Royal flush: meaning and odds

What a royal flush is

A flush is five cards of one suit, and a straight is five cards in sequence. A straight flush is both, and the highest straight flush, ace down to ten, is the royal flush. There are exactly four of them, one per suit, and no two can be ranked against each other: two royal flushes would tie. It sits at the top of every standard poker hand ranking.

In wild-card games such as Deuces Wild or Joker Poker, a royal made with a wild card is a 'wild royal' and pays far less than a 'natural' royal made without one. This glossary entry covers the odds, the payouts across video poker and casino poker, and the rules that can cut what a royal is worth.

Royal flush odds worked out

1. Count five-card hands: choosing 5 cards from 52 gives 2,598,960 hands.
2. Only 4 of them are royal flushes, so the chance is 4 ÷ 2,598,960, or 1 in 649,740.
3. With seven cards to choose from, as in hold'em, there are 133,784,560 possible seven-card sets, and 4,324 contain a royal flush.
4. That gives 133,784,560 ÷ 4,324 = 1 in 30,940, about 21 times more likely than with five cards.

The seven-card count matches the C5 side bet table on Wizard of Odds' Texas Hold'em Bonus page (opens in a new tab). In video poker, the draw lets you hold cards and replace the rest, so a royal comes up more often than 1 in 649,740, but the exact rate depends on the pay table and strategy. Our probability guide explains counting combinations.

Royal flush payouts in video poker and casino poker

Video poker figures come from Wizard of Odds' 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy (opens in a new tab) and its Full Pay Deuces Wild page (opens in a new tab). The returns above assume perfect strategy and maximum coins; real players usually get less. Check the pay table on the game you play, because UK casinos may run different versions. See video poker pay tables.

Royal flush example: why max coins matters

On a 9/6 Jacks or Better game with 20p coins, a five-coin bet is £1. A royal pays 800 per coin, so 4,000 coins, or £800. The 800-per-coin rate applies only on maximum coins, so betting fewer coins pays a lower rate per coin and lowers the game's return below 99.54%. If you play video poker, play the full coin count at a coin size you can afford rather than fewer coins at a bigger size. Our answer to what a royal flush is worth in video poker covers this in more detail.

The Caribbean Stud royal flush catch

In Caribbean Stud, the dealer needs ace-king or better to qualify. If the dealer doesn't, the Ante pays even money and the Raise is returned, whatever you hold. Bet £10 Ante and £20 Raise, and a royal against a qualifying dealer pays £2,000 on the Raise plus £10 on the Ante. Against a dealer who doesn't qualify, the same royal pays £10. From a full deck, a five-card dealer hand misses the qualifying hand about 43.7% of the time (1,135,260 of 2,598,960 hands). Wizard of Odds' Caribbean Stud page (opens in a new tab) puts the game's edge at 5.224%.

Related terms

See river, kicker, Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker and Let It Ride.

Poker games and UK casino offers

Video poker and casino poker aren't the focus of the offers below, which are mainly slot offers. These games are often excluded from bonus play or contribute less, so check each casino's terms and its lobby for poker titles. 18+ and terms apply.

Casumo gives new customers who opt in a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of £20 or more; wager it 10x within 7 days, with no bet above £5 while it is active. 10bet gives new UK customers a 100% match up to £25, to be wagered 10x on slots within 3 days, with bonus winnings limited to £1,000 and Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. Coral gives 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games after you deposit and bet £10 on slots; accept them within 48 hours, use them within 7 days, and keep winnings without wagering.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.