Rules of Card Games: Poker Hand Ranking Hand probabilities and multiple decks - probability tables Standard Poker Hand Ranking There are 52 cards in the pack, and the ranking of the individual cards, from high to low, is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In standard poker - that is to say in the formal casino and tournament game played internationally and the home game as normally played in North America - there is no ranking between the suits for the purpose of comparing hands - so for example the king of hearts and the king of spades are equal. (Note however that suit ranking is sometimes used for other purposes such as allocating seats, deciding who bets first, and allocating the odd chip when splitting a pot that can't be equally divided. See ranking of suits for details.) A poker hand consists of five cards. The categories of hand, from highest to lowest, are listed below. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category (so for example any three of a kind beats any two pairs). Between hands in the same category the rank of the individual cards decides which is better, as described in more detail below.

In games where a player has more than five cards and selects five to form a poker hand, the remaining cards do not play any part in the ranking. Poker ranks are always based on five cards only, and if these cards are equal the hands are equal, irrespective of the ranks of any unused cards. Some readers may wonder why one would ever need to compare (say) two threes of a kind of equal rank. This obviously cannot arise in basic draw poker, but such comparisons are needed in poker games using shared (community) cards, such as Texas Hold'em, in poker games with wild cards, and in other card games using poker combinations. 1. Straight Flush If there are no wild cards, this is the highest type of poker hand: five cards of the same suit in sequence - such as J- 9- 8- 7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 5- 3- 2- A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush.

The highest type of straight flush, A-K-Q-J-10 of a suit, is known as a Royal Flush. The cards in a straight flush cannot "turn the corner": 4- K is not valid. 2. Four of a kind Four cards of the same rank - such as four queens. The fifth card, known as the kicker, can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as "quads", and in some parts of Europe it is called a "poker", though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher - so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. If two or more players have four of a kind of the same rank, the rank of the kicker decides. For example in Texas Hold'em with J- J- J- 9 on the table (available to all players), a player holding K-7 beats a player holding Q-10 since the king beats the queen. If one player holds 8-2 and another holds 6-5 they split the pot, since the 9 kicker makes the best hand for both of them.

If one player holds A- K they also split the pot because both have an ace kicker. 3. Full House This combination, sometimes known as a boat, consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank - for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as "sevens full of tens" or "sevens on tens"). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind are equal, the rank of the pairs decides. 4. Flush Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K- 7- 6- 5 because the nine beats the seven. If all five cards are equal, the flushes are equal. 5. Straight Five cards of mixed suits in sequence - for example Q- 10- 9- 8.

When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A, known as a wheel, is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five. 6. Three of a Kind Three cards of the same rank plus two unequal cards. This combination is also known as Triplets or Trips. When comparing two threes of a kind the rank of the three equal cards determines which is higher. If the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared. So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-5, which beats 4-4-4-Q-9, which beats 4-4-4-Q-8. 7. Two Pairs A pair consists of two cards of equal rank.

In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards - so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4. 8. Pair A hand with two cards of equal rank and three cards which are different from these and from each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better - so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q.

If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8. 9. Nothing Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. This combination is often called High Card and sometimes No Pair. T cards must all be of different ranks, not consecutive, and contain at least two different suits. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-6-4 because the jack beats the ten. Hand Ranking in Low Poker There are several poker variations in which the lowest hand wins: these are sometimes known as Lowball. There are also "high-low" variants in which the pot is split between the highest and the lowest hand.

A low hand with no combination is normally described by naming its highest card - for example 8-6-5-4-2 would be described as "8-down" or "8-low". It first sight it might be assumed that in low poker the hands rank in the reverse order to their ranking in normal (high) poker, but this is not quite the case. There are several different ways to rank low hands, depending on how aces are treated and whether straights and flushes are counted. Ace to Five This seems to be the most popular system. Straights and flushes do not count, and Aces are always low. The best hand is therefore 5-4-3-2-A, even if the cards are all in one suit. Then comes 6-4-3-2-A, 6-5-3-2-A, 6-5-4-2-A, 6-5-4-3-A, 6-5-4-3-2, 7-4-3-2-A and so on. Note that when comparing hands, the highest card is compared first, just as in standard poker.

So for example 6-5-4-3-2 is better than 7-4-3-2-A because the 6 is lower than the 7. The best hand containing a pair is A-A-4-3-2. This version is sometimes called "California Lowball". When this form of low poker is played as part of a high-low split variant, there is sometimes a condition that a hand must be "eight or better" to qualify to win the low part of the pot. In this case a hand must consist of five unequal cards, all 8 or lower, to qualify for low. The worst such hand is 8-7-6-5-4. Deuce to Seven The hands rank in almost the same order as in standard poker, with straights and flushes counting and the lowest hand wins. The difference from normal poker is that Aces are always high , so that A-2-3-4-5 is not a straight, but ranks between K-Q-J-10-8 and A-6-4-3-2. The best hand in this form is 7-5-4-3-2 in mixed suits, hence the name "deuce to seven".

The next best is 7-6-4-3-2, then 7-6-5-3-2, 7-6-5-4-2, 8-5-4-3-2, 8-6-4-3-2, 8-6-5-3-2, 8-6-5-4-2, 8-6-5-4-3, 8-7-4-3-2, etc. The highest card is always compared first, so for example 8-6-5-4-3 is better than 8-7-4-3-2 even though the latter contains a 2, because the 6 is lower than the 7. The best hand containing a pair is 2-2-5-4-3, but this would be beaten by A-K-Q-J-9 - the worst "high card" hand. This version is sometimes called "Kansas City Lowball". Ace to Six Many home poker players play that straights and flushes count, but that aces can be counted as low.

