For the inexperienced poker hands, it can be a hectic game with lots of rules and numbers of possible hands. Maybe for the starter or a beginner, the most challenging thing could be remembering the combination of the cards, which can be winning hands. Additionally, remember how these poker hands can be ranked against each other.
This is the very first and most important poker skill, after which, when you master it, you will be able to remember them and focus on being improved in the other areas of the game. However, the basic idea to keep in mind is that poker consists of five cards. Therefore, even if you play a seven-card game, you should always focus on making the best five cards. Keep reading this article to know poker hand rankings on order.
Poker Hands Ranked in Order Top To Bottom
Royal Flush
Royal Flush comes on the top in the list of hands of poker. It is the best possible hand, and it cannot be beaten ever. It is created when we have the Ace High straight holding the cards all of the same suit. However, a royal flush is kind of straight flush but still beats all the straight flushes. Royal flush is actually one type of straight flush. It is very much possible for the royal flush to find facing a lower straight flush, thus, in this way, the royal flush always wins. So the next best hand in poker is the straight flush, which comes second in the list of hands of poker.
Straight Flush
straight flush hand of poker has five cards containing sequential rank. All should be of the same suit, for example Q♥ J♥ 10♥ 9♥ 8♥. Therefore, a straight flush beats four of the same kind. The ranking in the straight flush hand is decided by the highest straight card. So, if more than one player has a straight flush, then the winner will be decided by the one player that has the highest straight.
Straight Flush is one of the best hands in poker, no other poker hand is above it. However, the other best poker hand is called four- of- a – kind.
Four-of-a-Kind
This hand is also known as quad. It consists of four cards of the same rank and the other one of a different rank. Such as 4-4-4-4-K. Hence, in this hand you will have to keep in mind that it is the rank or the denomination which is important. Four-of-a-kind can be of different suit but it will rank as equal such as, 4♣ 4♠ 4♦ 4♥ 9♣. Four-of-a-kind is the second best poker hand. However it ranks below straight flush, but still it is a very strong one to play with. There are many other poker hands which are below it, so the next best poker hand is Full House.
Full House
Full house hand is also known as full boat. It consists of three cards of the same rank and two cards of different rank. For example, 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 6♣ 6♥. But it is still not that easy as it seems to be. As it should be actually three cards of one rank and two cards of the same rank. In other words we can also call it as three-of-a-kind. Therefore, in this hand of poker, it is the rank which is most important. For example, Aces which is full of Kings will be a full house. Similarly, Aces full of Jacks and so on. Having said that, there are still many poker hands that come under it, the next best one is Flush.
Flush
These poker hands consist of five cards of the same suit. This is the 4th best hand in poker. For example, A♥J♥7♥5♥2♥ will ace high flush in the heart suit. Though the word flush might not make you think that it was made up of five cards of the same suit. It is yet an easy one to recognise. As compared to other poker hands, flush is a strong poker hand. Flush is the fourth best among all the poker hands. Though it is 4th on the list, still it is a very strong hand to hold on to in the poker game. Also, this hand if played carefully and keeping focus on it, can make you win the game.
Straight
Straight is the 5th best in the poker hands. Thus, the word straight might have you thinking that it will consist of five cards in a row. Therefore, it makes it very easy to recognise it. Straight hand has five cards in sequence not of the one suit. For example, 7♣ 6♠ 5♠ 4♥ 3♥. Another example: a Queen-high straight will beat the Jack- High Straight irrespective of suit, and so on. Hence, Straight is the number 5 best hand in the poker game. The Flush is above it, along with the best flush as ace high. There are still few other hands that can be ranked below it such as Three-Of-a-Kind.
Three-of-A-Kind
Three-of-a-kind is also called Trips or Set. It has three cards of the same rank and two cards of two different ranks. For example, 2♦ 2♠ 2♣ K♠ 6♥. This hand ranks below straight and above the two pairs. Three-of-a-kind is the 6th best on the list of hands of poker. The word three of a kind might have you thinking that it will be a combination of 3 same cards. This is why it is very easy to understand. However, it might confuse you a bit when it comes to the difference between trip and set.
We call it a Set when you have a pair in hand, such as 9♦9♣. And when it is matched with another 9♥ on the same board. Whereas, Trips take place when, there is pair on the board, such as 10♥10♦5♠ and you have one more 10♣ in the starting hand.
Two Pair
Two Pair in number seven in the list of poker hands. It has one pair of the same rank cards, and a second pair of same ranked cards. Therefore, the two pair hand is the most known winning hand in the poker game. With the words Two Pair might have you thinking that it will be having two cards of the same rank. Yes it is simple, it is two pairs of the same ranked cards. Therefore if you have 10♥10♣ and board is 5♦5♣3♠ which means you are having two pairs, the tens and the fives. Hence, this poker hand can help you win the game.
A Pair
On the place 8 in the list of poker hands A pair, also known as one pair, is also one of the best poker hands. By the word one pair, you might be thinking that it will consist of a single pair of the same rank. Therefore, it is simply a single pair of the same rank. For example, if you are having 10♥10♣ it means you are having one pair of tens. Still, there are different types of one pair. For instance, if you have K♥Q♠ and a flop is K♣J♦3♥, you will have one pair, How? Because you can pair K♥ with K♣. on the same board with the pair of Kings.
High Card
high card is the least possible hand of poker. It has no pair or any other type of hand. It is just a high card. The word high card will have you think of a straight away hand with the highest card. But it is least possible or the lowest possible hand in the poker game.
