Is A2345 A Straight In Texas Holdem

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  • An ace can be high or low, but not both in hold'em. So AKQJT is the highest straight, A2345 is the lowest straight (called 'the wheel'), and a wrap-around like 32AKQ is worthless. A6789 is a low straight in 6+ Hold’em just as A2345 is a low straight in regular Holdem. Look out for this one, it can really tak you by surprise if you are not careful.

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  • This one might be a post for complete poker beginners. If you are one of those who are not exactly sure of the rules yet, then I am sure it will be of help to you. You might be confused, who wins if two players have a straight. Well, the answer is pretty straightforward.

    A player with the highest rank of straight wins. If both players have the straight of the same rank, then the pot is split. This holds true, of course, if none of them has a higher ranking hand than a straight.

    You will hit a straight only 0.4% of the time. So you must play the right hands to maximize those chances. Connected cards are the best, followed by one gappers. It is even better if your hole cards are suited, so you also have an opportunity to hit a flush. Higher cards will hit higher straight.

    Read more in this article about the difference of suited connectors vs. suited one gappers.

    So, for example, if you play AK, you will hit higher straights more often than with 98. Also when you have AK and other player has T9, and the board consists of QJT, you will win a lot of money if any of your opponents hold T9.

    Straight is a strong hand, and players have a tough time folding it. So if you can, elect to play higher connected hands, and your winrate when you hit straight will be higher.

    Every here and there, you will notice two players having a straight at showdown. There are 2 possible scenarios:

    1. One person has a lower straight, and another person has a higher straight.
    2. Both players have straight of the same rank
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    Higher vs. lower straight

    A player that has a higher straight will win the hand. It doesn’t matter if both players have a straight, it only matters who has the highest straight.

    Of course, if someone has a flush or full house or better hand, they will still beat all the opponents who have a straight.

    The value of straights starts at A2345 (also known as the wheel) and goes all the way up to the AKQJT straight. The highest possible straight consists of only broadway cards and is a very powerful hand.

    Not only it beats all the lower straights, which will be willing to pay off big bets, but it also beats trips, two pairs, and pairs.

    If you don’t hold the nut straight (highest possible straight depending on the board), then there are higher possible straights possible in that hand. So sometimes it will happen you get beaten by the nuts when you hold the 2nd nuts. This will reduce your winrate. Nonetheless, you will still make decent money with any straight you have.

    Both players have straight of the same rank

    In a scenario when both players have the same rank as straight, and no one else has a better hand than a straight, then the pot would get split between them. First, the rake would get deducted from the pot, and then pot gets equally split.

    When you are facing a lot of action on the river, and you hold the best possible straight, it is not super uncommon that another person also has the nut straight.

    Who wins if there is a straight on the table?

    There are a few possible scenarios when a straight is dealt on the table in poker.

    • AKQJT straight on the table
    • Lower straight than the nut straight is on the table
    • A2345 (the wheel) straight is dealt on the board

    AKQJT straight on the board

    If a flush would be possible on AKQJT board, then someone holding a flush would still win the hand. But in the case that the nut straight gets dealt on the board and no flush is possible, then the pot will always get split.

    It is important to note that the pot will get split after the rake is deducted. In some live games, it can bet up to 5% uncapped. So imagine if one player decides to shove on the river, then it might cost you 25€ on NL500 just to call to what is guaranteed split pot.

    That is truly a disaster. It might not even be worth to you to call this river shove if there was only 10€ in the pot until a person in front of you shoves.

    In online games, there often is the cap on the rake, and a scenario like this shouldn’t happen, so you should call such shove every time. But it is still essential to have a good rakeback deal. Read more in this article – hint: FREE guaranteed money.

    Even if you hold any of T – A cards in your hand, and the board is AKQJT, it doesn’t matter. The best 5 cards possible combination still is straight from T-A.

    Lower straight than the nut straight is on the table

    On such boards, you need to be very careful. If you are facing any action, it is quite likely that someone has a higher straight. They now only need 1 card in their hole cards that is precisely 1 rank higher than the highest card on the board. On top of what is on board, and they have a higher straight.

    An example of this is the 6789T board. Now the pot isn’t necessarily split. Someone could have a J in their hand or even QJ for the nut straight, and they win the hand.

    A2345 (the wheel) straight is dealt on the board

    This scenario is quite similar to the lower straight than the nut straight on the table that I explained above. It is common for someone to have a higher straight. Be careful on such boards, and don’t pay off big bets.

    Related questions

    What happens when a straight is dealt in poker?

    If nobody has a better hand than straight that is on the board, then the pot will get split to everyone that stayed in play, until the showdown.

    Does a straight and a pair beat a straight?

    In Texas Holdem, you need to use 5 cards to have a straight. This means you can have only a straight (as 5 cards are needed for that). It doesn’t matter how many of those 5 cards are your hole cards (that you get dealt in your hand) and how many are from the board. But it needs to be 5 of them, no less, no more.

    So a straight and a pair doesn’t beat a straight as it can’t exist at showdown. Both players’ hands will be a straight. If that straight is of the same rank, then they will split the pot. Otherwise, the person with a bigger straight will win the hand.

    What is a wheel in poker?

    The poker term “wheel” stands for the lowest possible straight that can be made in Holdem. It consists of precisely the following cards: A-2-3-4-5. The order doesn’t matter, as long as you can make this 5 card hand combination, then you have the wheel. Any straight higher than a wheel beats the wheel straight. But even the lowest straight is a great hand, and it will win you a lot of money.

    Related links:

    Article: What happens when two hands tie in poker

    Article: Who wins if both players have a full house? With Examples

    Is A2345 A Straight In Texas Holdem Card Game

    Holdem

    Article: What is a Gutshot Straight in Poker? (with 11 examples)

    Article: What is a backdoor straight draw in poker (with 4 examples)

    Article: Who wins if both players have a flush?

