Poker Hands Rankings: What Hand Beats What in Poker?
One of the first steps towards learning how to play poker is 9️⃣ to learn the poker hand rankings. If you want to know what beats what in poker, you can use our 9️⃣ OFFICIAL poker hands rankings chart and see all poker hands ranked from best to worst!
Poker Hands in Order Best To 9️⃣ Worst
Poker Hands From Best To Worst 1. Royal Flush 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠ The best possible hand in Texas 9️⃣ hold'em is the combination of ten, jack, queen, king, ace, all of the same suit 2. Straight Flush 5♥ 6♥ 9️⃣ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ Five cards of the same suit in sequential order 3. Four of a kind 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 9️⃣ 3♥ 4♦ Any four numerically matching cards 4. Full house J♠ J♥ J♣ K♣ K♦ Combination of three of a 9️⃣ kind and a pair in the same hand 5. Flush 2♦ 4♦ 5♦ 9♦ K♦ Five cards of the same 9️⃣ suit, in any order 6. Straight A♦ 2♣ 3♦ 4♠ 5♣ Five cards of any suit, in sequential order 7. 9️⃣ Three of a kind 7♣ 7♦ 7♠ 4♣ 5♦ Any three numerically matching cards 8. Two pair 9♦ 9♠ K♦ 9️⃣ K♥ 4♣ Two different pairs in the same hand 9. One pair 10♦ 10♠ 3♠ Q♦ K♣ Any two numerically 9️⃣ matching cards 10. High card K♣ 2♥ 4♦ 8♦ Q♠ The highest ranked card in your hand with an ace 9️⃣ being the highest and two being the lowest
Poker Hand Rankings - Download our FREE printable PDF guide
From a royal flush 9️⃣ to high card, understand what beats what in Poker with our free Poker Hand Rankings Guide. Use as a reference 9️⃣ for yourself, or download and print to give them out at your Home Games. Free Download
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What Beats What in Poker?
Many consider poker less of a gambling game than other casino games. 9️⃣ For that to be true, players need to improve their understanding of game play and the strategy required to be 9️⃣ a winning player.
The first step toward learning how to play poker is to learn the poker hand rankings.
Most poker players 9️⃣ have these rankings memorized, which allows them to think about other things at the table when deciding the best way 9️⃣ to play their hands.
The good news is these hand rankings tend to be the same among a wide variety of 9️⃣ poker variants, whether it is Texas Hold'em, Omaha, seven-card stud, or other games.
All of those games use the same traditional 9️⃣ poker hand rankings that were first developed way back in the 19th century when five-card draw first started to be 9️⃣ played.
On this page, you find a complete list of poker hand rankings going from the highest possible hand (the Royal 9️⃣ Flush), down to the lowest hand in which there is no pair among the five cards.
Hand rankings in poker correspond 9️⃣ to the likelihood of making such hands.
A royal flush, consisting of the cards ranked ace through ten all being the 9️⃣ same suit, is extremely rare — in fact, some players go their entire lives without making a royal flush.
A regular 9️⃣ straight flush with any five consecutive cards of the same suit is a little less rare, four of a kind 9️⃣ occurs slightly more frequently, and so on.
Notice that a full house is ranked higher than a flush.
That's because a full 9️⃣ house comes just a little less frequently than a flush, thereby making it the higher-ranked hand of the two.
Additional readings 9️⃣ for beginners: Poker Tips : A collection of tips " to bring your game from 'meh' to amazing " created 9️⃣ to help beginners become better players.
: A collection of tips " " created to help beginners become better players. Texas 9️⃣ Hold'em Strategy: a complete manual to read as soon as you start to remember what beats what in poker.
a complete 9️⃣ manual to read as soon as you start to remember what beats what in poker. Poker starting hands chart: the 9️⃣ only article you need to read to learn how to use your cards to the fullest.
Understanding Winning Poker Hands
Players new 9️⃣ to the game of Texas hold'em often struggle, at least at first, with what the best poker hands are.