In this version 5-4-3-2-A is a bad hand because it is a straight, so the best low hand is 6-4-3-2-A. There are a couple of issues around the treatment of aces in this variant. First, what about A-K-Q-J-10? Since aces are low, this should not count as a straight. It is a king-down, and is lower and therefore better than K-Q-J-10-2. Second, a pair of aces is the lowest and therefore the best pair, beating a pair of twos. It is likely that some players would disagree with both the above rulings, preferring to count A-K-Q-J-10 as a straight and in some cases considering A-A to be the highest pair rather than the lowest. It would be wise to check that you agree on these details before playing ace-to-six low poker with unfamiliar opponents. Selecting from more than five cards Note that in games where more than five cards are available, the player is free to select whichever cards make the lowest hand.

For example a player in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better whose cards are 10-8-6-6-3-2-A can omit the 10 and one of the 6's to create a qualifying hand for low. Poker Hand Ranking with Wild Cards A wild card card that can be used to substitute for a card that the holder needs to make up a hand. In some variants one or more jokers are added to the pack to act as wild cards. In others, one or more cards of the 52-card pack may be designated as wild - for example all the twos ("deuces wild") or the jacks of hearts and spades ("one-eyed jacks wild", since these are the only two jacks shown in profile in Anglo-American decks). The most usual rule is that a wild card can be used either to represent any card not already present in the hand, or to make the special combination of "five of a kind". This approach is not entirely consistent, since five of a kind - five cards of equal rank - must necessarily include one duplicate card, since there are only four suits. The only practical effect of the rule against duplicates is to prevent the formation of a "double ace flush".

So for example in the hand A- 3, the 10 beating the 9. Five of a Kind When playing with wild cards, five of a kind becomes the highest type of hand, beating a royal flush. Between fives of a kind, the higher beats the lower, five aces being highest of all. The Bug Some games, especially five card draw , are often played with a bug. This is a joker added to the pack which acts as a limited wild card. It can either be used as an ace, or to complete a straight or a flush. Thus the highest hand is five aces ( A- A- A- A-joker), but other fives of a kind are impossible - for example 6-6-6-6-joker would count as four sixes with an ace kicker and a straight flush would beat this hand. Also a hand like 8-8-5-5-joker counts as two pairs with the joker representing an ace, not as a full house. Wild Cards in Low Poker In Low Poker, a wild card can be used to represent a card of a rank not already present in the player's hand. It is then sometimes known as a "fitter".

For example 6-5-4-2-joker would count as a pair of sixes in normal poker with the joker wild, but in ace-to-five low poker the joker could be used as an ace, and in deuce-to-seven low poker it could be used as a seven to complete a low hand. Lowest Card Wild Some home poker variants are played with the player's lowest card (or lowest concealed card) wild. In this case the rule applies to the lowest ranked card held at the time of the showdown, using the normal order ace (high) to two (low). Aces cannot be counted as low to make them wild. Double Ace Flush Some people play with the house rule that a wild card can represent any card, including a duplicate of a card already held. It then becomes possible to have a flush containing two or more aces. Flushes with more than one ace are not allowed unless specifically agreed as a house rule. Natural versus Wild Some play with the house rule that a natural hand beats an equal hand in which one or more of the cards are represented by wild cards. This can be extended to specify that a hand with more wild cards beats an otherwise equal hand with fewer wild cards.

This must be agreed in advance: in the absence of any agreement, wild cards are as good as the natural cards they represent. Incomplete Hands In some poker variants, such as No Peek , it is necessary to compare hands that have fewer than five cards. With fewer than five cards, you cannot have a straight, flush or full house. You can make a four of a kind or two pairs with only four cards, triplets with three cards, a pair with two cards and a "high card" hand with just one card. The process of comparing first the combination and then the kickers in descending order is the same as when comparing five-card hands. In hands with unequal numbers of cards any kicker that is present in the hand beats a missing kicker. So for example 8-8-K beats 8-8-6-2 because the king beats the 6, but 8-8-6-2 beats 8-8-6 because a 2 is better than a missing fourth card. Similarly a 10 by itself beats 9-5, which beats 9-3-2, which beats 9-3, which beats a 9 by itself.

Ranking of suits In standard poker there is no ranking of suits for the purpose of comparing hands. If two hands are identical apart from the suits of the cards then they count as equal. In standard poker, if there are two highest equal hands in a showdown, the pot is split between them. Standard poker rules do, however, specify a hierarchy of suits: spades (highest), hearts, diamonds, clubs (lowest) (as in Contract Bridge ), which is used to break ties for special purposes such as: drawing cards to allocate players to seats or tables; deciding who bets first in stud poker according to the highest or lowest upcard; allocating a chip that is left over when a pot cannot be shared exactly between two or more players. I have, however, heard from several home poker players who play by house rules that use this same ranking of suits to break ties between otherwise equal hands. For some reason, players most often think of this as a way to break ties between royal flushes, which would be most relevant in a game with many wild cards, where such hands might become commonplace. However, if you want to introduce a suit ranking it is important also to agree how it will apply to other, lower types of hand.

If one player A has 8- 7- 6- 2 ? So far as I know there is no universally accepted answer to these questions: this is non-standard poker, and your house rules are whatever you agree that they are. Three different rules that I have come across, when hands are equal apart from suit are: Compare the suit of the highest card in the hand. Compare the suit of the highest paired card - for example if two people have J-J-7-7-K the highest jack wins. Compare the suit of the highest unpaired card - for example if two people have K-K-7-5-4 compare the 7's. Although the order spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs may seem natural to Bridge players and English speakers, other suit orders are common, especially in some European countries.

