strait.

[Ender]

I know this sounds like a terrible question but i only bring it up because i wan't to be absolutly sure. It came up the other night that one of the guys i was playing with was quite positive that there was a 5-high strait A,2,3,4,5 and another guy was quite positive that the ace could not be counted in this strait. Is strait possible? a 5 high strait?

[BrianGre]

Yes, this is possible... I have won with a 5-high straight many times online.

Hope this helps!

[Ender]

Yes. This does help. Thank you very much for your time in settling this.

[schrek]

Its one of the reasons why ace's are valued so high. They are not simply the highest card, but also the lowest, and can help any number of possible hands, including but not limited to straight A to 5.

[JimTheBullet]

One thing you should remember about the wheel though (A-2-3-4-5) - despite the fact that it contains an ace, it is the LOWEST possible straight. The wheel is considered to be a straight, 5 high, therefore it loses in a showdown to every other straight.

As a slight aside, this means that, in Holdem, if you make the wheel and one of your hole cards is the ace then your hand can never be the nuts because you can be beaten by any player who holds a 6 with the same side card as their 6 high straight will beat your 5 high straight.

[Ender]

yea i see the risk of trying to make a A to 5 strait but also it seems that the odds of someone having a 6 aren't usually too good either if preflop there are many people folding.

[mindgame]

Hmmmm. Maybe poker isn't Ender's game.*

"The odds of someone holding a six..."

Can't tell you how many time I've thought something exactly like that and get walloped.

*Sorry, couldn't resist. Big Sci Fi fan here.