If you’re new to poker and trying to understand how hands work, you’ve likely asked: Can a straight in poker be different suits? It’s a great question — and the short answer is yes. In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll break down the poker straight rules and show you how suit combinations affect the hand (or don’t).
Understanding What a Straight Is
In poker, a straight is a hand that consists of five consecutive cards, such as:
6 7 8 9 10
The key feature of a straight is the **card order**, not the **suit**. That’s where many new players get confused. A straight can have cards of all different suits and still be a valid, ranked hand.
This hand beats three of a kind and two pair, but it’s beaten by a flush (five cards of the same suit). You can check full hand rankings on Poker.org’s hand ranking guide.
Can a Straight Be Different Suits?
Yes! A straight in poker can absolutely be different suits. It does not require matching suits — only matching consecutive values.
Here are two examples:
- 4 5 6 7 8 → Valid straight with mixed suits
- 10 J Q K A → Valid straight (“Broadway”) with mixed suits
To clarify, the suit only becomes important when you’re aiming for a straight flush — a hand that’s both consecutive and all the same suit. Otherwise, suits have no influence on the hand being a straight or not.
So, if you’re wondering “Do all the cards in a straight have to be the same suit?” — the answer is a definite no.
Straight vs. Straight Flush: What’s the Difference?
This confusion often leads to questions from new players. Let’s make the distinction clear:
- Straight = 5 cards in a row, suits can be different
- Straight Flush = 5 cards in a row, all same suit
A straight flush is a much stronger hand and ranks just below the royal flush. But you’ll only see it occasionally. Standard straights with mixed suits are more common and still very powerful in most poker games.
Tip: Don’t get frustrated if your straight doesn’t win against a flush or full house. Learn the rankings and fold wisely.
For more detail on rankings, see Upswing Poker’s hand ranking chart.
Beginner Poker Questions: Do Suits Ever Matter?
In most poker hands, suits matter only in specific situations — like forming flushes or breaking ties. For straights, suits are irrelevant unless you’re going for a straight flush.
Here’s a quick breakdown for beginners:
- <strongFlush: Five cards of the same suit, any order
- Straight: Five cards in sequence, any suit
- Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence, same suit
- High Card: Suit matters only in very rare tie-breakers
So when someone says, “you’ve got a straight, but the suits don’t match,” you can confidently respond — “That’s perfectly fine!”
Examples of Mixed Suit Straights
Let’s look at a few more examples of valid straights with mixed suits. These will help you spot straights easily, even when the suits look random:
- 5 6 7 8 9
- 2 3 4 5 6
- 9 10 J Q K
As long as the values are in order and you have exactly five cards, your hand is a straight — regardless of suit.
Key Takeaways
- Yes, a straight in poker can be made of different suits
- Only the card sequence matters — not matching suits
- A straight consists of five cards in consecutive order
- Don’t confuse a straight with a straight flush
Knowing the poker straight rules gives you a solid edge at the table. Many beginner poker questions — like suit importance or hand value — can be cleared up with a little study and a lot of practice.
Ready to dive deeper into poker hand logic? Explore our next article on how many cards make up a straight and sharpen your skills hand by hand.