For example, if you are having hands like K♣10♠ on a board 8♥7♥4♦J♣2♣ are called King High instead of no pair. It does not matter if you do not have any pairs; still, it is important to rank the hands for the system to keep working. There are no other hands that rank below high card; this is why it is the worst possible hand in the poker game.
Poker Hands Probability
If you like numbers (most poker players do), you may be curious about the chances of getting certain poker hands. We mentioned that some players might never get the best hand in poker during their lifetime. But what are the chances of getting a Royal Flush?
In this part of our guide on poker hand rankings and which hands beat others, you will find a simple explanation of the probability of poker hands.
Simple Steps to Calculate Poker Hands Probabilities
There are 52 cards and 2,598,960 possible combinations in a deck. To find the probability of getting a specific poker hand, divide the number of ways to get that hand by the total number of poker hands.
What Beats What in Poker?
The order of Poker Hand Rankings is from the highest to the lowest. As we can see from the above discussion about the poker hands. In the poker game, the hand rankings are kept as follows:
- A pair will beat the highest card.
- A two pair and beat one pair
- Three-of-a-kind will beat two pairs.
- A straight can beat three-of-a-kind.
- Flush beats straight
- A full house can beat a Flush
- A four-of-a-kind will beat a full house
- A straight Flush will beat four-of-a-kind
- A Royal flush will beat the Straight Flush
Many people see poker as less of a gambling game compared to other casino games. To succeed, players need to understand the game better and learn the strategies that help them win. The first thing to learn in poker is the hand rankings. Most poker players memorize these rankings so they can focus on other decisions during the game. The good news is that these hand rankings are almost always the same across different poker games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and seven-card stud.
These rankings have been used since the 19th century, when five-card draw became popular. Below is a list of poker hand rankings, starting from the highest hand (Royal Flush) to the lowest hand (a hand with no pairs). Poker hand rankings are based on how likely it is to get each hand. A royal flush, which is ace through ten of the same suit, is extremely rare – some players never get one in their lifetime.
A straight flush, which is any five consecutive cards of the same suit, happens a bit more often. Four of a kind is more frequent, and so on. Notice that a full house is ranked higher than a flush because a full house is harder to get, making it a stronger hand.
Understanding Winning Poker Hands
Most of the poker hands are easy to determine the winning. For example, if one player has a flush and nobody else has a flush or a better one, then it is easier to decide who has the winning hand. Still, there is something that makes people confused; therefore, you will have to remember the rule of winning the poker hand.
If you are playing Texas Hold’em Poker, then you are allowed to create a combination of cards from your hand or on board cards. After which you try to make the best poker hand. Which means that a player can make the absolute best five cards the player can make by using the best five cards in the board. After that, it is the player’s final hand, which is also known as playing on board.
Winning Poker Hands
Therefore, the first thing you need to understand if you’re playing poker is the rule. The rule along with the ranking. If you will not know what beats what, you will keep on struggling to win. Thus, spend a few minutes going through the above list. And learn each hand carefully. This way you will gain understanding and practice and will give you more chances to win the game.
Understanding Absolute vs. Relative Value in Poker Hands
Poker hand rankings always stay the same, but certain situations can make a strong hand weaker and a weak hand stronger. This is the difference between the absolute value and relative value of poker hands.
For example, in Texas hold’em, two pairs might seem like a good hand. However, if your opponent keeps betting, they might have a straight or flush, making your hand weaker. On the other hand, if you have just one pair and your opponent keeps checking, you might have the strongest hand and should bet. The absolute value of your hand might not be great, but its relative value in that situation could be strong.
It’s also important to know that in games like razz, deuce-to-seven triple draw, or Badugi (which you may find in online poker), the usual hand rankings don’t apply. The rankings listed are for “high-card” games, not “lowball” games where the rankings are different.
FAQs
How many cards are in a deck?
A standard deck has 52 cards divided into four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.
What is the order of poker hands?
Poker hand rankings from highest to lowest are: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card.
What is the best hand in poker?
The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of the same suit).
What beats what in poker?
Poker hands follow this order: pair beats high card, two pair beats one pair, three-of-a-kind beats two pair, and so on until Royal Flush beats all.
What is a straight in poker?
A straight in poker is five consecutive cards (e.g., 5-6-7-8-9).
What beats a straight in poker?
A straight can be beaten by a full house, four-of-a-kind, straight flush, or Royal Flush.
What beats a flush in poker?
A flush can be beaten by a full house, four-of-a-kind, straight flush, or Royal Flush.
What beats a full house in poker?
A full house can be beaten by four-of-a-kind, straight flush, or Royal Flush.
Does a Full House beat a Flush?
Yes, a Full House beats a Flush because it’s harder to get.
What is the highest suit in poker?
All suits in poker have equal value unless the game specifies otherwise, in which case spades are the highest.
How many poker hands are there?
There are 2,598,960 possible poker hands in a 52-card deck.
What hands should I play in poker?
The hands you should play in poker depend on the game, position, stack, and table action.
Can you make three pairs in poker?
You can’t use three pairs to win in poker because only five cards count for your hand.
What is better, a set or trips?
A “set” is three-of-a-kind with a pair in your hand, while “trips” is three-of-a-kind with a pair on the board.
What is a chopped or split pot?
A chopped or split pot happens when two players have the same hand, and the pot is shared equally.
If there is four of a kind on the board, who wins?
If four-of-a-kind is on the board, the player with the highest fifth card wins.
Why did my 4-4-4-T-T lose to my opponent’s 7-7-7-8-8?
Your 4-4-4-T-T lost to your opponent’s 7-7-7-8-8 because their three-of-a-kind was higher.
What is a kicker in poker?
A kicker is the card that doesn’t contribute to your hand but can decide a tie.
