10 BEST POKER HAND RANKINGS: YOUR HANDY GUIDE
And now, without further ado: here are the poker hand rankings, ranked from highest to lowest.
Royal Flush
Straight Flush
Four of a Kind
Full House
Flush
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pair
Pairs
High Card
1. Royal Flush
You've no doubt heard about the elusive royal flush, or at least seen it in the movies. The royal flush is the only unbeatable hand in poker and must consist of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit. A royal flush is a combination of a straight and a flush, with the added stipulation of being a high straight.
Probability: 1 in 649,740
Combinations: 4
2. Straight Flush
A straight flush is a combination of a straight and a flush. It consists of five cards in sequential order that are also the same suit.
Probability: 1 in 72,193
Combinations: 36
3. Four of a Kind (Quads)
This one's kinda self explanatory. Four cards of the same denomination, the suits don't matter.
Probability: 1 in 4,164
Combinations: 624
4. Full House
Three cards of the same denomination along with two of another, a combination of three of a kind and a pair. The suits don’t matter.
Probability: 1 in 693
Combinations: 3,744
5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit in any order, the numbers don't matter.
Probability: 1 in 508
Combinations: 5,108
6. Straight
Five cards in sequential order, the suits don't matter. Ace is counted as 1 in the event of a low straight and is the only card that can be used both high and low.
Probability: 1 in 253
Combinations: 10,200
7. Three of a Kind (Trips)
Three cards of the same denomination, kickers are used to settle a draw. The suits don’t matter.
Probability: 1 in 46
Combinations: 54,912
8. Two Pair
Two sets of pairs, if two players have the same pairs, the highest kicker wins. The suits don’t matter.
Probability: 1 in 20
Combinations: 123,552
9. Pairs
Two cards of the same denomination, if there is a draw, the kicker is used to determine the winner. The highest-ranked pair wins. Suits don’t matter.
Probability: 1 in 1.36
Combinations: 1,098,240
10. High Card
When there are no other poker hand combinations, the highest ranked card determines the strength of the hand. In the event of a draw with another player, the next most significant card, which is called the kicker, is used to determine the winner. Suits don’t matter.
Probability: 1 in 0.99
Combinations: 1,302,540
LEARN HOW TO PLAY POKER WITH OUR POKER HANDS CHEAT SHEET
Just started playing poker but have no idea what hand beats what in the world of poker hand rankings? You wouldn’t be the first to wing it at the poker table and hope for the best. But, if you’re serious about learning poker—and importantly, winning poker—you’re going to have to learn the ropes.
With so many strategies to learn, the trouble is knowing where to start first! It might be tempting to kick off with a strategy session. But, before diving into advanced strategies, make sure you have a strong grasp of the basics in poker.
Your foundation is key to winning the game—you've simply gotta "crawl before you walk" and all that jazz.
POKER HANDS FOR BEGINNERS
For the beginner poker player, the first step of your journey is to know exactly what cards you need to win. And that means, quite simply, memorizing those cards! Knowing which ones you can use to your advantage is also kinda important, too.
Learning the best poker hands and having them stored in your memory bank is what could ultimately win you the game. For an in-depth look at some of the most iconic and game-changing plays, check out our article on the greatest poker plays.
To help you excel in poker and beat your opponents to a pulp, you must know which hands rank best in the poker hierarchy. We’ve done the hard work for you and put together a list of the best poker hands ranked from highest to lowest. You can thank us later!
KNOW YOUR SUITED CARDS
This might sound a little obvious, but before you learn to play poker and explore poker hand rankings, you need to know your poker suits! This is a non-negotiable before you even think about playing poker.
There are four suits in a deck of cards—Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades, with 13 cards of each suit:
Some games assign a suit hierarchy, but in poker, the suits don’t matter. Suits are only really relevant for making flushes, straight flushes and a royal flush. What is a flush in poker? Don’t worry, we’ll come to that in a second.
Spades and clubs are black, hearts and diamonds are red. Each suit has the same 13 cards (no jokers!) ranked from high to low:
A (Ace), K (King), Q (Queen), J (Jack), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
The cards all have equal value, except for the Ace. Ace is the only card that can be used as a high card (above King) and/or a low card (below 2, aka deuce).
Each individual’s card value is based on the ranking of the “hand” as a hole—which is 5 cards in standard poker.
Ok, so now you know the suited cards, you need to know how to use them.
POKER HAND RANKINGS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
So, what are poker hand rankings?
While each poker variant follows a different set of rules, most games have one main thing in common: to form the best five-card combination, or “hand”, possible. That’s ultimately the objective of the entire game.
There are over 2.5 million different five-card hands possible! And there are ten different categories of hands that you need to learn before you play. These hands are ranked in hierarchical order—if your set of five cards has the highest ranking cards, you win the pot.
Poker hands are ranked mathematically based on the odds of being able to make them. The less likely it is to make the hand, the higher it ranks and beats the hands below it that are easier to make.
Each hand therefore has its own probability, meaning this is the probability that you can expect that hand to win or lose. These probabilities are handy to have in the back of your head and are the reason hands are ranked the way they are.