Up to now, I have come across: spades (high), hearts, clubs, diamonds (low) spades (high), diamonds, clubs, hearts (low) hearts (high), spades, diamonds, clubs (low) (in Greece and in Turkey) hearts (high), diamonds, spades, clubs (low) (in Austria and in Sweden) hearts (high), diamonds, clubs, spades (low) (in Italy) diamonds (high), spades, hearts, clubs (low) (in Brazil) diamonds (high), hearts, spades, clubs (low) (in Brazil) clubs (high), spades, hearts, diamonds (low) (in Germany) As with all house rules, it would be wise to make sure you have a common understanding before starting to play, especially when the group contains people with whom you have not played before. Stripped Decks In some places, especially in continental Europe, poker is sometimes played with a deck of less than 52 cards, the low cards being omitted. Italian Poker is an example. As the pack is reduced, a Flush becomes more difficult to make, and for this reason a Flush is sometimes ranked above a Full House in such games.

In a stripped deck game, the ace is considered to be adjacent to the lowest card present in the deck, so for example when using a 36-card deck with 6's low, A-6-7-8-9 is a low straight. Playing poker with fewer than 52 cards is not a new idea. In the first half of the 19th century, the earliest form of poker was played with just 20 cards - the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of each suit - with five cards dealt to each of four players. The only hand types recognised were, in descending order, four of a kind, full house, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, no pair. No Unbeatable Hand In standard poker a Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit) cannot be beaten. Even if you introduce suit ranking, the Royal Flush in the highest suit is unbeatable. In some regions, it is considered unsatisfactory to have any hand that is guaranteed to be unbeaten - there should always be a risk. There are several solutions to this.

In Italy this is achieved by the rule "La minima batte la massima, la massima batte la media e la media batte la minima" ("the minimum beats the maximum, the maximum beats the medium and the medium beats the minimum"). A minimum straight flush is the lowest that can be made with the deck in use. Normally they play with a stripped deck so for example with 40 cards the minimum straight flush would be A-5-6-7-8 of a suit. A maximum straight flush is 10-J-Q-K-A of a suit. All other straight flushes are medium. If two players have medium straight flushes then the one with higher ranked cards wins as usual. Also as usual a maximum straight flush beats a medium one, and a medium straight flush beats a minimum one. But if a minimum straight flush comes up against a maximum straight flush, the minimum beats the maximum. In the very rare case where three players hold a straight flush, one minimum, one medium and one maximum, the pot is split between them. See for example Italian Poker .

In Greece, where hearts is the highest suit, A- Q- J- 10 is called an Imperial Flush, and it is beaten only by four of a kind of the lowest rank in the deck - for example 6-6-6-6 if playing with 36 cards. Again, in very rare cases there could also be a hand in the showdown that beats the four of a kind but is lower than the Imperial Flush, in which case the pot would be split. Hand probabilities and multiple decks The ranking order of poker hands corresponds to their probability of occurring in straight poker, where five cards are dealt from a 52-card deck, with no wild cards and no opportunity to use extra cards to improve a hand. The rarer a hand the higher it ranks. This is neither an essential nor an original feature of poker, and it ceases to be true when wild cards are introduced. In fact, with a large number of wild cards, it is almost inevitable that the higher hand types will be the commoner, not rarer, since wild cards will be used to help make the most valuable type of hand from the available cards.

Mark Brader has provided probability tables showing the frequency of each poker hand type when five cards are dealt from a 52-card deck, and also showing how these probabilities would change if multiple decks were used. Poker Hands (What Beats What) - Casino Gambling Casino Gambling Poker Hands - What Beats What akirbs Getty By Al Moe Updated December 01, 2016. The game of poker is very popular all over the world. You’ll want to learn how to play poker in the future, but for right now, here are the standard hand rankings for poker games played with a standard English deck of 52 cards (no jokers or wild cards ). These five-card hands are listed from the best to the worst. Royal Flush A royal flush is the highest straight of cards, all in one suit: 10-J-Q-K-A. This hand is very tough to make. Being dealt this hand in five-card stud poker will happen about once in every 649,000 hands. In five card draw (or video poker), it will happen about once in every 40,000 hands. Straight Flush A straight flush consists of a straight, all in one suit.

The lowest straight flush is A-2-3-4-5. Players usually consider the highest straight flush to be 9-10-J-Q-K, although technically, a royal flush is still a straight flush also – and is the highest. Four of a Kind Four of a kind is a hand that contains four of the same card, such as four sevens or four Jacks. continue reading below our video What Beats What in Poker? Because twos (deuces) are rated the lowest and aces the highest in poker, four aces ​is the highest four of a kind. When two or more players have four of a kind, the highest four of a kind wins. So, four deuces can’t beat any other four of a kind, and four aces can’t be beaten by any other four of a kind. Full House A full house is a pair and three of a kind. When two or more players hold full houses it is the three of a kind that will determine the winner. So, aces-full (three aces with any pair) beats any other full house, and deuces-full can not beat any other full house.

In a community card game such as Texas Hold’em, two players may hold a hand such as three deuces, in this case, the higher pair will determine the winning hand. Flush A flush is any five cards of the same suit. An ace-high flush is higher (and beats) a king-high flush, regardless of the other cards in each hand. When two or more players hold a flush, the hands are compared card-to-card until one hand wins (the highest next card wins, such as when A-7-6-3-2 beats A-7-5-4-3). Two flush hands that are all the same (such as K-J-9-4-3 in hearts against K-J-9-4-3 in clubs) results in a tie. No suit trumps another suit in poker. Straight A straight is five cards that all connect – five cards in a row, such as 7-6-5-4-3.