Once they 9️⃣ have read this easy-to-digest guide that will no longer be the case.
The aim of Texas hold'em is to make the 9️⃣ best five-card poker hand at showdown.
You can win without having to show your cards if you force someone to fold 9️⃣ before the river. Nonetheless, for the purpose of this article, we'll pretend that we've gone to showdown and need to 9️⃣ know what beats what in poker.
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Winning Poker Hands: What Are The Best Hands In Poker?
First up is the weakest possible holding you can make in 9️⃣ poker, a hand that can still win you the pot, although the likelihood of that happening decreases in a pot 9️⃣ involving multiple players.
We are of course talking about high card.
As the name suggests, you don't even hold a pair here 9️⃣ and instead are using the highest card among the five you are playing.
Example: You have Q♥10♠ and the board has 9️⃣ come 7♣6♣2♥9♦5♣. Your best five-card hand would be Q♥10♠9♦6♣5♣ where you would hold queen-high.
Next up is one pair, one of 9️⃣ the more common Texas hold'em hands and one that will win you plenty of pots.
Example: You have A♠K♠ and the 9️⃣ board comes A♦8♣5♠3♥2♣. Your five-card hand is A♠A♦K♠8♣5♠ — you have a pair of aces. Nice poker hand!
One place higher 9️⃣ up on the poker hands chart is two pair.
Example: You have 10♦9♠ and the five community cards are 10♣9♦5♣A♦3♣. Your 9️⃣ best five-card hand at showdown is 10♦10♣9♠9♦A♦ or two pair, tens and nines.
One note of warning on this specific poker 9️⃣ hand: if you are verbally declaring your hand, try to announce the higher pair first as to help avoid confusion.
Good 9️⃣ Poker Hands
Now we're getting into the realm of the best poker hands because once you make three-of-a-kind (sometimes called a 9️⃣ set or trips), you are much more likely to win the pot than with any of the previously mentioned hands.
Example: 9️⃣ Your five-card poker hand is K♣K♦K♥J♣7♦ — you have three-of-a-kind kings, often a very powerful hand in hold'em.
To beat three-of-a-kind 9️⃣ you're going to need at least a straight.
A straight is five consecutive cards where at least one of them is 9️⃣ a different suit from the others.
Example:
Should your hand read 6♠5♣4♦3♥2♠ you would hold a six-high straight.
If someone held a seven-high 9️⃣ straight, then that player would win the hand.
There are two straights that have nicknames that are worth remembering.
A wheel is 9️⃣ a straight that runs from ace-to-five, and a Broadway straight — the strongest straight — runs from ten-to-ace.
A flush is 9️⃣ one of the most powerful Texas hold'em hands because it is only beaten by a handful of others.
Any hand that 9️⃣ that has five cards of the same suit is a flush.
Aces are always high when it comes to flushes, which 9️⃣ means a hand such as A♥Q♥7♥4♥2♥ beats K♥Q♥7♥4♥2♥.
There are few hands that can beat a flush — one that does 9️⃣ is a full house. Also called a "boat," a full house is when your five-card hand is made up of 9️⃣ three of a kind plus a pair.
Example: With K♠K♦K♣2♥2♣ you have kings full of deuces, while 5♣5♦5♥Q♠Q♥ is fives full 9️⃣ of queens.
When it comes to full houses, the higher three of a kind determines which hand wins, so in this 9️⃣ case "kings full" would beat "fives full."
The Stronger Hands in Poker
The next three holdings are so rare that if you 9️⃣ hold them, you can almost guarantee that they are winning poker hands.
Four of a kind is the minimum holding you'll 9️⃣ need to beat someone with a full house.
Again, as the name suggests, four of a kind means having four cards 9️⃣ of the same rank.
Example: 10♠10♦10♥10♣7♦ is four-of-a-kind tens and an extremely powerful holding.
Your only way to beat four of a 9️⃣ kind, or "quads" as they are often called, is to hold either a straight flush or a Royal Flush.
