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Run (cards)

Combination of playing cards where cards have consecutive rank values

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
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Source updated January 25, 2024
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A run, straight or sequence is a combination of playing cards where cards have consecutive rank values. The cards do not normally need to be in one type of suit. However, if they are, this is referred to as a suit sequence. Some games, such as cribbage, specify that an ace counts as one ("ace low"); others, such as spades, specify that an ace counts above a King ("ace high"); yet others, such as poker, allow an ace to count either high or low.

Runs are one of the two types of meld that may be used in games where melding is part of the play; the other being a set or group, such as a pair or triplet.

A natural sequence, as opposed to one that is wild, is one that consists purely of 'natural cards', without any wild cards such as jokers or deuces.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Run (cards)”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Related topics

Meld (cards)

In card games, a meld is a set of matching cards, typically three or more, that earn a player points and/or allow them to deplete their hand. Melds typically come in sequences of ascending cards belonging to the same suit known as runs or sets/groups of cards of identical rank (8♠ 8♣ 8♥).

Set (cards)

In card games, a set or group is a scoring combination consisting of multiple playing cards, usually of the same rank. Depending on the game, a set may consist of two cards of equal rank as in Bieten, three of a kind as in poker, or more.

List of poker hands

In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called hands, according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the showdown to decide who wins the pot.