Poker Hand Rankings Learn the value of your hand before you bet big!
In
the vast majority of poker games the hand rankings are as follows.
There are a few variations of poker in which low ranking hands
have a higher value, but for all practical purposes these rankings
are what you need to know.
Most games of poker revolve around
making the best possible five card hand as shown below. The
order (or value) of these hands is based upon the mathematical
probability of being dealt each hand. Ace is considered either
high or low depending on the hand all other cards are worth
their face value, Queen is better than a Jack but not as good
as a King etc.
Some poker games like Omaha H/L have an award for what is known as a low hand. For a look at low hands click here. Note that typical games such as Texas Holdem do not have a low hand, so you do not need to know about low hands unless you intend to play an Omaha H/L or a Stud H/L type of game which is not recommended for beginners.
In
the table below only the cards relevant to the hand are shown.
Royal
Flush
All
of the cards are the same suit, A K Q J 10.
Straight
Flush
All
cards in order and of the same suit. Any set of five cards
in order and of the same suit count. Ace can be used as
1 e.g. 5 4 3 2 A of the same suit is a five high straight
flush (also known as a wheel).
Four
of a kind
Four cards
of the hand are the same rank. The best possible four
of a kind hand would be four Aces.
Full
House (or Boat)
Three
cards of the same rank with a pair of another rank. This
hand would be described as threes full of nines. The suits
are not relevant.
Flush
All
five cards are the same suit. The order of the cards
does not matter except when your opponent also has a
Flush, in which case the highest card in your hand will
determine the winner. The hand shown is an Ace high
flush (Ace being the highest ranking card).
Straight
All
five cards are in order but the suit is irrelevant. This
is a Queen high straight. Any five cards in order make
a straight. If one or more player has a straight the value
of the highest card wins. An Ace high straight is the
best.
Three
of a Kind (or Trips)
Three
cards of the same rank and the suit is irrelevant. The
value of the other two cards is only relevant to break
a tie between two or more players.
Two
Pair
Two
sets of two cards of the same rank. Suit is irrelevant.
Pair
Two
cards of the same rank. Suit is irrelevant.
Highest
Card
Highest
card really means you have no hand. The five cards do
not make any of the hands described above. This example
hand would be known as Queen high. If no other player
had a hand as described above and also did not hold
a A K or Q you would win the hand.
As
you explore this site keep an eye on the random poker hand displayed
at the top of each page. As
you gain more experience in the game you should be able to tell
right away what hand you are holding.
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