When two or more players hold a straight, the hand with the highest starting card wins, thus a Jack-high straight (J-10-9-8-7) beats a five-high straight (5-4-3-2-A) even though the five-high contains an ace. Three of a Kind Three of a kind is any hand that holds three of the same cards (except one that has three of a kind and a pair, which is a full-house), such as 2-3-7-7-7 (a set of sevens). When two or more players hold three of a kind, the highest set (aces are highest, deuces lowest) wins. In a community card game such as Texas Hold’em, two players may hold the same three of a kind. In this case, the highest fourth card in the hand will decide the winner. If both of these cards are the same (such as A-A-A-9-5 against A-A-A-9-4), the higher fifth card will determine the winner. Two Pair Two pair is a hand that contains a single card and two pairs of cards, such as 2-8-8-Q-Q.

When two or more players hold two-pair hands, the hand with the highest pair wins, such as 2-8-8-Q-Q beating 3-7-7-9-9. When one of the pairs is the same, such as K-K-7-7-4 against K-K-5-5-A, the deciding factor is the next pair. In this case, the sevens beat the fives. When both the pairs match, such as 6-6-4-4-3 against 6-6-4-4-2, the single card will determine the winner. In this case the 6-6-4-4-3 hand wins because the three is higher than the deuce. One Pair One pair is a hand with three mixed cards and a single pair. When two or more players hold one-pair hands, the highest pair wins. When two players hold the same pair, such as A-A-7-4-3 and A-A-7-4-2, the winning hand is the one with the next highest card. In this instance, the sevens also match as do the fours, but the player with the three beats the player with the deuce.

High Card A high card hand is one with nothing that matches, no straight, and no flush. When two or more players hold high-card hands, the highest card wins. When the highest card (or subsequent cards) match, the final highest card wins, such as when A-K-7-6-5 beats A-K-6-4-2. These hands do not reflect wild-card games. In games with wild cards, a five of a kind beats a royal flush. If you want to give poker a try, you should consider playing some free online poker games first. Poker Hands Order - Poker Hand Rankings at PokerStars How to Play Poker Poker Hands At PokerStars, we deal many varieties of poker, some of which use different hand rankings. Hold’em , Omaha , Seven Card Stud and Five Card Draw all use the traditional ‘high’ poker rankings. Omaha Hi/Lo , Razz and Stud Hi/Lo use the ‘Ace to Five’ (‘California’) low hand rankings for low hands. 2-7 Single Draw and 2-7 Triple Draw use the ‘Deuce to Seven’ (‘Kansas City’) lowball rankings for low hands. Lastly, Badugi uses a special ranking of hands unique to that game.

Know your stuff? Play our interactive game at the bottom of this page. Traditional High Poker Hand Ranks + Straight Flush: Five cards in numerical order, all of identical suits. In the event of a tie: Highest rank at the top of the sequence wins. The best possible straight flush is known as a royal flush, which consists of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit. A royal flush is an unbeatable hand. Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’. In the event of a tie: Highest four of a kind wins. In community card games where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth side card ('kicker') wins. Full House: Three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie: Highest three matching cards wins the pot. In community card games where players have the same three matching cards, the highest value of the two matching cards wins. Flush: Five cards of the same suit. In the event of a tie: The player holding the highest ranked card wins.

If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie. If all five cards are the same ranks, the pot is split. The suit itself is never used to break a tie in poker. Straight: Five cards in sequence. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. Note: The Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card which can act in this manner. A,K,Q,J,T is the highest (Ace high) straight; 5,4,3,2,A is the lowest (Five high) straight. Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest ranking three of a kind wins. In community card games where players have the same three of a kind, the highest side card, and if necessary, the second-highest side card wins. Two pair: Two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins.

If both players have two identical pairs, highest side card wins. One pair: Two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same pair, the highest side card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card can be used to break the tie. High card: Any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above. In the event of a tie: Highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest and smallest card can be used to break the tie. Ace To Five Lowball Hand Ranks + This method of ranking low hands is used in traditional Hi/Lo games, like Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo, as well as in Razz, the ‘low only’ Stud game. Note that suits are irrelevant for Ace to Five low. A flush or straight does not ‘break’ an Ace to Five low poker hand. Aces are always a ‘low’ card when considering a low hand. Please also note that the value of a five-card low hand starts with the top card, and goes down from there.

Five Low, or Wheel: The Five, Four, Three, Deuce and Ace. In the event of a tie: All Five-high hands split the pot. Six Low: Any five unpaired cards with the highest card being a Six. In the event of a tie: The lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot. Thus 6,4,3,2,A defeats 6,5,4,2,A. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Seven Low: Any five unpaired cards with the highest card being a Seven. In the event of a tie: The lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Eight Low: Any five unpaired cards with the highest card being an Eight. In the event of a tie: The lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie.

An Eight Low is the weakest hand that qualifies for low in Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo. However in Razz, there is no such ‘qualifier’ and the lowest hand will always win the pot, even if it is a nine low, queen low, or even a pair! Deuce To Seven Lowball Hand Ranks + The Deuce to Seven Lowball hand rankings are the exact opposite of the traditional ‘high’ hand rankings. Therefore, the worst possible hand in traditional high poker – seven-five high, with different suits, becomes the best possible hand in deuce to seven lowball (a ‘perfect seven’ low or ‘wheel’). In practice, an ace always plays as a high card in Deuce to Seven (so A,5,4,3,2 is an ace low, not a straight). Straights and flushes count against your hand in Deuce to Seven. Seven Low: Any five unpaired, unconnected cards of different suits, with the highest card being a seven. The best possible hand is 7,5,4,3,2, also known as a ‘wheel’ or ‘number one’. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot.

