Poker hand rankings form the foundation of every poker game. Whether you play Texas Hold'em, Omaha, or Seven-Card Stud, knowing which hands beat others is essential for making profitable decisions at the table.
Learning poker card ranking is the first critical step for anyone entering the world of poker. Without understanding which hands beat others, you cannot make strategic decisions, evaluate pot odds, or determine when to fold, call, or raise. This comprehensive guide breaks down every poker hand from strongest to weakest, explains the mathematical probabilities behind each, and provides strategic context for using this knowledge at the table.
Before diving into hand rankings, understanding the deck structure is essential. A standard poker deck contains 52 cards divided into four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Each suit contains 13 ranks: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2.
In poker hand rankings, suits have no inherent value. A King of hearts holds the same rank as a King of spades. Individual card ranks matter significantly, with Ace typically being the highest card, though it can also function as the lowest card in certain straight combinations like A-2-3-4-5.
There are ten standard hand categories in poker, listed here from strongest to weakest. Any hand from a higher category always beats any hand from a lower category, regardless of specific card values.
The Royal Flush represents the absolute pinnacle of poker hands. It consists of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all of the same suit. This hand is unbeatable in standard poker games.
Example: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
Since all four suits are equal, there are exactly four possible Royal Flushes in a standard deck. The probability of being dealt a Royal Flush in five-card poker is approximately 0.000154%, or 1 in 649,740 hands. Many experienced players go years without seeing one in live play.
A Straight Flush contains five consecutive cards of the same suit. When comparing two Straight Flushes, the one with the higher top card wins.
Example: 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥
The Ace can function as the low card in a Straight Flush, creating the wheel or steel wheel: 5-4-3-2-A. This is the lowest possible Straight Flush, with the five serving as the high card, not the Ace. Cards cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight. There are 36 possible Straight Flushes excluding Royal Flushes, with a probability of approximately 0.00139%.
Four of a Kind, also called quads, consists of four cards of identical rank plus one unrelated card called the kicker.
Example: 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ K♠
When comparing two Four of a Kind hands, the higher set of four wins. Four Aces beats four Kings, which beats four Queens, and so on. If two players somehow have the same Four of a Kind in games with community cards, the fifth card or kicker determines the winner. The probability of Four of a Kind is approximately 0.024%, or about 1 in 4,165 hands.
A Full House combines three cards of one rank with two cards of another rank. This hand is colloquially described as threes over twos or threes full of twos.
Example: Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 7♣ 7♠ (Queens full of Sevens)
When comparing Full Houses, the rank of the three matching cards determines superiority. A Full House with three Nines beats one with three Eights, regardless of the pair. Only if the three-card sets match exactly does the pair rank matter. Full Houses occur with approximately 0.1441% probability, or roughly 1 in 694 hands.
A Flush contains five cards of the same suit in non-consecutive order. If multiple players have Flushes, the hand with the highest card wins.
Example: K♦ J♦ 9♦ 6♦ 3♦
If the highest cards match, compare the second-highest, then third, fourth, and fifth cards sequentially until a difference emerges. A King-high Flush with K-J-9-6-3 beats K-J-9-6-2 because the three beats the two in the fifth position. Flushes occur with approximately 0.1965% probability, or about 1 in 509 hands.
Poker hands consist of five cards ranked by specific patterns and card values. Each hand belongs to a category, and higher categories always beat lower ones. Within the same category, individual card ranks determine the winner.
The standard 52-card deck produces 2,598,960 possible five-card combinations, but only 7,462 distinct hand ranks when suits are considered equal. Understanding these rankings and their relative frequencies helps players assess hand strength and make informed betting decisions.
A Straight consists of five consecutive cards of mixed suits. The hand with the higher top card wins when comparing Straights.
Example: 10♠ 9♥ 8♦ 7♣ 6♠
Like Straight Flushes, Aces can be high in A-K-Q-J-10 or low in 5-4-3-2-A, but cannot wrap around. The wheel straight 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest possible Straight. Straights occur with approximately 0.3925% probability, or about 1 in 255 hands.
Three of a Kind, also called trips or a set, contains three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards.
Example: J♠ J♥ J♦ 9♣ 4♠
When comparing Three of a Kind hands, the higher three-card rank wins. If the three-card ranks match in community card games, the highest kicker determines the winner, followed by the second kicker if necessary. Three of a Kind occurs with approximately 2.1128% probability, or about 1 in 47 hands.
Two Pair consists of two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and one unrelated card.
Example: K♠ K♥ 8♦ 8♣ 5♠
When comparing Two Pair hands, the higher pair determines the winner first. If those match, the second pair is compared. If both pairs match, the fifth card or kicker decides. Two Pair occurs with approximately 4.7539% probability, or about 1 in 21 hands.
One Pair contains two cards of the same rank plus three unrelated cards.
Example: 9♠ 9♥ A♦ J♣ 6♠
Higher pairs beat lower pairs. When pairs match, kickers are compared sequentially from highest to lowest. One Pair is a common hand, occurring with approximately 42.2569% probability, or about 2 in 5 hands.
