Understanding flush odds can go a long way when being dealt a flush draw as part of your starting hand.Although not the best hand combination in poker, a flush beats several other hands; for example, a straight, a three of a kind, a two pair and a pair. If you want to know more about this fundamental aspect of online poker, stick around.
In this article, we’ll explain the exact definition of a flush in poker, the chances of getting one in each street and what tips you should keep in mind when playing with a pair.
WHAT IS A FLUSH?
A flush is one of the most recognisable hands in poker, as it consists of five cards of the same suit. However, it doesn’t need to be in sequential order, as shown by this example – Ace of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, 7 of Hearts, 5 of Hearts, 2 of Hearts.
Do not confuse a flush with a royal flush, since the latter features the 10 through ace of the same suit in sequential order. That unlikely event is precisely why it is the strongest hand in poker.
The ace-high flush is the best type with five community cards. The suited cards could be spades, but in poker, not all ace high flushes are ranked equally.
The best straight is the ace-high straight and this is a distinct hand.
In online poker, a flush hand ranks fourth. It is only beaten by three other hands, including the royal flush — which is deemed unbeatable — the straight flush, the four of a kind and the full house.
With that said, a flush is quite a formidable hand that uses five cards (any two of cards of your starting hand as well as three community cards). It can beat a straight, a three of a kind, a two pair and a pair.
ODDS OF MAKING A FLUSH OUT OF A 52-CARD DECK
A regular flush, like the royal flush, is one of those distinct hands. There are 5,108 possible flush combinations, 1,277 ranks of flushes, and a total number of 2, 598,960 possible hands on the board.
Each flush will be judged on merit. To separate two players in a game, whoever holds the high card will come out on top. In total, there are 36 straight flushes and 4 royal flushes available in poker from four suits.
To work out the poker probability of flush draws, we shall use the following calculation: 5108/2,598,560.
In other words, with a five-card poker hand, there is a 0.1965% chance of a poker player drawing a flush.
Breaking down the odds further, this equates to 1/509, so one in every 509 hands will result in a flush.
Let’s look at how the flush draw odds transpire for texas hold’em in each stage of the game.
ODDS OF GETTING A FLUSH IN TEXAS HOLD’EM
Players will be tasked with trying to make the best possible five-card poker hand from a total of seven cards. With certain card combinations, the odds of drawing one is higher.
If you can produce suited connectors, there is a greater chance of making a flush.
Let’s look at the odds of flush draws in Texas Hold’em from the flop to the river.
ODDS OF HITTING ON THE FLOP
The type of flush you make will depend on the starting hand.
While the flush stands out, you have a 1 in 122 chance of making a flush with a suited starting hand.
Whereas the odds of making a flush with a pocket pair stand at 1.22%, they are still worth playing.
Although the type of suited hand won’t affect the odds of making a flush, higher-ranked cards make stronger flushes.
ODDS OF HITTING ON THE TURN
On the flush draw, things soar probability-wise of holding a flush or two pair.
When holding any of the hole cards, there will always be nine cards that can complete a flush draw.
The probability is 9/47, which equals 0.1915 or 19.2%.
ODDS OF HITTING ON THE RIVER
Instead of working out the chances of making the flush, let’s show the probability of not making a flush draw with five cards on the turn:
The probability of not hitting a flush by the river is 38/47 equals 0.6503 or 65%. You have a 35% chance of making a flush by the river.
IMPLIED ODDS OF A FLUSH
The implied odds of a flush draw depend on two factors. You need to appreciate a starting hand that always carries greater value than one card flushes.
A starting hand with one flush will only be seen as a ploy to bluff opponents.
Also, flushes will generally generate the best-implied odds on cards that don’t form a pair. Flushes, however, should be treated with caution as another player might have a full house.
Overall, a flush draw is usually worth investing in as long as the other potential draws aren’t too strong. Remember that suited cards can make for a flush draw that is stronger than your own, depending on the starting hand that each player has been dealt.
FLUSH TIPS
Flushes can be very exciting, so these tips will help refine your strategy.
- Keep calm – Let your opponent bet as much as possible and make mistakes.
- Don’t overestimate your flush draw – Even if you do end up making a flush, there might be a chance that a better hand will be around the corner. Remember that even as much as a full house will beat a flush.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff – Focus on getting the high card, so you can rake in the chips.
- Practice makes perfect – Practice really does make perfect when it comes to playing online poker, so feel free to hop by the poker tables of EnergyCasino to refine your flush-wielding hands!
With a selection of the finest poker variants on the market, you are free to test out the odds of making a flush as much as you want — demo modes included!
FLUSH STAGES PROBABILITY IN TEXAS HOLDEM
- Flopping with different suits on starting hand 0%
- Hitting from flop to turn 19.6%
- Hitting from flop to river 35%