Thus 7,5,4,3,2 beats 7,6,5,3,2 (a ‘Seven-Five low’ is better than a ‘Seven-Six low’). If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Eight Low: Any five unpaired, unconnected cards of different suits, with the highest card being an eight. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Nine Low: Any five unpaired, unconnected cards of different suits, with the highest card being a nine. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Ten Low: Any five unpaired, unconnected cards of different suits, with the highest card being a ten. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot.

If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Note: There is no ‘qualifier’ for low in Deuce to Seven lowball games. The above are just examples of hands that may come up in play – the lowest hand will always win the pot in Deuce to Seven, even if it is a pair or worse! Badugi Hand Ranks + Badugi does not use traditional poker hand rankings and it takes some practice to learn how to correctly read the hands. Badugi hand rankings are somewhat related to the Ace to Five rankings; like in Ace to Five, an ace always plays as a low card. However, unlike Ace to Five, each card in your hand must be a different suit and a different rank, in order to count. Badugi hands consist of four cards, instead of the usual five. Because of this it is impossible to make a five-card straight, and having four cards in sequence does not hurt your hand. Remember, if you have cards of the same suit, only one of them counts, and if you have pairs, only one of them counts.

Badugi: A badugi is any hand which consists of four unpaired cards, each a different suit. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest and fourth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie. Three-Card Hand: Any hand consisting of three unpaired cards of different suits, but a fourth paired or suited card. The lowest three unpaired cards of different suits play. Because there is a pair, one of the fours does not count, so it is simply ignored, making a 4,2,A three-card hand Because there are two hearts in this hand, one of them is ignored, making a 3,2,A three-card hand. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest card in the hand can be used to break the tie. The fourth (paired or suited) card does not count toward the hand and is not used to break ties. Two-Card Hand: Any hand consisting of two unpaired cards of different suits, but two paired or suited cards. The lowest two unpaired cards of different suits play.

Because there are two pairs, one of each pair is discarded, making a 5,A two-card hand. Because there are three hearts, two of them are discarded, making a 2,A two-card hand. In the event of a tie: The lower second card wins the pot. The third and fourth (paired or suited) cards do not count toward the hand and are not used to break ties. One-Card Hand: A hand consisting of only one playable card. The lowest card plays. Since there are four Aces, three of them are discarded, making a one-card hand of just an Ace. Since there are four cards of the same suit, three of them are discarded, making a one-card hand of just a Three. In the event of a tie: The pot is split between two equal one-card hands. Ready to test your knowledge of poker hand rankings? Play our tutorial now. Are you a new player? Download the Free Poker Software Just download the free PokerStars software to start playing. Downloading the software is simple.

Learn How to Download the Poker Software The Poker Hand Rankings | Pokerology.com Poker Hand Rankings By Tim Ryerson In this lesson you’re going to learn the first and most important step about how to play poker by learning the all important poker hand rankings. A standard poker hand consists of five cards. Each poker hand is ranked in a set order. The higher the rank, the less chance statistically you have of getting it. The higher the rank of your hand the better, because two pairs always beats one pair, and a flush always beats a straight. When two or more players have a hand of the same rank, then there are more ways to determine the best hand. Hopefully all these points will make perfect sense by the end of this lesson. Poker Hands (from Best to Worst) Be sure to pay close attention and memorize the poker hand rankings. Let’s start with the best possible hand in poker…. Royal Flush A Royal flush consists of five cards of the same suit, in sequence from 10 through to Ace. Remember that all suits are equal in poker. If two or more players hold a royal flush (highly unlikely) then the pot is split, i.e. the players share the winnings.

Straight Flush Five cards of the same suit, in sequence. This example shows a Jack high straight flush. If two or more players hold a straight flush then it is the highest that wins. For example, a Queen high straight flush beats a Jack high straight flush. You will notice that this is very similar to a Royal flush, and that’s because a Royal flush is in fact an ace high straight flush – but it’s given its very own ranking. Four of a Kind This hand contains four cards of the same rank/value. This example shows four 8’s, plus a 5 (remember that all poker hands must have five cards). If two or more players have four of a kind, then the highest value wins (e.g. four 9’s beats four 8’s). If two or more players share the same four of a kind, which can happen when using community cards (more on that later) then the winner is decided by the fifth card. So a player with four 8’s and a 6 would beat a player with four 8’s and a 5. Full House A full house contains three cards of the same rank, plus a pair.

In our example you can see three 10’s and a pair of 7’s. The value of the three matching cards determines the strength of a full house. So three Jack’s with a pair of 7’s would beat our example hand. If players share the same three cards, which is possible when using community cards, the strength of the pair is then taken into account. So, three 10’s and a pair of 8’s would beat our example hand. Flush Five cards of the same suit in any order. Our example shows a Queen high flush. If two or more players have a flush then the player with the highest ranked card wins. If the players share the same high card then it’s determined by the value of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th card respectively. Straight This hand contains five unsuited cards in sequence. Our example shows a King high straight. In the event of a tie, the best straight is determined by the highest ranked card. A straight consisting of 8, 9, 10, J, Q, would lose to our example hand. But a straight consisting of 10, J, Q, K, A, would win.

