Poker Hand Rankings Explained

Hey there! Let’s talk about the different poker hand rankings. If you’ve ever wondered which poker hands are the best, you’re in the right place! I’ll break it down for you, so you can understand how it all works.

The Royal Flush

First up, we have the crème de la crème of poker hands: the Royal Flush! Nothing beats it. The Royal Flush is made up of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of the same suit. It’s the highest-ranking hand you can get, and trust me, it’s a pretty big deal.

Straight Flush

Next, we have the Straight Flush. This hand consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, if you have the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of hearts, you’ve got yourself a Straight Flush!

Four of a Kind

Now, let’s talk about Four of a Kind. This hand is all about having four cards of the same rank. Imagine having four Aces in your hand – that’s a Four of a Kind!

Full House

Next on the list is the Full House. This hand combines a Three of a Kind and a Pair. So, for example, if you have three Jacks and two Kings, you’ve got yourself a Full House!

Flush

Coming up next is the Flush. This hand is all about having five cards of the same suit, regardless of their rank. So, if you have five Spades in your hand, you’ve got yourself a Flush!

Straight

Now let’s talk about the Straight. This hand consists of five consecutive cards of any suit. For example, if you have the 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of mixed suits, you’ve got yourself a Straight!

Three of a Kind

Next, we have the Three of a Kind. This hand is all about having three cards of the same rank. So, if you have three Queens in your hand, you’ve got yourself a Three of a Kind!

Two Pair

Following that, we have the Two Pair. This hand is exactly what it sounds like – it’s when you have two sets of pairs. So, if you have two Aces and two Jacks, you’ve got yourself a Two Pair!

Pair

Next up is the Pair. This hand is all about having two cards of the same rank. So, if you have two Kings in your hand, you’ve got yourself a Pair!

High Card

Lastly, we have the High Card. This hand doesn’t have any combinations, so it’s all about the highest-ranking card in your hand. So, if you have a King and the rest of your cards don’t form any other combination, your high card is a King!

Well, there you have it! The different poker hand rankings explained in a nutshell. Now you know which hands are the best of the best. So, next time you’re at the poker table, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re aiming for. Good luck!

General Rule: When two hands have the same rank, such as a pair or three of a kind, the cards outside of the rank are compared to break the tie.

Royal Flush

A Royal Flush is the highest possible hand in poker. It consists of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all of the same suit.

Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is a hand that consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of hearts. Aces can be both high and low, so a straight can’t “wrap around” from King to Ace.

Four of a kind

A Four of a Kind is a hand that contains four cards of the same rank. For example, four Queens or four threes.

Full House

A Full House is a hand that consists of three cards of the same rank and a pair of another rank. For example, three Kings and two eights. In the event of a tie, the three of a kind is compared first, and then the pair. So, a hand with three Kings and two twos beats a hand with three Queens and two Jacks.

Flush

A Flush is a hand that consists of five cards of the same suit, regardless of their rank. For example, five hearts of any rank. If two or more players have a Flush, the highest card in the hand determines the winner. If the highest card is the same, the second-highest card is compared, and so on.

When all of the cards in a hand are of the same suit, it’s called a flush. For example, a flush could be J-8-5-3-2, all of spades. If two players have a flush, the rules for High Card apply to determine the winner.

Straight

A straight consists of 5 cards in sequential order, like 4-5-6-7-8. The ace can be considered either high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-1), but it cannot ‘wraparound’. If two players have a straight, the one with the highest straight wins. If their straights have the same value (AKQJT vs AKQJT), they will split the pot.

Three of a kind

Three cards of any rank, paired with two cards that are not a pair, make up three of a kind. Once again, the highest three of a kind wins. In the event that both players have the same rank for their three of a kind, the High Cards will be compared to determine the winner.

Two pairs

When a hand has two distinct pairs of cards, it is referred to as two pairs. In a tie, the hand with the highest pair wins. If both hands have the same high pair, then the second pair will decide the winner. If the second pairs are also the same, then the high card will determine the winner.

One pair

When it comes to card games, there’s one called poker that you might have heard of. In poker, there are different combinations of cards that can determine who wins. Let’s take a look at one particular combination.

The Highest Card

Have you ever wondered what happens when no one has a hand that falls into any of the special categories? That’s where the highest card comes into play. This is the simplest combination in poker and it’s used as a tiebreaker when there’s no other clear winner.

If multiple players end up with the highest card, then they compare the next highest card in their hand. And if there’s still a tie, they move on to the third highest card, and so on. This continues until one player has a higher card and wins the hand.

The highest card rule is also handy in situations when players have the same type of hand, like a pair or a flush. In these cases, the player with the higher card among their matched cards takes the win.