Just to put it into perspective, a royal flush occurs once every 40,000 hands or so at casinos.
This can easily shoot up to once every 200,000 hands, as the criteria are so specific.
It requires a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit.
Because of the requirements, it is impossible for a round to produce two royal flushes.
Then, the players in the round who have continued to the showdown collect the pot.
However, it is a near-impossible scenario.
Royal Hand Probability
The theoretical odds of forming a royal flush are 649,739 to 1.
There are only 4 combinations for this hand, and the probability is 0.000154%.
This works tremendously in your favour if you have a royal flush.
Before carrying on, here are some useful terms to know in connection with the hand.
A 3 card draw to a royal flush means you need 2 more cards to complete your hand.
Likewise, a 4 card draw to a royal flush means you are 1 card away from the hand.
Inside Draw
This is when you have a draw that has a gap in it.
A straight and a flush have similar requirements.
That means you have a straight.
A straight beats one pair, two pair and three of a kind.
It beats both a straight and everything the straight ranks higher than.
However, it ranks lower than four of a kind or a full house.
Say you have a 4 card draw with a suited 10-King and your last card is a suited 9.
You do not have a royal flush, instead you have a straight flush.
Fear not though, as this hand is the second most powerful hand in the game.
Getting the hand early on will essentially seal the round for you.
On a draw, there is a lot of nailbiting to get through.
Preflop
A two card draw in the hole is a helping start towards a royal flush.
The best cards to start with are a suited Ace-King, King-Queen or Ace-Queen.
It is quite a massive gamble, but anything can happen.
If that is the case, then you have basically won the round.
But the work does not stop there.
You have to concentrate your efforts to increase the pot as much as you’re free to.
Push your opponents as far as they are willing to go, but without giving too much away.
There are some players who may form those hands, and that is good news for you.
As straights and flushes are still considered strong hands, your opponents will most probably raise the pot themselves.
Therefore, you’ve got the option to call their raises and raise even more.
In the end, you should win a substantial amount.
But what if you do not have a royal flush but are stuck with either a straight or flush?
Luckily, there are clues.
Those will beat your hand.
Or, they may simply have a higher ranking straight or flush than you.
It is perfect because from an opponents view, the odds are too highly stacked against you.
Worst Case Scenario
The worst case scenario is when all 5 communal cards form a royal flush.
It is so obscure that it will not feel real.
It is basically a waste of a royal flush.
It is virtually impossible to do the maths at the table.
One thing is for certain though.