Also note that an Ace can be used as the low card for a straight of A, 2, 3, 4, 5. This would lose to a straight of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Three of a Kind Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated cards. Our example shows three 4’s. Three 5’s would beat our example hand, three 6’s would beat three 5’s, and so on. If players share the same three cards, then the value of the highest unrelated card would count and if necessary, the value of the second unrelated card. So, three 4’s with Jack, 8, would beat our example hand. As would three 4’s and 10, 9 (because 9 is higher than 8). Two Pair Two cards of matching rank, with another two cards of another rank, plus an additional card. In the event of a tie, the highest pair wins. If players share the same highest pair, then the value of the next pair wins.

For example, a pair of Aces, and a pair of 6’s would beat our example hand, as would a pair of Kings and a pair of 7’s. If two or more players share the same two pair, then the value of the fifth card counts. So, a pair of Kings, a pair of 6’s, with a 4, would beat our example hand. One Pair A paired hand contains two cards of matching rank, plus three additional cards. The value of the pair determines who wins in the event of a tie. For example a pair of 10’s beats our example hand. If players share the same pair then the best hand is determined by the value of the highest additional card. If this is the same then it goes to the second card, and if necessary the third. So, a pair of 9’s with an Ace, 2, and 10, would beat our example hand. As would a pair of 9’s, King, 10, and a 3. High Card If a hand doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, then it is judged on the value of the highest ranked card among the five. In this example we have a hand which is Queen high.

If players share the same highest card, then it goes to the value of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and even 5th card if necessary. A hand of Queen, 10, 9, 5, 4, would beat our example hand. Community Cards As you already know, a poker hand consists of five cards. In many variations of poker, players receive or can choose from more than five cards. For example, in Texas Hold’em each player is dealt two private cards, but can also use the five community cards that are available for all the players to use. This makes a total of seven cards, but each player must choose their best five cards to make their best possible hand. Here’s an example: In the above example, the best five cards among total of seven (two private cards and five community cards) would be combined to make a flush. Conclusion If you don’t fully understand the poker hand rankings then please read through the list again. It’s vital that you know which hand beats which. Of course, how good a poker hand is, is very dependent on which type of poker game you are playing and other factors such as the number of other players you are playing against.

You will learn the true strength of a poker hand as you gain experience of playing the game. We have created a printable poker hand rankings chart that you can use as a source of reference. Hopefully we’ve explained the poker hand rankings to you well enough whereby you don’t need this chart, but it still might be handy for some. The chart will load as a PDF (link opens in a new window) and you’ll need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer to be able to view it. Make sure that you memorize the poker hand rankings before moving onto the next lesson. Related Lessons Poker Hands and Hand Rankings - Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Etc. The #1 Resource for aussie gambling! Poker Hands and Hand Rankings Royal Flush The best possible hand is a royal flush, which is a straight and a flush with the top five cards: ace, king, queen, jack, and ten. When you get these five cards all of one suit, you can’t lose in poker. Most games don’t make distinctions in suit rankings. A royal flush happens once in every 649,739 hands, so it’s a rare happening. Bet with conviction when playing these cards.

Straight Flush A straight flush is any combination of five cards in sequence with the same suit. Getting the 2-3-4-5-6 of clubs is a straight flush, while getting the K-Q-J-10-9 of spades is a straight flush. If two happened in the same pot, the high card would win. This is also rare, about 1 in 72,192 hands or, at a 9 player table, about once every 8,000 pots. Four of a Kind The four of a kind is just that: four of any one card rank. You might have 4 aces, 4 sevens, or 4 twos, but each is a great hand. If two go head-to-head, the high card wins. The odds of getting this combination is one in every 4,164. Full House This is 3 of one card and 2 of another. If you had the 3 kings and 2 queens, it’s a full house. If you held 3 twos and 2 threes, it’s a full house.

The odds of holding this hand is 1 in 694, so somebody at your table is likely to see a full house once every 75 hands or so. Flush The flush is simply 5 cards of any one suit, but not in sequential order. This excludes the royal flush and straight flush. A typical flush might be the king, jack, eight, five, and three of hearts. The odds of this happening are 1:508, so a little less likely than the full house. Players should be aware in Texas holdem of the “nut flush”. Holding the nuts simply means holding the strongest possible hand from the cards showing. The community cards show Q-J-10 and you hold the 9-8, you should be aware that you’re holding a flush which could be beat. If someone else holds a K-9, you lose. If someone holds an ace-king, they have a straight flush and you are really dominated. Since it’s a lot more likely someone holding A-K is likely to be in the pot than someone holding K-9, you must consider the possibility. Straight The straight is 5 cards in a row, regardless of suit.

The straight might be an A-Q-J-10-9 or it might be the A-2-3-4-6, or some combination in between. Remember that the ace can fill out a straight as a high or low card. The odds you’ll get a straight are 1:254, or twice the probability you’ll draw a flush. Three of a Kind The three of a kind is a simply 3 of any one card rank. You might hold 3 aces or 777 or 3 twos. In any cases, triples is a strong hand in Texas holdem. This happens once in every 46.3 hands, meaning some is going to hold three of a kind once every 5 hands at a 9-player table. Two Pair Two pair is a two of one card and two of another. You might think this would be rarer than a 3 of a kind, but hold 2 pairs is a 1 in 20 proposition. This happens almost every other hand at a big table. Players with two pairs are urged to bet enough to push out gamblers on a draw, because the longer the hand goes, the more likely someone is going to outdraw your two pair.

