Royal Flush Meaning, Ranking and Odds

A Royal Flush consists only of 10-J-Q-K-A in one suit, making it the highest standard five-card poker hand. It ranks above every straight flush, followed by four of a kind, a full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. From 2,598,960 possible five-card combinations in a 52-card deck, only four qualify—one per suit. The calculation is 4 ÷ 2,598,960, which equals about 0.000154%, or 1 in 649,740. In Texas Hold’em, players may form it from any combination of hole cards and community cards; a royal entirely on the board creates a tie among all remaining players.

The hand’s rank stays constant, but its payout and probability context change by format. In draw video poker, strategy affects which cards a player holds, while the paytable determines the return for a dealt or completed royal; the 1-in-649,740 figure applies only to an unordered five-card deal, not a full session with redraws. In Texas Hold’em and Casino Hold’em, seven available cards can form the final five-card combination, so the chance differs from a direct five-card deal. Canada players should check game rules and paytables before wagering. In Ontario’s regulated market, AGCO internet-gaming standards cover game integrity and player information; other provinces operate under their own legal frameworks.