The former 9️⃣ is five consecutive cards all of the same suit, so 8♣7♣6♣5♣4♣ would be an eight-high straight flush and practically unbeatable.
If 9️⃣ you manage to make A♥K♥Q♥10♥J♥ (or the same holding in any of the other three suits), you have a Royal 9️⃣ Flush and the only way to lose the hand would be to fold by accident!
Poker Hands Probability
If you are into 9️⃣ numbers (most poker players are), you might be wondering about the probability of poker hands.
We said that some players might 9️⃣ go their entire life without ever getting the highest hand in poker but, looking at the numbers, what are the 9️⃣ odds of a Royal Flush?
In this section of our complete analysis of the poker hand ranking and what beats what 9️⃣ in poker, you get a clear overview of the probability of poker hands.
How to calculate the probability of poker hands?
When 9️⃣ you know that there are 52 cards in play and 2,598,960 possible combinations, the calculation is easy.
You just need to 9️⃣ divide the number of possibilities to build a specific poker hand by the number of total poker hands.
Let's run a 9️⃣ few examples:
What are the odds of a Royal Flush? 0.000,001,539
(4/2,598,960)
What are the odds of a Straight Flush? 0.000,015,39
(40/2,598,960)
Use the table 9️⃣ below to calculate the probabilities of all poker hands.
Poker Hands Odds Table
As mentioned above, there are 2,598,960 possible combinations to 9️⃣ make in poker. Below are the odds of making a poker hand in a game of five-card draw.
Poker Hand No. 9️⃣ Ways Probability Odds against Royal Flush 4 0.000154% 649,739 to 1 Straight Flush 40 0.00139% 72,192 to 1 Four-of-a-Kind 624 9️⃣ 0.02401% 4,165 to 1 Full House 3,744 0.1441% 694 to 1 Flush 5,108 0.1965% 509 to 1 Straight 10,200 0.3925% 9️⃣ 255 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% 9️⃣ 1.37 to 1 No pair / High card 1,302,540 50.1177% roughly 1 to 1
Poker Hand Absolute Value vs. Relative Value 9️⃣ of Poker Hands
It should be noted also that while poker hand rankings never change, sometimes circumstances can make a good 9️⃣ hand less valuable and a poor hand more valuable.
In other words, when it comes to poker hands there's a difference 9️⃣ between absolute value (reflected in the list of poker hands above) and relative value.
For instance, in a game of Texas 9️⃣ hold'em, if you have two pair that might seem like a good hand.
But if your opponent keeps betting into you 9️⃣ and it's possible he could have a straight or flush, your two pair is no longer looking so good.
Meanwhile, if 9️⃣ you have just one pair but your opponent keeps checking to give you a free play at the pot, you 9️⃣ might well have the strongest hand and should bet your hand.
The "absolute" value of your hand may not be great, 9️⃣ but in that case the "relative" value very well could be.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that in some games 9️⃣ like razz, deuce-to-seven triple draw, Badugi, and others you might encounter when playing online poker, the hand rankings listed below 9️⃣ do not apply.
These hand rankings are for regular or "high-card" games, not "lowball" games with alternate hand rankings.
Poker Hands - 9️⃣ What Beats What in Poker FAQs
What is the order of poker hands? As shown in the poker hand rankings chart, 9️⃣ the order of poker rankings (from the highest to the lowest) is: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush, 9️⃣ Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. What is the best hand in poker? The Royal Flush is the 9️⃣ best hand in poker. To have a Royal Flush, you need an Ace, a King, a Queen, a Jack, and 9️⃣ a 10. All the cards that compose the hand need to be of the same suit. What beats what in 9️⃣ poker? As you can see in our poker hand rankings chart, the hands in poker follow a clear hierarchy. In 9️⃣ a game of poker, the hand rankings work as follows: a pair beats a high card; a two pair beats 9️⃣ a one pair; a three-of-a-kind beats a two pair; a straight beats a three-of-a-kind; a flush beats a straight; a 9️⃣ full house beats a flush; a four-of-a-kind beats a full house; a straight flush beats a four-of-a-kind; a Royal Flush 9️⃣ beats a straight flush. The Royal Flush is the best hand in poker, so no one other hands beat this 9️⃣ one. What is a straight in poker? You have a straight when all the five cards that compose your poker 9️⃣ hand are consecutive ones. E.g. 5-6-7-8-9.
