The Flush in Texas Hold'em: Rules & Odds
The flush in Texas Hold'em: five cards of one suit. How flushes are ranked, why the high card wins ties, and the odds of hitting a flush draw.
On this page · 7 sections
A flush is any five cards of the same suit — like A♥ J♥ 8♥ 5♥ 2♥ — regardless of order. It sits high in the hand rankings: above a straight, below a full house. You make one from any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards, so a flush can use both hole cards, one, or in rare cases play the board. The single most important rule is how ties break: the highest card in the flush decides the winner.
Where the flush ranks
Flushes are strong but not unbeatable. From weakest to strongest, the hands near the flush are:
| Hand | Beats a flush? |
|---|---|
| Three of a kind | No |
| Straight | No |
| Flush | — |
| Full house | Yes |
| Four of a kind | Yes |
| Straight flush | Yes |
A common beginner error is assuming any flush is the nuts. On a paired board — say the flush completes on a board of Q♠ Q♦ 7♠ 4♠ 9♠ — a full house or quads is very possible, and your flush may be second best.
High card breaks every tie
Suits have no value of their own in Texas Hold’em. A♠ 9♠ 6♠ 3♠ 2♠ and A♥ 9♥ 6♥ 3♥ 2♥ are exactly equal hands. What matters is rank. Comparing two flushes:
- Highest card first: A-flush beats K-flush.
- If tied, the second card decides, then the third, and so on.
- Only if all five ranks match do the players split the pot.
This is why the nut flush — the ace-high flush of the relevant suit — is so prized. Holding the ace of the flush suit means no other flush can beat you.
The odds of a flush
You will not flop a made flush often — with two suited hole cards it happens only about 0.84% of the time, roughly 1 in 119. Far more common is the flush draw: flopping four cards to a flush, which happens about 11% of the time when you start suited.
Once you have a flush draw on the flop, you hold nine outs (13 cards of your suit minus the four you can see). The math of drawing:
| From the flop, you have | Chance to complete the flush |
|---|---|
| Two cards to come (turn + river) | ~35% |
| One card to come (turn only) | ~19% |
| River only, after a blank turn | ~20% |
A quick shortcut is the rule of 2 and 4: multiply your nine outs by 4 on the flop (≈36%) or by 2 on the turn (≈18%) to estimate your equity fast.
Worked example: playing the draw
You hold K♠ Q♠. The flop comes 8♠ 5♠ 2♥, giving you a king-high flush draw with two overcards. You have nine spade outs, plus arguably six more from pairing your K or Q, but stick to the flush for the price.
Your opponent bets $20 into a $40 pot. To call $20 to win $60, you need about 25% equity. With a flush draw worth ~35% over two cards, calling is clearly correct — the pot odds are laying you a fine price. If the turn is a blank and a big bet arrives, re-evaluate: with only one card left your draw is worth ~19%, and the price must now be much better to continue. This kind of pot-odds decision is the core of poker math.
Made flush vs. flush draw
Two very different situations get called “having a flush,” and confusing them costs beginners real money:
- A made flush is five same-suit cards already complete — a finished, strong hand you bet for value.
- A flush draw is only four of the suit, one card short. It has no showdown value yet; its worth is entirely in the ~35% chance it completes by the river.
Play a made flush aggressively for value; play a draw for the price, folding when the pot odds don’t justify the chase. Mixing these up — slow-playing a made flush or overpaying a draw — is one of the most common leaks at low stakes.
Flush vs. straight, quickly
New players mix these two up constantly. A flush is five cards of one suit in any order; a straight is five cards in sequence of any suits. The flush is the stronger of the two, so when a board could make either, the flush wins the pot. When both a straight and a flush are possible for the same run of cards using one suit, that’s a straight flush — the strongest hand in the game.
The bottom line
A flush is five same-suit cards, ranked by its highest card, sitting above a straight and below a full house. Chase flush draws when the price is right — nine outs is worth about 35% from the flop — and respect the difference between a nut flush and a small one. Pair this with the full Texas Hold’em strategy picture and the wider hand rankings to know exactly where your flush stands.
Frequently asked
What is a flush in Texas Hold'em?
A flush is any five cards of the same suit, such as A-J-8-5-2 all in hearts. The cards do not need to be in sequence. A flush ranks above a straight and below a full house, and you build it from any mix of your two hole cards and the five community cards.
Which flush wins if two players both have one?
The flush with the highest top card wins. If the top cards tie, you compare the next card down, and so on through all five. Suits themselves have no rank in Texas Hold'em, so an ace-high spade flush and an ace-high heart flush of identical ranks would split the pot.
What are the odds of hitting a flush draw?
With a four-card flush after the flop, you have nine outs. That gives you roughly 35% to complete the flush by the river across the turn and river together, about 19% on the turn card alone.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush beats a straight in Texas Hold'em. The ranking around it, from lowest to highest, is three of a kind, straight, flush, then full house. The only hands that beat a flush are a full house, four of a kind, and a straight flush.