush — nut flush is the top of this rung | — |
The table answers it: a straight flush always beats the nut flush. The nut flush is only the ceiling of rung five — the best possible plain flush, ace-high in the suit. A straight flush lives on rung two, and four whole categories (royal flush, straight flush, quads, and full house) outrank any flush. The word “nut” trips people up, because it means best flush, not best hand.
Sequence, not the ace, decides it
Both hands are five cards of one suit. The difference is a single condition:
- A nut flush just needs the ace to top the flush — the cards can be scattered, like
A♥ 10♥ 8♥ 7♥ 4♥. - A straight flush needs those five suited cards in a run, like
9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠.
That extra “in order” requirement is what makes the straight flush rare, and rarity is what sets rank. The deck holds 5,108 plain flushes but only 40 straight flushes — and of those 40, four are royal, leaving 36 non-royal. Fewer combinations, higher rung.
A hand where the ace loses
Board: 10♥ 7♥ 4♥ 8♥ 2♣. Four hearts are out there.
- Player A holds
A♥ K♦, makingA♥ 10♥ 8♥ 7♥ 4♥— the nut flush, ace-high hearts. Nobody can make a higher flush. - Player B holds
9♥ 6♥, making10♥ 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥— a straight flush, ten-high.
Player B takes the whole pot. Player A has the best flush that exists and it doesn’t matter, because a straight flush is simply a higher category of hand. The ace is irrelevant against it.
When the nut flush actually is the nuts
The ace-high flush does become the best possible hand, but only when three things are all true at once:
- The board is unpaired. Any board pair opens the door to a full house or quads.
- No straight flush is live. If three or four suited, connected cards sit on the board, an opponent’s two cards could complete one.
- You hold the ace of the flush suit. Without it, you don’t even have the nut flush — someone could hold a higher flush.
On the board above, four hearts sit close together, so a straight flush is very much in play — which is exactly why the ace-high flush is not the nuts there. On a rainbow, unpaired, disconnected board where you hold the ace of the only three-flush suit, you can commit with full confidence. For the complete “is it really the nuts?” checklist, see what is the nut flush in poker; for the two hands side by side, read flush vs straight flush. The basics live in poker flush rules, the full order at the hand rankings hub, and it all pays off at the Texas Hold’em tables.
Frequently asked
Does a nut flush beat a straight flush?
No. A straight flush beats the nut flush every time. The nut flush is only the best possible plain flush; a straight flush is a higher category of hand entirely and outranks all flushes.
Isn't the nut flush unbeatable?
No. 'Nut flush' means the best flush available, not the best hand. A straight flush, four of a kind, and a full house all beat any flush, including the ace-high nut flush.
What is the difference between a nut flush and a straight flush?
A nut flush is five suited cards headed by the ace, with no requirement that they run in sequence. A straight flush is five suited cards in consecutive order, which is a rarer and higher-ranked hand.
Can the nut flush ever be the best hand?
Yes, but only when the board makes a straight flush, quads, and full house impossible. On an unpaired, non-straight-flush board, the nut flush is the true nuts.
How many straight flushes are there versus flushes?
A 52-card deck contains only 40 straight flushes (four of them royal) against 5,108 plain flushes. That scarcity is exactly why the straight flush ranks higher.