When no other hand combination exists, the highest card determines hand strength. This is the weakest possible holding.
Example: A♠ J♥ 9♦ 6♣ 3♠
Cards are compared from highest to lowest until a difference emerges. High Card hands occur with approximately 50.1177% probability, making them the most common outcome when no pairs or better form.
Understanding hand rankings is only the beginning. Absolute hand strength refers to where a hand sits in the ranking hierarchy, while relative hand strength considers game context, position, opponent tendencies, and board texture.
A pair of Aces has tremendous absolute value as the highest possible pair. However, its relative value decreases dramatically on a board showing four cards to a straight or flush, or when facing aggressive action from multiple opponents. Conversely, a modest hand like middle pair might have strong relative value against a single opponent on a dry board with no drawing possibilities.
Expert players constantly evaluate both absolute and relative hand strength, adjusting their strategy based on betting patterns, position, stack sizes, and opponent profiles. A hand strong enough to raise preflop might become a clear fold on certain flop textures.
While most poker games use the standard hand ranking system described above, some variants introduce modifications.
In lowball variants like Razz and 2-7 Triple Draw, the goal is to make the lowest possible hand. In Ace-to-Five lowball, straights and flushes do not count against you, and Aces are always low. The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, called the wheel or bicycle.
In Deuce-to-Seven lowball, straights and flushes count against you, and Aces are always high. The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of mixed suits.
Games like Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo split the pot between the best high hand and the best low hand. To qualify for low, a hand typically must contain five unpaired cards of Eight or lower. The same player can win both halves with different five-card combinations from their available cards.
Some home games and casino variants introduce wild cards that can represent any card. This creates an additional hand category: Five of a Kind, which ranks above a Royal Flush. Five Aces would be the strongest possible hand in such games.
Understanding the mathematical likelihood of each hand helps with strategic decision-making. Here are the probabilities for five-card poker hands dealt from a standard 52-card deck:
| Hand | Combinations | Probability | Odds Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 4 | 0.000154% | 649,739 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 36 | 0.00139% | 72,192 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 624 | 0.0240% | 4,164 to 1 |
| Full House | 3,744 | 0.1441% | 693 to 1 |
| Flush | 5,108 | 0.1965% | 508 to 1 |
| Straight | 10,200 | 0.3925% | 254 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 54,912 | 2.1128% | 46 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 123,552 | 4.7539% | 20 to 1 |
| One Pair | 1,098,240 | 42.2569% | 1.37 to 1 |
| High Card | 1,302,540 | 50.1177% | 0.995 to 1 |
These probabilities change significantly in games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha where players use community cards and have seven or more cards to choose from when making their best five-card hand.
In Texas Hold'em, players receive two hole cards and must combine them with five community cards. Not all starting hands have equal value. Premium starting hands include pocket pairs Aces through Tens, and high suited connectors like Ace-King and Ace-Queen.
Position dramatically affects starting hand value. Hands playable from late position become unprofitable from early position due to the positional disadvantage throughout the hand. Understanding which starting hands to play from each position is fundamental to profitable poker.
New players frequently overvalue certain hands. Top pair with a weak kicker often leads to costly mistakes when players cannot fold despite facing aggression. Similarly, drawing hands like flush draws and straight draws are frequently overplayed without proper pot odds or implied odds.
Another common error involves misreading the board and not recognizing when community cards create stronger possible hands for opponents. Always identify the strongest possible hand given the board texture before committing significant chips.
Mastering poker card ranking is essential but represents only the foundation of poker skill. The true art lies in applying this knowledge strategically, understanding relative hand strength, reading opponents, and making mathematically sound decisions based on pot odds and expected value. Regular study, practice, and hand review will transform theoretical knowledge of hand rankings into practical winning poker strategy. Keep a ranking chart handy during your early sessions, but with experience, these rankings will become second nature, allowing you to focus on the deeper strategic elements that separate winning players from the rest.
Yes, a flush always beats a straight. A flush ranks fifth in the hand hierarchy while a straight ranks sixth, making the flush the stronger hand regardless of the specific cards involved.
When two players have the same hand category, the winner is determined by comparing individual card ranks within that category. If all five cards match exactly, the pot is split equally between the players.
Yes, an Ace can function as the low card in a 5-4-3-2-A straight, which is the lowest possible straight. However, the Ace cannot wrap around, so K-A-2-3-4 is not a valid straight.
A Royal Flush is extremely rare, occurring approximately once every 649,740 hands in five-card poker. Many players never see one in years of regular play.
No, all four suits are considered equal in standard poker hand rankings. A King of hearts has exactly the same value as a King of spades when determining hand strength.
A kicker is a card that does not directly contribute to your hand rank but is used to break ties when players have the same primary hand. For example, in a pair of Kings with an Ace kicker versus a pair of Kings with a Queen kicker, the Ace kicker wins.
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