For example, a straight flush is less likely than a pair, which is why a straight flush wins. But we can talk more about odds and probability later on. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.
POKER HAND VARIATIONS
Most standard poker games consist of five-card hands.
This hand is either made up using your cards alone, if you have a good enough hand to start with. Or, using a mix of your cards and community cards (cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table and shared by all the players). Even if you have more than five cards to choose from, the end goal is to choose the best five cards available to beat your opponents.
There are several variations on the card and hand ranking systems in poker. The most common is the one used by Texas Hold’em, Stud poker and Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO). These are classed as ‘high’ games as the higher-ranking cards beat lower ranking ones.
In ‘low-games’ such as Razz, it’s the opposite: the hand that ranks the lowest will be the winner. That means a two pair will beat a three of a kind.
The final variation is the ‘high-low’ split game, which uses both the high and low hand rankings to split the pot between the players with the best high hand and the best low hand.
WHAT BEATS WHAT IN POKER
Information overload? We know it’s a lot to digest all in one go. But don’t worry—we’ve got your back.
The good news is, the more you play poker, the more familiar you’ll get with the hand rankings. Before long, you’ll know them off by heart, so you’ll always know what beats what.
Find out exactly what beats what in poker, with our poker hands cheat sheet below:
QUICK POKER HAND CHEAT SHEET
- A Royal Flush beats all other hands in poker, Straight Flush and worse.
- Straight Flush beats Four of a Kind and worse.
- Four of a Kind beats Full House and worse.
- Full House beats Flush and worse.
- Flush beats Straight and worse.
- Straight beats Three of a Kind and worse.
- Three of a Kind beats Two Pairs and worse.
- Two Pairs beats one pair and worse.
- One Pair beats High Card.
IS GETTING A STRONG HAND IN POKER JUST LUCK?
While the initial hand you're dealt in poker relies on luck, there is of course an element of skill required. These skills and a dash of math go a long way in a poker game, taking into account your early position, in order to help you win the hand.
So how do you know if you’re going to actually get a good hand in a game of poker? Or if it’s better than the other players at the table? Here's when that math comes in handy.
Knowing the probability of landing a powerhouse hand gives you a strategic edge. For example, if you're aware you can be dealt two pair on average every 21 hands and a straight flush once in every 75,000 hands, that awareness is an advantage in itself.
Choosing which poker hands you should play isn’t as simple as waiting for pocket aces either. No sir-ee—it’s a little more complicated than that. There are a multitude of factors you need to consider when playing your hand. These include your table position at the table, the action ahead, your opponent’s playing style, and of course, that good friend we mentioned earlier, "Math."
It can be hard to get your head around calculating at first, so here are a few pointers to help you ace the basics.
HOW TO CALCULATE POKER ODDS
Probability is a massive part of poker. It deals with the likelihood of one outcome over another. The most straightforward example is the coin flip. There is a 50 percent chance it will hit tails, and a 50 percent chance heads will come out.
While reading your opponents is valuable, probability largely dictates whether to bluff, call, raise, fold, or bet in poker. It simplifies card chances and guides decisions on playable hands or when to fold.
A deck of cards has 52 cards, four suits, and thirteen total ranks, all the number cards plus the face cards, 2 to king. The odds of getting dealt an ace first up would be 1 in 13, while the odds of getting a heart are 1 in 4. Every card dealt changes the probability. If you receive a king first up, the odds of receiving another are 3 in 51 or roughly 5.9 per cent.
Now, delving a little further into probability, let’s say you’re dealt five cards. The probability of having a four of a kind would be around 0.00024. Only two other hands top a four of a kind, which means the probability your opponents have one is a teeny .000015. You can then feel confident to play your particular hand, because you’re more likely to win!
HAND RANKING RULES IN POKER
To make things a tiny bit more complicated (look, we never said this was going to be a walk in the park), there are a few instances where players can have similar holding values.
If players have similar hands, the one with the higher-ranking cards holds the strongest hand and wins. For example, in one-pair hands like KK vs. JJ, KK wins.
If two players have the same pair, for example AA and AA, the "kicker" (the next highest card) decides. For instance, AAKJ9 beats AAQJ9 because AAKJ9 has a higher kicker (K vs. Q). If kickers are also tied, compare the next highest cards, and so on.
If all five cards match, the pot is split.
Similar rules apply to two-pair hands; the player with the higher kicker wins.
Here are a few other poker hand ranking rules to remember:
- Two pairs are ranked by the higher pair first, then the lower pair, and finally the kicker if needed. For example, JJ227 beats TT998.
- Flushes are compared by the highest card; KhQh8h6h3h beats KsQs7s4s3s.
- Straights are ranked by the highest card in the sequence; QJT98 beats T9876.
- Full houses are determined by the higher set first; 77722 wins against 666AA.
- If no players have a hand, the highest card wins, with ties broken by the next highest card, and so on. For example, AQJ85 beats AQJ83.