If the cards are of the same suit, you have a straight flush, which is 9️⃣ a considerably stronger hand compare d to the simple straight. What beats a straight in poker? Although many see the 9️⃣ straight as a stronger hand, there are many other poker hands that beat it. The list of hands that beat 9️⃣ a straight includes: a flush; a full house; a four-of-a-kind; a straight flush; a Royal Flush. What beats a flush 9️⃣ in poker? The list of hands that beat a flush includes: a full house; a four-of-a-kind; a straight flush; a 9️⃣ Royal Flush. What beats a full house in poker? The list of hands that beat a full house includes: four-of-a-kind; 9️⃣ a straight flush; a Royal Flush. What is the highest suit in poker? All the suits in poker have the 9️⃣ same value. In some games, different suits can be assigned different values. When that happens, the value is as follows 9️⃣ (from the lowest to the highest): clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades. In that case, spades is the highest suit. How many 9️⃣ poker hands are there? The total number of poker hands in a game of poker is 2,598,960. Since a game 9️⃣ of poker uses a 52-card deck of French cards, there are 2,598,960 different possible combinations (aka. poker hands). What hands 9️⃣ to play in poker? The type of hands to play in a poker game depends on the game you play 9️⃣ and other factors like your position in the hand, your stack, and the action at the table. In a famous 9️⃣ poker strategy article, professional player Jonathan Little shared which hands to play in poker and how to play marginal hands. 9️⃣ Can you make three pairs? Although it is possible to hold a pair in your hand and then have another 9️⃣ two pair appear among the five community cards, you can only use a total of five cards to make your 9️⃣ poker hand, so you don't win anything for three pairs. Which is better, a set or trips? They are both 9️⃣ essentially the same hand because they are both three of a kind. The terminology "set" is used when you have 9️⃣ a pair as your hole cards and then catch another one of those cards on the board. "Trips" is when 9️⃣ there is a pair on the board and you have another of those cards as one of your hole cards. 9️⃣ Sets are easier to disguise than trips so many consider them to be a better hand, although they both rank 9️⃣ the same. What is a chopped or split pot? If you and an opponent have the same five-card poker hand, 9️⃣ then the pot is divided equally between you. Say you have A♦J♣ and your opponent has A♠J♦, and the board 9️⃣ comes A♣8♦2♣3♥10♥. You both would be playing the same five-card hands in terms of their value (A-J-T-8-3), and so would 9️⃣ split the pot. If there is four of a kind on the board, who wins? Because the aim is to 9️⃣ make a five-card poker hand, whoever has the highest fifth card in this case wins. If the board reads 7♣7♠7♦7♥3♣ 9️⃣ and you have A♠Q♠ in your hand and your opponent has K♣Q♣, then you win because you hand is 7-7-7-7-A 9️⃣ and your opponent's is 7-7-7-7-K. You would also win even if your opponent holding was K♣K♠ in this example. Why 9️⃣ did my 4-4-4-T-T lose to my opponent's 7-7-7-8-8? It is the three-of-a-kind element of a full house that dictates the 9️⃣ winner. If you're new to the game and want a reference of all of Texas hold'em hands, you can keep 9️⃣ this page open or you could always download and print our poker hands ranking chart that you can find higher 9️⃣ up this page and keep it next to you while you're playing poker.
Download the PokerNews Ultimate Guide to Texas Hold’em 9️⃣ An intro to Texas Holdem, strategy, rules and styles of play, all combined for you to understand Texas Holdem with 9️⃣ this ultimate guide. Free Download
