Poker Hand Rankings
Play your cards right
Bluff or tell?
Pictured below are the hands of poker, listed in order from highest poker hand to the lowest. In poker, certain combinations of cards, or hands, outrank other hands, based on the frequency with which these combinations appear.
The player with the best poker hand at the showdown wins the pot.
Although used in poker, these hand rankings are also used in a variety of other card games.
Royal Flush
Number 1
The highest possible hand, a straight from 10 to Ace in the same suit. Also known as a Royal Straight Flush, or just a Royal.
Straight Flush
Number 2
Five consecutive cards of the same suit. When there’s more than one player with a straight flush, the straight to the higher card wins.
Four of a Kind
Number 3
Any four cards of the same rank. If two players share the same Four of a Kind, the fifth card will decide who wins the pot, the bigger card the better.
Full House
Number 4
Any three cards of the same rank together with any two cards of the same rank. Our example show "Aces full of Kings" and it is a bigger full house than "Kings full of Aces."
Flush
Number 5
Any five cards of the same suit which are not consecutive. The highest card of the five makes out the rank of the flush. Our example show an Ace-high flush.
Straight
Number 6
Five consecutive cards, such as 6789T; when there’s more than one player with a straight, the straight to the higher card wins.
Three of a kind
Number 7
Any three cards of the same rank. Our example show three of a kind in Aces with a King and a Queen as side cards, which is the best possible three of a kind, also called Trips.
Two Pair
Number 8
Any two cards of the same rank together with another two cards of the same rank. Our example show the best possible two-pair, Aces and Kings. The highest pair of the two make out the rank of the two-pair.
Pair
Number 9
Two of the same card. The hand with the higher pair wins. If the pairs are equal, then the kickers are used to break the tie, first by comparing the highest kicker, then the 2nd highest kicker, and finally the lowest kicker.
Low Poker Hand
Number 10
The lowest poker hand you could have. If a hand does not fit in any other category, it is judged by high cards. Two hands are compared by taking the highest cards and comparing them. If those are equal, then the 2nd highest card from both hands are compared, and so on.
