Poker Hand Ranking Guide
Poker Hand Ranking Guide
I am going to assume that most people know the very basic idea that poker is a card game. To be successful in poker it is important to know the basics as well. Although poker is a lot easier when you have a bit of luck going your way, it is no coincidence that the top poker pros are winning consistently. Poker requires a great deal of skill, strategy and the ability to read the other players at the table.
So we will start off with the very basics, how is each hand ranked. Working from the weakest hand to the strongest.
1. High card: All suits are equal and cards are ranked from the weakest being a 2 through to Ace high being the strongest card. The high card is used often and it is very important to remember this when getting to a showdown.
For example: Two players have a pair of a queens. the highest card that a person has is used as the kicker to determine who has the winning hand. So Player one has Q Q 5 8 10 so a pair of Queens with a 10 kicker and Player two has Q Q 9 4 A. A pair of queens with an Ace kicker. Player two will win due to having the highest card outside of the pair making it the strongest hand.
A high card also comes into play when we have no cards making a pair or any other ranking hand. As a result the player with the highest card again will win.
2. One pair: Two cards of the same rank or number and three cards that have no relation to each other. Example 10 9 5 10 2. As explained earlier the highest non related card is the kicker. In this case we have a pair of 10's with a 9 kicker.
3. Two Pair: As the name suggest we have two pairs of cards. Two cards of the same number and two other cards of the same number. Of course we also have one unrelated card. For example: 10 6 4 10 6. So we have Two pair 10's and 6's and a 4 kicker. A horrible kicker but the kicker all the same.
4. Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value and two unrelated cards. Example: 9 9 9 3 J is Three of a kind 9s with a jack kicker.
5. Straight. The straight is five cards in sequential order. Example: 4 5 6 7 8. It doesn't matter what suit each card is however if they are all the same suit then it makes the stronger hand of the straight flush which is a stronger hand again. The strength of the straight you have is based on the highest value card in the straight. So again 2 is the weakest value through to Ace being the strongest.
6. Flush: Five cards of the same suit in no particular order. The highest card in the flush determine the strength of the flush. Example: In Texas Holdem Player one has hearts 3 6 9 K A and Player 2 has hearts 3 6 9 2 J. Player one has the strongest hand with a Ace high flush.
7. Full house: Three cards of the same value with a pair. The value of the three cards determining the strength of the hand. Example 77744 beats 66644.
8. Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value and any other card. Again Ace is strongest. Example 99994
9. Straight flush: Five sequential cards of the same suit. Example Hearts 10 9 8 7 6. The strongest possible high being Ace through to 10 is known as a royal flush.
I am going to assume that most people know the very basic idea that poker is a card game. To be successful in poker it is important to know the basics as well. Although poker is a lot easier when you have a bit of luck going your way, it is no coincidence that the top poker pros are winning consistently. Poker requires a great deal of skill, strategy and the ability to read the other players at the table.
So we will start off with the very basics, how is each hand ranked. Working from the weakest hand to the strongest.
1. High card: All suits are equal and cards are ranked from the weakest being a 2 through to Ace high being the strongest card. The high card is used often and it is very important to remember this when getting to a showdown.
For example: Two players have a pair of a queens. the highest card that a person has is used as the kicker to determine who has the winning hand. So Player one has Q Q 5 8 10 so a pair of Queens with a 10 kicker and Player two has Q Q 9 4 A. A pair of queens with an Ace kicker. Player two will win due to having the highest card outside of the pair making it the strongest hand.
A high card also comes into play when we have no cards making a pair or any other ranking hand. As a result the player with the highest card again will win.
2. One pair: Two cards of the same rank or number and three cards that have no relation to each other. Example 10 9 5 10 2. As explained earlier the highest non related card is the kicker. In this case we have a pair of 10's with a 9 kicker.
3. Two Pair: As the name suggest we have two pairs of cards. Two cards of the same number and two other cards of the same number. Of course we also have one unrelated card. For example: 10 6 4 10 6. So we have Two pair 10's and 6's and a 4 kicker. A horrible kicker but the kicker all the same.
4. Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value and two unrelated cards. Example: 9 9 9 3 J is Three of a kind 9s with a jack kicker.
5. Straight. The straight is five cards in sequential order. Example: 4 5 6 7 8. It doesn't matter what suit each card is however if they are all the same suit then it makes the stronger hand of the straight flush which is a stronger hand again. The strength of the straight you have is based on the highest value card in the straight. So again 2 is the weakest value through to Ace being the strongest.
6. Flush: Five cards of the same suit in no particular order. The highest card in the flush determine the strength of the flush. Example: In Texas Holdem Player one has hearts 3 6 9 K A and Player 2 has hearts 3 6 9 2 J. Player one has the strongest hand with a Ace high flush.
7. Full house: Three cards of the same value with a pair. The value of the three cards determining the strength of the hand. Example 77744 beats 66644.
8. Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value and any other card. Again Ace is strongest. Example 99994
9. Straight flush: Five sequential cards of the same suit. Example Hearts 10 9 8 7 6. The strongest possible high being Ace through to 10 is known as a royal flush.