One Pair Holding one single pair. This is considered a strong starting hand, but a player needs to consider that a higher pair might be on the table. One in every 1.36 hands dealt are going to contain a pair. If you hold a pair of 2’s, that’s not nearly as good as holding a pair of A’s. Even a pair of aces is in a dangerous position if you don’t improve on the hand by getting trips, two pair, or a full house. High Card – No Pair The weakest hand in poker is no pair, which is called “high card”. Whatever your highest card is where your hand is ranked. If you have an ace, you would hold aces high. If you held a 7-5-4-3-2, you would have seven high, which is the weakest possible hand in most games of poker. If you were playing either the Omaha or seven-card stud hi/lo game variant, this would be a strong hand. Otherwise, you’re going to be beaten, which is why holding a 7-2 offsuit is considered the weakest starting hand in Texas holdem.

You simply hold no way to improve with flush or straight, so you’re hoping to pair 7s and 2s. Mastering the Hand Ranks Knowing the hand ranks gives a player a quick signpost for their strength when betting into a pot. A successful poker player needs a detailed knowledge of the hand rankings. When I say you need to know the poker hands, I’m not talking about whether a pair of aces beats a pair of kings. I’m talking about that mass of card combinations between the best and worst hands. Whenever you hold any set of cards, a gambler needs to know its strength relative to the rest of the possibilities. To do this, card players should study hand ranking charts not much different than what you would study in blackjack. Several experts have made tables which detail the playable hands in Texas hold’em , Omaha holdem , seven-card stud , razz , and the various hi/lo 8-or-better variants of the games already mentioned. Study these for the game or variant you want to master. That way, you know which hands to play and which to fold. Even if you decide to play a hunch or make a bluff, you do so with the knowledge that you’re diverging from classic poker strategy.

Predicate all you do in poker on a firm understanding of the hand ranks. See also: Poker Hand Rankings from Weakest to Strongest Learn the Basics and Win Ranking Hands in Poker from Weakest to Strongest Here are the standard ranking of hands, in order of importance, for your edification. While there are certain games that call upon alternate use of the hand rankings, such as high-low games, knowing these hands can make or break your game. It's important to note that suits have no rank in poker for breaking ties between matching hands. The Traditional Ranks of Hands in Poker Standard High Card Poker Hands 1) High Card The lowest ranked hand. This occurs when no other hand can be made. Since betting will most often force a hand like this out of play, this usually only occurs when a hand has been checked down by all players, or a player is "all-in". 2) One Pair Two cards of the same value, different suit. This hand rarely holds up in multi-handed play, but can still hold its own in heads up. More likely than not, it is the result of an unimproved opening hand (such as in Holdem) or a missed draw. 3) Two pair Self-explanatory.

This is a moderate hand, and should be played cautiously. In heads up play, this can be backed up with some betting, but not so much in multi-handed situations. Beware those hidden sets when playing this hand... 4) Three-of-a-Kind Three cards of the same value, different suit. Often referred to as "trips", or a "set", this hand can back into some nice pots, especially against loose players overplaying hands such as two pair. In community card games such as Holdem or Omaha, there is a difference between "trips" and "sets": a "Set" uses two hole cards and one community card, while "trips" uses one hole card, and two community cards. 5) Straight 5 cards in sequential order. In the event two players have a straight, the player with the highest card wins. Aces can be used as either the highest, 10,J,Q,K,A, or lowest card, A,2,3,4,5 This is a strong hand in all forms of play, but deserves a note of caution. Far too often, new players get "married" to their straights, ignoring signs of flushes and full houses on the board.

If you find yourself in this situation, react accordingly. 6) Flush 5 cards of the same suit. In the event two players have a flush, the player with the highest card wins. Another strong hand in all forms of play, but again, often a victim to the hands above it. While straight flushes and quads can naturally dominate here, they are far rarer than the full house, the traditional spoiler for this hand. When playing this hand, maximize your profits, but take care to be AWARE of the cards around you... 7) Full House Three cards of the same value, with a pair. Basically, trips and a pair. In the event two players have a full house, the "trips" of highest value wins the hand. If the "trips" are the same, the "pair" of the highest value wins the hand. A very strong hand that can be confidently bet behind in almost all situations. While caution is always the watchword in poker, a little awareness of your situation, and your read on your opponents' cards, goes a long way towards maximizing your results with this hand. A great "trapping" hand against new players pushing a flush or straight.

8) Four-of-a-Kind Four cards of the same value. Also called "Quads", this is the Rolls Royce of poker hands. Able to take down almost any pot, but difficult to completely mask in community card games, this hand is the one you need to maximize your profits on. Keep your eyes open for opportunities here, as this hand is often up against a full house...'nuff said. 9) Straight Flush A straight, all of the same suit. It doesn't get much better than this, the only exception being the highest form of Straight Flush, the Royal Flush. If Quads are the Rolls Royce, the Straight Flush is the Gold Standard in poker. Play with abandon, as you won't get this hand often. 10) Royal Flush The best hand in poker, it is the highest straight flush possible. What more needs to be said? This hand is so rare, it often comes with big prizes offered by the poker rooms for getting one. If you get one, enjoy! Some clarification: Split Hands When two players have the same hand, i.e., the same two pair, the hand with the highest fifth card, i.e., the kicker, wins the hand.

However, Black Chip Poker | America's Card Room | PokerStars | The information on this site is for news and entertainment purposes only. Use of this information in violation of any federal, state, or local laws is prohibited. Be aware of your local or national laws, and know the status of poker and gambling in your local jurisdiction. GottaTalkPoker believes Poker to be a game of skill, first and foremost, but acknowledges its attraction to those interested purely in gambling. We urge you to play poker more and gamble less; however, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please visit Poker Hand Rankings How to Play Poker Hand Rankings One of the most crucial articles in the whole of the course: A full list of poker hands , from high card to royal flush. Worth printing out and keeping close by at all times. You can win a hand of poker two ways: either by forcing all your opponents to fold their cards or by having the best hand at showdown. You therefore need to know the ranking of poker hands, ie, what beats what. In Texas Hold'em, players make the best hand using their two hole cards and the five community cards.

