Whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em Poker or Pot Limit Omaha, live poker or online poker, the rules for hand rankings remain the same. To become a successful poker player, you need a solid understanding of the strength of your hands. Does a Flush beat a Straight? What hand can beat Four of a Kind? What exactly is a Flush in poker? In this guide, JiliAce lists poker hand rankings from strongest to weakest.
Basics of Poker Hand Rankings
The goal in poker is, of course, to win, but achieving victory requires forming the best possible five-card hand. The strongest hand will win the pot. The value of poker hands is determined by their rarity or how commonly they are dealt. Consequently, more common hands are worth less than rarer hands.
Understanding poker hand rankings will help you assess whether your hand is strong and evaluate the potential of your starting cards. This insight allows you to determine which hands to play and which to fold.
Before diving into the rankings, keep the following points in mind:
- In community card games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Short Deck, card suits carry no significance. For instance, Spades are not stronger than Diamonds.
- The Ace can serve as either the highest or lowest card.
- In the event of a tie, the “kicker” (the unpaired side card) determines the winning hand.
Poker Hand Rankings
1. Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-T)
The strongest poker hand is the Royal Flush, which consists of a sequence from 10 to Ace, with all five cards of the same suit. A Royal Flush is exceedingly rare, making it the best and most coveted hand in poker.
2. Straight Flush (5-6-7-8-9)
A Straight Flush is a sequence of five consecutive cards of the same suit. The difference between a Royal Flush and a Straight Flush is that the Royal Flush starts from 10 to Ace. In the event of two Straight Flushes, the one with the highest card wins.
3. Four of a Kind (A-A-A-A-J)
Known as “quads,” Four of a Kind is ranked based on the value of the cards. Four Aces beat four Kings, which are followed by four Queens, and so on down to four Twos. Only a Straight Flush or Royal Flush can beat Four of a Kind.
4. Full House (J-J-J-3-3)
A Full House consists of three matching cards and a pair. For instance, the example above is called “Jacks full of Threes” (three Jacks and a pair of Threes). If two players have Full Houses, the one with the higher three-of-a-kind wins. In Texas Hold’em, two players can share the same three-of-a-kind; in that case, the higher pair wins. If both Full Houses are identical, the pot is split evenly.
5. Flush (K-J-T-7-3)
A Flush comprises five cards of the same suit. If two players have Flushes, the hand with the highest card wins. If the highest cards are identical, the next highest card determines the winner, and so on, down to the fifth card if needed. If both hands are identical, the pot is split evenly.
6. Straight (7-8-9-T-J)
A Straight is a sequence of five consecutive cards of any suit. As with other hands, if multiple Straights are present, the one with the highest starting card wins. The Ace can act as either the highest card above a King or the lowest card below a 2. However, an Ace cannot connect a King and a 2, nor can it serve as both high and low in the same hand.
7. Three of a Kind (J-J-J-T-8)
Commonly referred to as a “set” or “trips,” Three of a Kind consists of three matching cards. A “set” typically refers to three-of-a-kind formed with a pocket pair, while “trips” involves using one hole card and two community cards. The strongest Three of a Kind is three Aces, followed by Kings, and so on, down to Twos. In the case of identical Three of a Kinds, the highest kicker determines the winner.
8. Two Pair (J-J-T-T-8)
Two Pair includes two sets of matching cards of different ranks. If two players have Two Pairs, the higher pair wins. If the top pairs are equal, the second pair determines the winner. If both pairs are the same, the highest kicker decides the winner.
9. One Pair (J-J-T-8-3)
A One Pair hand contains two cards of the same rank and three unmatched cards. As with Two Pair, if multiple players have the same pair, the winner is determined by the highest kicker.
10. High Card (K-J-T-8-3)
If no player forms at least a pair, the hand with the highest single card wins. A hand with a high card of Ace beats a hand with a King, and so on.
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Poker Hand Rankings
Memorizing the levels of poker hands can take some time, but don’t worry! JiliAce has prepared a ranking chart for poker hands that you can download and print to reference whenever needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Poker Hand Rankings
Q: How many poker hands are there?
In a 5-card poker game, there are 10 possible hands. The possible hands, ranked from strongest to weakest, are: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card.
Q: What is the best and worst starting hand in Texas Hold’em?
With a 52-card deck, there are 1,326 different pocket combinations. The best starting hand is Pocket Aces (two Aces as hole cards), and the worst is Seven-Two off-suit (7 and 2 of different suits).
Q: What is the best hand in poker?
The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush, which consists of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all of the same suit.
Q: Is Three of a Kind considered a hand in Texas Hold’em?
In Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Short Deck, poker is played with 5 cards, and players must create their best 5-card hand using a combination of hole cards and community cards. A Three of a Kind does not count as a valid hand in these games because it consists of 6 cards, not 5.
Q: What is the probability of getting a Royal Flush?
In a standard 52-card deck, there are 4 possible ways to make a Royal Flush (one for each suit), so the odds of getting a Royal Flush are 1 in 649,739, or 0.000154%. If you’re holding two high cards that could form a Royal Flush (e.g., A and K), your chances improve to 1 in 19,600.
Q: Which suit is the highest in poker?
In Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Short Deck, suits do not carry weight, so no suit is considered higher than the others.
