Perhaps the most common error in ranking poker hands involves confusing the order of a straight and a flush.

A straight is 5 cards with consecutive rank, like 45678. The cards rank A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,A. Note that an ace ("A") can be used as high (as in 10JQKA) or as low (as in A2345).

A flush is 5 cards of the same suit.

Compare the probability of getting a straight with that of getting a flush. Which hand is more likely?

Question

Perhaps the most common error in ranking poker hands involves confusing the order of a straight and a flush. 

A straight is 5 cards with consecutive rank, like 45678. The cards rank A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,A. Note that an ace ("A") can be used as high (as in 10JQKA) or as low (as in A2345). 

A flush is 5 cards of the same suit. 

Compare the probability of getting a straight with that of getting a flush. Which hand is more likely?

nurali · Answer

http://openstudy.com/study#/updates/5021b222e4b0f204975c0299

anonymous · Answer

neither of these probabilities are trivial to compute, but both can easily be found with a quick google search
it is more likely to get a straight than a flush, which is why a flush is beats a straight