There is a common poker hands ranking system at the heart of all forms of poker. It
ranks the relative 2️⃣ strengths of all the different poker hands so players can understand
and determine which is the best.
All the popular forms 2️⃣ of poker such as Texas Hold’em
or Omaha and poker-based casino games like three-card poker use these rankings, so it
2️⃣ is essential to know exactly what each of them means.
The poker hand rankings are
listed below, from high to low, 2️⃣ and we have also produced a useful poker hand rankings
chart that you can save to your phone and desktop, 2️⃣ which can be used as a poker hand
rankings cheat sheet.
You can find all the best new customer poker offers 2️⃣ on our poker
bonus sign up offers page.
Poker-hand rankings: from strongest to weakest
1. Royal
flush
The royal flush is the best 2️⃣ hand available in poker. It features five consecutive
cards, all of the same suit, in order of value from 10 2️⃣ through to ace.
2. Straight
flush
Any five cards of successive values in the same suit that’s not a royal flush is
2️⃣ a straight flush. A royal flush or a straight flush with cards of higher ranking are
the only hands that 2️⃣ can beat a straight flush.
3. Four of a Kind
Four of the same card
in the four suits. The five-card hand 2️⃣ is completed by the highest card among the others
on the table or in your hand.
4. Full house
Three of the 2️⃣ same value card in three
different suits plus a different pair of the same rank card in two different suits 2️⃣ in
one hand. If more than just one player has a full house the player with the highest
value three 2️⃣ of a kind will win the hand.
5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit in no
particular order. If more than 2️⃣ one player has a flush, the hand with the highest valued
card will win.
6. Straight
Five cards of consecutive numerical value 2️⃣ composed of more
than one suit. An ace can normally rank as low (below a 2) or high (above a 2️⃣ king) but
not at the same time in one hand.
7. Three of a kind
A poker hand containing three
cards of 2️⃣ the same rank in three different suits. The two highest available cards
besides the three of a kind complete the 2️⃣ hand.
8. Two pair
Two different sets of two
cards of matching rank. The highest-ranked left available card completes the hand.
9.
Pair
A 2️⃣ pair of cards of the same rank in different suits. The remainder of the hand is
formed from the three 2️⃣ highest-ranked cards available.
10. High card
The lowest-ranked
hand available. The highest card in the hand is your ‘best hand’. In this 2️⃣ case it's the
king of clubs.
Poker hand-rankings cheat sheet: Download here (pdf)
Our poker hands
ranking cheat sheet is a great 2️⃣ aid to help you commit the poker hand rankings to memory
and will serve you well whether you are playing 2️⃣ online poker or physical poker in the
meantime.
Poker hand rankings: ‘Hi’ games, ‘Lo’ games and ‘Hi-Lo’ games
It is vital
that 2️⃣ you note that not all poker games decide the winning hand according to the highest
ranked on the poker hand 2️⃣ rankings. There are three typical ways that the poker hand
rankings determine the best poker hand.
Hi or high-hand poker
The most 2️⃣ simple way the
ranks are used is in ‘Hi’ or High hand games where the best poker hand is decided
2️⃣ according to the hand which ranks highest on the poker hand rankings detailed
above.
Commonly played examples include: Texas Holdem, Seven-Card 2️⃣ Stud
Lo, low-hand or
lowball poker
Lowball poker hand rankings work in the exact opposite way to High hand
games. The usual 2️⃣ poker hand rankings are reversed so the lowest ranking hand is the
best possible hand. Variations often centre around whether 2️⃣ the Ace is high or low and
whether straights and flushes are counted.
Commonly played examples include: Razz
Hi-lo
or high-low split 2️⃣ poker
The third and final use of the poker hand rankings is high-low
split games. This is where the pot is 2️⃣ split evenly between the players with the highest
ranking poker hand and lowest ranking poker hand.
Commonly played examples include:
Omaha 2️⃣ Hi-Lo
Learn how to play popular types of poker and the rules specific to each
game
Want to know the rules specific 2️⃣ to popular types of poker? Check out the links
below.