Poker hand rankings can vary depending on your poker variant of choice. However, in Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Stud, the hand rankings stay the same, and are the most widely played poker games.
Let's take a moment for Texas Hold'em, and see how the poker hands in this variant stacks up.
TEXAS HOLD'EM POKER HANDS
In Texas Hold'Em, two to eight people can play, and the aim is to get the best five-card poker hand. Players use the two cards they are dealt, the five on the board or any combination of the two to make their Texas Holdem hand.
There are four main phases:
- Pre flop: The small blind is the player to the left of the dealer; the big blind is to the left of the small blind. At the beginning of play, each player is given two cards followed by a round of betting, starting with the person left of the big blind. Play continues clockwise around the table ending with the big blind.
- Flop: After everyone has acted, the dealer burns one card, placing it face down on the board and puts three face up.
- Turn: Another round of betting occurs. Then the dealer burns and turns one more card.
- River: At this point in the game, there are four community cards on the table, a card is burnt, and another is placed in the middle making a total of five community cards. After this stage, no more cards are dealt, and there is only one more round of betting before everyone still in the hand shows their cards in the showdown. If at any stage someone is eliminated, the next player to the left of the small blind goes first.
The order in which players reveal their cards is determined by the order in which they act.
- 1.
Pocket Aces
Two aces are by far the best starting hand for Texas Hold’em. Pre flop they are unbeatable, and overall they have a roughly 80 per cent win rate. Generally, they are a 4 to 1 favorite over most other hands. Statistically, players should get pocket aces at least once every 221 hands.
- 2.
Two Kings
Coming in at a close second are a pair of kings. Pre flop, they are the favorite against any other hand, except pocket aces. Kings have around a 75 percent win rate.
- 1.
Two Queens
A pair of queens will beat the majority of other hands pre flop. However, the chances of winning start to go down on the flop, turn, and river.
- 2.
Two Jacks
Pocket jacks are number four. While they aren’t a top pair, they are certainly enough to get you the win. Jacks win around 20 percent of the time. Obviously keep an eye out for larger pairs, straights, and flushes.
- 1.
Ace, King
Ace, king is one of the strongest drawing hands and has a decent win percentage. Ace, king suited is the best possible version of this hand because it opens the chance for flushes.
- 2.
Two Tens
A solid starting hand, but very tricky to play if there are picture cards in the flop. They are strong enough to win on their own and are great for the turn and river if the betting is low.
- 1.
Ace, Queen
Ace, queen suited is another strong drawing hand and will win roughly 20 percent of the time.
- 2.
Ace, Jack
Another good drawing hand, especially if suited. Has excellent opportunities to make a straight. Keep in mind that any ace, king or ace, queen combination will beat you if an ace comes out.
- 1.
King, Jack
King, Jack, especially in later positions, will win around 19 percent of the time, while unsuited it drops to 15 percent.
- 2.
Two Nines
Pocket nines is a reliable pair that is ideal for later in the game if the betting is low and you are last to act.
POKER HANDS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can a straight be Jack, Queen, King, Ace, 2?
No. Straights can only be in sequential order, for example 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
What happens when there is a draw?
When two players have the same hand, the next highest card is used to decide the winner. If both hands are equal and a decision can’t be reached, it becomes a split pot, which is divided equally. If the pot contains an odd number of chips, the player closest to the left of the dealer gets the remainder.
Example:
Kicker
Player One—Ace, Ace, 8, 5, 7
Player Two—Ace, Ace, 2, 4, 6
Player One is the winner. Both have a pair of aces, but Player One has an 8 kicker which outranks the rest of Player Two’s cards.
Split Pot
Player One—King, King, 7, 6, 8
Player Two—King, King, 7, 6, 8
It’s a split pot because both hands are of equal rank.
What's the best hand in poker?
An ace-high straight flush—known as a Royal Flush—is the best possible hand in most forms of poker. The odds of getting it sit at around 1 in 649,740. Many casinos will actually offer a bonus to any player who gets one!
What's the best starting hand for poker?
Depending on the variant, generally the best hand is anything with two or more aces.
What's the worst starting hand in Texas Hold'Em?
Nearly everyone will agree that 2 – 7 of different suits is by far the worst starting hand for Texas Hold’em. There are very few options available with a 2 – 7 off suit, there is no straight draw, no flush draw, and even if you end up with a two pair, it’s still likely to lose.
What's the worst starting hand in Texas Hold'Em?
Nearly everyone will agree that 2 – 7 of different suits is by far the worst starting hand for Texas Hold’em. There are very few options available with a 2 – 7 off suit, there is no straight draw, no flush draw, and even if you end up with a two pair, it’s still likely to lose.
Should I fold most of my hands while playing poker?
The short answer is yes. Regardless of the poker variant you are playing, being in too many hands is always a bad thing. Pick your spots, wait for decently ranked hands and try to avoid bluffing too much.
Are the hand rankings the same in all forms of poker?
No, however, most of the popular poker variants all follow the Texas Hold‘em hand rankings, including Stud Poker and Five-Card Draw.
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