High Card Flush
Seven cards each and the most cards of one suit wins: how to play High Card Flush, the payouts and when to raise.
High Card Flush is a poker game where only one thing matters: how many cards of the same suit you hold. You and the dealer get seven cards each, the longest flush wins, and you can raise up to three times your ante when you have a big one. It is a Galaxy Gaming table game, quick to learn, with a house edge of under 3% when played well. This guide explains how to play High Card Flush, how hands are ranked, the payouts and side bets, and when to raise.
High Card Flush at a Glance
| Deck | One standard 52-card deck |
| Cards | Seven each for you and the dealer |
| Hand ranking | Most cards of one suit first, then the highest cards in that flush |
| Bets | Ante, then fold or raise; optional Flush and Straight Flush side bets |
| Dealer qualifies with | A 3-card flush, 9 high or better |
| Most you can raise | 1x with up to 4 suited cards, 2x with 5, 3x with 6 or 7 |
| House edge | About 2.7% of the ante with the simple strategy below |
How to Play High Card Flush
- Bet the ante, plus any side bets you want.
- The deal. You and the dealer each get seven cards face down.
- Find your longest flush. Count the most cards you hold in any one suit. Only those cards count.
- Fold or raise. Fold and lose the ante, or raise at least the ante. The limit depends on your flush: 1x with two to four suited cards, up to 2x with five, up to 3x with six or seven.
- The dealer reveals. The dealer needs a 3-card flush with a 9 or higher to qualify. If not, your ante pays even money and your raise is returned.
- Showdown. If the dealer qualifies, the better hand wins: ante and raise both pay even money if you win, both lose if the dealer wins, and both push on an exact tie.
How Hands Are Ranked
Forget pairs and straights. A hand with more cards of one suit always beats a hand with fewer, so any 4-card flush beats any 3-card flush. When both flushes have the same number of cards, compare them from the highest card down, as in poker: a 4-card flush of K-Q-J-10 beats K-Q-J-9 but loses to A-4-3-2. Exact ties happen on about 0.08% of hands.
| Your longest flush | Chance | Most you can raise |
|---|---|---|
| 7 cards | 1 in 19,491 | 3x |
| 6 cards | 0.20% | 3x |
| 5 cards | 2.85% | 2x |
| 4 cards | 19.54% | 1x |
| 3 cards | 58.96% | 1x |
| 2 cards | 18.45% | 1x |
High Card Flush Payouts
The ante and raise pay even money when you beat a qualifying dealer. The side bets pay on your own seven cards, whatever the dealer holds.
Flush Bet
Two pay tables are in use:
| Your longest flush | Table 1 | Table 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 cards | 300 to 1 | 300 to 1 |
| 6 cards | 100 to 1 | 75 to 1 |
| 5 cards | 10 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| 4 cards | 1 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| 3 cards or fewer | Loses | Loses |
| House edge | 7.81% | 7.53% |
Straight Flush Bet
Pays on the longest straight flush in your seven cards, starting from three suited cards in a row. One version pays:
| Longest straight flush | Pays | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 7 cards | 8,000 to 1 | 1 in 4,180,768 |
| 6 cards | 1,000 to 1 | 1 in 84,036 |
| 5 cards | 100 to 1 | 1 in 3,348 |
| 4 cards | 60 to 1 | 0.51% |
| 3 cards | 7 to 1 | 6.46% |
On that table the bet has a house edge of about 13.1%. Some casinos also offer progressive jackpots on these side bets.
Worked Examples
Each hand starts with an ante of 10:
| What happens | Ante | Raise | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-card flush, raise 10; dealer qualifies with a 3-card flush | +10 | +10 | +20 |
| 5-card flush, raise 20; dealer does not qualify | +10 | Push | +10 |
| 3-card flush 10-8-6, raise 10; dealer has a 4-card flush | −10 | −10 | −20 |
| 6-card flush, raise 30; dealer has a 5-card flush | +10 | +30 | +40 |
| Fold | −10 | — | −10 |
High Card Flush Strategy
A simple strategy by Charles Mousseau, published by the Wizard of Odds, comes within 0.06% of perfect play:
- Raise with four or more cards of one suit.
- Raise with a 3-card flush of 10-8-6 or better, compared card by card from the top: J-3-2 is a raise, 10-7-5 is a fold.
- Fold everything else, including every 2-card flush.
- Always raise the most you are allowed: 2x with five suited cards, 3x with six or seven.
The last rule matters more than it looks. Raising only the minimum with a 5, 6 or 7-card flush would almost double the house edge, to about 5.2%, because those are the hands that win most often.
High Card Flush Odds and House Edge
With the simple strategy the house edge is 2.71% of the ante, and with perfect play about 2.64%. Because you fold about a third of hands and raise only once, the average total bet is about 1.71 times the ante, so the expected loss is about 1.58% of the money wagered. The dealer qualifies on 75.4% of hands. The side bets cost more: 7.5% to 7.8% for the Flush bet and about 13% for the Straight Flush bet.
High Card Flush vs Other Casino Poker Games
| Game | Played against | Your decisions | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Card Flush | The dealer (qualifies with a 9-high 3-card flush) | Fold or raise 1x to 3x, once | 7 of yours |
| Four Card Poker | The dealer (no qualifier) | Fold or raise 1x to 3x, once | Best 4 of your 5 |
| Caribbean Stud | The dealer (qualifies with A-K) | Fold or raise 2x, once | 5 of yours |
| Three Card Poker | The dealer (qualifies with Q high) | Play or fold, once | 3 of yours |
High Card Flush is the easiest of these to read at a glance: count your suits, check the top card, and you know what to do.
Playing High Card Flush Online
Online, High Card Flush appears as a table game at some casinos, and availability varies by casino and by country. Search the table-games section of the lobby, where you will also find casino poker games such as Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud. These casinos run large table-game lobbies:
| Casino | Welcome offer | Our rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iWild Casino | Up to 550% + 400 free spins | 4.8 | Open iWild Casino |
| Kaasino | 225% up to £5,000 + 500 bonus spins | 4.3 | Open Kaasino |
| 1Red Casino | 225% up to €11,500 + 225 free spins over 3 deposits | 4.0 | Open 1Red Casino |
More casino poker: Mississippi Stud, Let It Ride and poker rules.
Set a budget before you play for real money and stick to it. Free, confidential support is available at BeGambleAware.org. 18+ only.
High Card Flush: frequently asked questions
How do you play High Card Flush?
What does the dealer need to qualify in High Card Flush?
How are hands ranked in High Card Flush?
When should you raise in High Card Flush?
How much can you raise in High Card Flush?
What is the house edge in High Card Flush?
What does the Flush bet pay in High Card Flush?
How often do you get a 4-card flush or better in High Card Flush?
Fadi Hayek
Author & Casino Expert
After going through several successful experiences with several industry pioneers, Fadi Hayek has managed to excel in the world of content for online gaming by providing unique content for several projects that allowed him to obtain the necessary experience to launch his career. Last but not least, Fadi also holds several certificates, including but not limited to content marketing and iGaming.
