Poker players tend to get creative after sitting around a poker table for hours and hours. That scenario has led to some intriguing poker lingo for hands:
- Dead man’s hand (aces and eights for the hand that Wild Bill Hickok supposedly held when he got shot in the back)
- Big Slick (ace-king)
- The Doyle Brunson (10-2, which won the famous player the World Series of Poker Main Event twice)
Poker hands have nicknames for various reasons, from the strength of the hand to the unique look to other more arcane reasons. Another fascinating name for an extremely powerful hand is the steel wheel.
The steel wheel is the poker term for the ace-to-five straight flush hand.
For example, a player with A♠️2♠️ would have a massive hand when seeing a flop like 3♠️4♠️5♠️. The A-2-3-4-5 straight is the “wheel”. but when all five cards are the same suit, the hand become the “steel wheel” – which is vastly superior.
In this situation, the player with the steel wheel could rake in a massive pot facing an opponent with a flush or another solid hand.
How Powerful Is a Poker Steel Wheel?
When considering how powerful the steel wheel is in poker, it’s crucial to remember the poker hand rankings.
Here’s a quick refresher course:
- Royal Flush – This is the best hand in poker and is when a player finds A-K-Q-J-10 all the same suit, such as A♦️K♦️Q♦️J♦️10♦️. This hand is the highest in poker and is extremely rare.
- Straight Flush – Five cards in a sequence all of the same suit, such as 9♠️10♠️J♠️Q♠️K♠️. This hand is also very rare.
- Four-of-a-Kind – Four cards of the same rank – 9♠️9♥️9♣️9♦️.
- Full House – Three cards of one kind and two of another, such as A♠️A♥️A♦️J♦️J♣️.
- Flush – Any five cards of the same suit, such as K♣️Q♣️2♣️4♣️7♣️.
- Straight – This hand consists of five cards in a sequence, but not of the same suit, such as 6♦️7♣️8♥️9♠️10♠️.
- Three-of-a-Kind – Three cards of the same rank, such as 10♠️10♥️10♣️.
- Two Pair – This is when a player lands two different pairs, such as A♠️A♥️Q♠️Q♣️.
- Pair – Two cards of the same rank, such as two kings - K♥️K♠️.
- High Card – This hand has no pairs - playing the highest card.
Notice where the poker steel wheel sits in relation to other hands on the rankings. It comes in second as falls in the straight flush category.
The steel wheel in poker only loses to a royal flush or a highly unlikely, bigger straight flush.
This fact shows how powerful this hand is and how players can expect to win big in poker tournaments or cash games with a steel wheel.
A quick look at the odds of making this hand punctuates how powerful the steel wheel is in poker. This hand is extremely rare, with odds of 72,192 to 1 of getting it.
When you land a steel wheel in poker, you’ll want to keep players in the pot to win the maximum.
Example of Steel Wheel in a Sentence
Do you want to sound like a player who is knowledgeable about the game? Using some of the game’s jargon and hand nicknames is a good starting point. Mixing in some of the lexicon always adds to the fun as well.
So, how would you use the “poker steel wheel” in a sentence?
Here’s a look at a few examples:
- “I thought I was going to win a big pot, but then Bart showed off a rare steel wheel – ace through five, all spades. He took a big chunk of my chips and no bad beat jackpot!”
- “There was pretty much no way we could ever lose the hand after flopping the steel wheel.”
- “Paul had never heard of the steel wheel, so I used a deck of cards to show him the ace through five, all diamonds.”
How to Use Steel Wheel as Part of Your Poker Strategy
The steel wheel has a high chance of being the best hand in almost every poker variant. Players can feel very secure that they’ll win the pot. This hand is a type of straight flush and is one of the hardest to make.
Other players may also have solid hands when making this hand, notably other flushes and straights. This situation puts the steel wheel player in the driver’s seat to cash in massively. Their opponents with very strong hands may be hard-pressed to fold.
A player with an ace-high flush, known as the “nut flush”, could find it impossible to fold.
However, this player has found himself in a poker variance cooler situation when up against the steel wheel. The poker steel wheel rolls right over the nit flush, collecting what will hopefully be a massive pot.
Here are a few things to remember when landing a mighty hand like this:
- Gauge opponents’ strength.
- Bet the maximum possible that will keep players in the hand to build a bigger pot.
- Consider going all-in if you suspect an opponent is really strong.
- Consider slow-playing on the flop to let other players catch up, enticing them to stay in the pot.
Steel Wheel in Other Poker Variants
Beyond Texas Hold’em, the steel wheel can also be a powerhouse in other poker games. For example, this hand is the nut low hand in split-pot variants such as Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, and others.
In the game of Razz, the goal is to get the lowest hand possible – with A-2-3-4-5 being for the nuts. Flushes and straights don’t count in this game. So, a player with the steel wheel, such as A♠️2♠️
3♠️4♠️5♠️, has landed the nuts in this game.
Steel Wheel in Poker – Conclusion
The A-2-3-4-5 straight flush is the “steel wheel” and can be one of the most potent hands in poker. Players will want to maximise the value of this hand by keeping players in the pot.
If an opponent appears exceptionally strong, the player with the steel wheel may bet even more or move all-in if there’s a sense an opponent may call.
While knowing phrases such as “steel wheel” is not essential at the poker table, poker nicknames can add to the fun and enjoyment of the game. You also might find yourself feeling left out of some poker discussions.