A poker hand must consist of five cards, and it does not matter how many of your hole cards you use. Sometimes you will use both, sometimes only one and on some occasions none of your hole cards will be used. If the community cards, for example, were then all remaining players will have a royal flush. It is impossible to beat this hand with any hole cards. All the suits in poker are of equal value. It makes no difference whether someone has the ace of clubs or the ace of diamonds. If remaining players have exactly the same hand at showdown, only in different suits, the pot is split. HAND RANKING The value of poker hands is determined by how rare or common it is to be dealt them, with the most common hands valued lower than the rarer hands. The complete list of poker hands is as follows, in increasing order of scarcity: Straight flush High Card If you have no pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, etc., then the highest card in your hand is considered to be decisive. The hand above, in which the best card is an ace and there is no other combination of poker hand, is known as "ace high". Ace high beats king high.

King high beats queen high, and so on. If the high cards in two players' hands is the same, the second-highest card becomes decisive. If these cards are also the same, the third-highest card plays and so on. These cards are known as the kicker. High card ace, king kicker: Player 1 has Player 2 has The board is Both players have an ace, but Player 1 wins, because he has a king as his second highest card (kicker). His opponent only has a queen. One Pair If you can form a hand containing two cards of the same value, you have a pair. The hand above contains a pair of aces, with a king kicker. A pair of aces beats any other hand containing only a pair (aces are high in poker). The king would be decisive if an opponent also had a pair of aces. Two Pair If you have two different pairs in your hand, then you have "two pair". In the hand above, you have two pair, kings and queens. The ranking of the cards is important. Two pair, kings and queens, beats queens and jacks, for example. And the biggest pair is always decisive.

Two pair, aces and threes, beats two pair, kings and queens. ( is better than ) If two players have the same two pairs, then the fifth card in the hand is decisive. ( beats ) Three of a Kind Three cards of the same rank is known as "three of a kind" - sometimes known as "trips" or "a set", depending on the precise formation of the hand. You have a set when your hole cards contain a pair and one of the community cards is of the same rank. If you have and the board is , then you have a set with . Trips is when there is already a pair on the board and one of your hole cards is of the same rank. A set is preferable to trips, because with trips you have the problem that one of your opponents may have the same three of a kind, but with a better kicker or even as a full house. Straight A straight consists of five consecutive cards of different suits. The hand above is a "king high straight" as the highest card is a king. If two players have a straight, then the highest card wins. Flush A flush consists of five non-consecutive cards of the same suit.

It doesn't matter which suit you are holding, and the rank of the cards is only important if you are up against another flush. The "nut flush" is the name given to the highest possible flush, typically ace high. If your hole cards are and the flop comes , you have flopped the nut flush. If two players have a Flush, the player with the highest card wins. If both players have the same high card, the second-highest card wins, etc. If Player 1 has and Player 2 has on a board of , then Player 2 wins with a flush containing the , which is ahead of Player 1's . Full House A full house consists of three of a kind plus a pair. The hand above is called "aces full of sevens" because the player has three aces and two sevens. The rank of the card in the three-of-a-kind is decisive, so beats . In poker jargon, a full house is also known as a "boat". Four of a Kind Four of a kind, also known as quads, consists of four cards of the same rank and one card of another rank.

If two players have four of a kind, which is very rare, then the four of a kind with the highest card rank wins. If two players have the same four of a kind, then the kicker card is decisive. Straight Flush A straight flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit. If two players have a straight flush then the highest card wins. The highest possible straight flush, and the best hand in poker, is an ace high straight flush, also known as a... Royal Flush A royal flush consists of a straight from ten to the ace with all five cards of the same suit. A royal flush is exceptionally rare and is therefore the most coveted hand in poker. Split Pot If two or more players reach showdown with a hand that is of equal value, then the pot is split and each remaining player gets the same amount. For example, if Player 1 has and Player 2 is holding on a board of , then both players have two pair (aces and eights) with a queen kicker. The is higher than the , but it doesn't play, because only the best five-card poker hand counts. It is a split pot.

The pot would also be split in the following example: Player 1 is holding and Player 2 has on a board of . Both players have the identical straight. The pair of aces doesn't play, since it doesn't contribute to building the best possible five-card poker hand. Split pots often occur in Hold'em, because five of the available seven cards are identical for all players. If the last two cards are of same rank as well, or aren't required to form the best possible hand, then the pot is split automatically. When both players start with similar hands, e.g. against , the result is almost always a split pot. The Kicker As already mentioned in some of the previous examples, a kicker determines who wins a showdown if two players have the same hand. It is not a key component in building the hand, but it can decide who wins if two players have similar hands. A hand consists of five cards, but only a straight, flush, full house and straight flush use all five cards. However, with hands where not all of the cards are required to make the hand, such as three of a kind or two pair, the remaining cards can be decisive.

If Player 1 can form and Player 2 , the the in Player 2's hand is decisive. In another hand, if Player 1 has and Player 2 has , with the board showing , then Player 1 wins. Although both players have three queens, Player 1's is decisive. Please login to test your knowledge with a short exercise.

Question: Apart from a straight flush which other hand beats a full house in poker?
Answer: Four of a Kind