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Diagram of Different Poker hands

Poker Hands Ranked In Order

Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and knowing when to make the right calls. But at the heart of the game lies hand rankings - the hierarchy of poker hands that determines who wins each showdown. Whether you're playing Texas Hold'em, Omaha, or Seven-Card Stud, understanding poker hand rankings is essential to your success at the table. You can't know when to draw, call, hold, or fold if you don't understand the value or potential of your hand and those around you. This guide breaks down all poker hands from highest to lowest, explaining their importance and the order in which they beat each other.

Understanding Poker Hands

Before you place your next bet or determine the direction of your hand, it's crucial to know how poker hands are ranked and why these rankings matter.
 

The Basics of Hand Rankings

In poker, hands are ranked based on rarity and probability. The less likely a hand is to occur, the higher its rank. The standard ranking system applies to most variations of poker, including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Five-Card Draw.
 

Importance of Knowing Hand Rankings

Knowing the rankings of poker hands helps you make smarter betting decisions. You will be better equipped to strategize based on the current and potential strength of your hand, enabling you to avoid costly mistakes, especially in high-stakes games. Knowing hand rankings also ensures that you don't misread your hand in a crucial moment.

Now, let's dive into each poker hand ranking in order from strongest to weakest:

The Royal Flush

The Royal Flush is the best possible hand in poker. A Royal Flush consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit. This is the rarest and most powerful hand in poker.
 

What Beats a Royal Flush?


Nothing. A Royal Flush is an unbeatable poker hand.

The Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is a sequence of five consecutive cards in the same suit, such as an 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4 of hearts. It's a mighty hand, second only to a Royal Flush.
What Beats a Straight Flush?
 

A Straight Flush with higher card values

  • A Royal Flush
  • Four-of-a-Kind
This hand consists of four cards of the same rank, such as four Kings. Also called "quads", Four-of-a-Kind is a dominant hand that rarely loses. If two players have Four-of-a-Kind, the higher set of four wins.
 

What Beats a Four-of-a-Kind?

  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush
  • Full House
A Full House consists of three cards of one rank and two of another. For example, three Jacks and two 7s. If multiple players have a Full House, the three-of-a-kind with the highest value wins. For example, a full house with three Kings would beat a full house with three 10s.

What Beats a Full House?

  • Four-of-a-Kind
  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush

Flush

A Flush is a poker hand where all five cards share the same suit, but they are not in consecutive order. For example, you could have an Ace, a Jack, an 8, a 5, and a 2 of clubs. If two players have a Flush, the player with the highest card in the Flush wins.
 

What Beats a Flush?

  • Full House
  • Four-of-a-Kind
  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush

Straight

A Straight consists of five cards in a row, but they do not have to be of the same suit. The face value of the cards is what matters. If two players have a Straight, the Straight with the higher-ranking cards wins.

What Beats a Straight?

  • Flush
  • Full House
  • Four-of-a-Kind
  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush

Three-of-a-Kind

Also known as "trips" or "a set," this poker hand consists of three matching cards of any suit. Suppose two players have Three-of-a-Kind, the higher three wins.
What Beats a Three-of-a-Kind?
  • Straight
  • Flush
  • Full House
  • Four-of-a-Kind
  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush

Two Pair

Two Pair consists of two sets of matching cards, such as two Kings and two 10s. If two players have Two Pairs, the highest pair wins. If those are equal, the second-highest pair wins.
What Beats a Two Pair?
  • Three-of-a-Kind
  • Straight
  • Flush
  • Full House
  • Four-of-a-Kind
  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush

One Pair

One Pair is a simple but common poker hand consisting of two matching cards of any suit. If multiple players have a pair, the pair with the highest value wins.

What Beats One Pair?

  • Two Pair
  • Three-of-a-Kind
  • Straight
  • Flush
  • Full House
  • Four-of-a-Kind
  • Straight Flush
  • Royal Flush

High Card

This hand consists of no matching cards, no sequence, and no flush. If no player has a ranked hand, the winner is determined by the highest individual card in their hand.


What Beats a High Card?

  • Any ranked poker hand (Pair or better)

Poker Hand Ties and Kickers

Though it may not seem likely, and it doesn't happen often, two players can have tied poker hands. They won't have the exact same cards, but they can have the same value hand, such as each player having a pair of 5s. 

Handling Ties in Poker

When two players have the same hand, the kicker - the highest side card - determines the winner.
Take these two hands for example:
  • Player 1: K♣ K♦ Q♠ 10♣ 7♥
  • Player 2: K♠ K♥ J♣ 10♠ 8♦
In this scenario, player 1 wins because their Queen kicker is higher than player 2's Jack.
In the rare event that all five cards in two players' hands are identical, the pot is split evenly between them.

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