    Holdem

    Article: Who wins if both players have a pair?

    Conclusion

    Real

    Now you know about all the scenarios when 2 people have a straight in poker. You know who wins, and you know which kind of hands are better to hit straights that will make you the most money.

    No matter which straight you will have, you should be making very nice money with it as there are plenty of worse cards that are willing to call the bets. If you are facing a lot of aggression on flush or full house possible boards, then you should reconsider if your straight is strong enough to call or stack off. It depends a lot on the opponent’s playstyle.

    Good luck and see you at the tables.

    16:43
    14 Mar

    Remember the uncommon poker games article published on PokerTube a couple of months ago? Remember the last game we talked about briefly? That’s right, Six Plus Holdem, a very interesting format introduced by the usual suspects in Macau, Tom Dwan and Phil Ivey. Well, we believe you’ll be very happy to know that the future is now.

    The new format is finally available online, on the iPoker Network - although still in test mode - and everyone bored with the old Cadillac of Poker can now try Six Plus Holdem with as little as a few bucks. So far, the available stakes are 4NL and 20NL. Since March is full of promotions targeting the new game, the tables and the stakes will probably continue to pile up in order to compete with the Pot Limit Omaha iPoker traffic.

    Before hitting the SPH tables though, you need to know some basic things about this format. Yes, it’s a lot like No Limit Texas Holdem, but at the same time, different in many ways. And to prove it, let’s start things off with the rule changes.

    Stripped Deck Of Cards, Different Hand Rankings

    The most important difference between the regular Holdem and SPH concerns the deck of cards. In SPH you play only with 36 cards, stripping away the 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s. That’s why it’s called Six Plus, because the deck has cards ranked six and above. As in regular Holdem, the Ace can also have a low value thus make a low straight like the classic wheel - A2345. In SPH, the wheel is actually A6789.

    Since there are fewer cards in deck and only nine of the same suit, the hand ranking is slightly different as the strength of certain poker hands changes. Therefore, the flush has a much higher value and actually beats the boat. The straight on the other hand has a lower value than in NLHE and is beaten down by the set but still beats the lone pair and two pairs. Below, you can read the entire Six Plus Holdem Hand Rankings from the weakest to the strongest hand:

    • High Card
    • One Pair
    • Two Pairs
    • Straight
    • Three of a Kind
    • Full House
    • Flush
    • Four of a Kind
    • Straight Flush
    • Royal Flush
    Is a2345 a straight in texas holdem tournaments

    Strategy: Smaller Edges, Different Perspective

    Now what about the basic strategy? The good news is that the Six Plus Holdem winning strategy is a work in progress, so that means everyone is likely to make big mistakes at one point or another. The preflop edges are definitely much smaller, more like in Omaha, that’s why the weaker player won’t make that much of a mistake if they call preflop with a weak holding. Like in Omaha, the hands will run bigger as compared to NLHE so anyone who starts playing SPH must be very careful in determining the relative strength of their poker hand.

    Is a2345 a straight in texas holdem odds

    Basically, this is a brand new version of Omaha but much less complex. And since we’re comparing the new game with Omaha, we also have to mention the swings and high variance SPH could bring in your online cashier. Don’t believe us? Well, let’s hear Ivey and Dwan talk about the new format (notice the smirk on Ivey’s face when he’s talking about bankroll management and Dwan’s reaction):

    As expected, they aren’t prepared to share their insight about the game just yet, but we can provide you with some basics hints at least. You definitely need to change your perspective when playing SPH, even re-think your betting sizes preflop and know that position is even more important than in NLHE. And remember...Omaha: big cards, huge value, high suited cards are even more important - connected cards, not that much anyone - and yes, reverse implied odds. Those odds can be a game changer as the user ExciteD pointed out on 2+2 forums:

    As somebody who has studied the game due to challenge/chance of expansion, I can tell you, should GREATLY change your NLH game when playing 6+ holdem. Start thinking about reverse implied odds and how you can put people in spots where reverse implied odds are hugely in your profit (situations like that occur very often, cause hands improve a huge percentage of the time).'

    For more tips regarding how to approach the new game, you can also take a look on our sister site PokerVIP and read the Six Plus Hold'em Rules & Strategy.

    Editor’s Take: New Games, New Opportunities

    Is A2345 A Straight In Texas Holdem Poker

    Ok, more gambling, smaller edges but is it worth it? Can SPH become the next big thing in the poker industry? It definitely can!

    Many poker players are of the opinion that the revitalization of the poker ecology cannot be done by simply wiping out old, inefficient formats and games. It can only be done by adding and developing new, interesting, and different game options. I share their opinion and I believe a new derivation like Six Plus Holdem will bring a lot of positives to the depleted online environment in the long run.

    Everybody knows why Omaha didn’t catch up with the mainstream as much as Texas Holdem, too many complained about the complexity of the game. Not to mention paying attention to all those ever-present draws and making a poker hand from exactly three community cards and two hole cards. SPH gets rid of all those complaints. It’s simple like regular Holdem and the gambling factor is much more present. If we also add the lack of strategic information about the game, we can assume every single one of us could be a winner (the reverse is also possible if we aren’t prepared to put in the work, every one of us can be a fish).

    So really, what’s not to like? Can SPH become an even more popular game than the regular NLHE? Maybe in the long run, but for now it definitely has the potential to compete with other poker variants like Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw and yes, even Pot Limit Omaha.

    Is A2345 A Straight In Texas Holdem Play

    What do you think? Is Six Plus Holdem a Game Changer? Can it top the popularity of PLO and NLHE? Share your thoughts with the rest of us in the comment section below.