Rank of Poker Hands
There are many variations on the game of poker, but the ranking of hands always remains the same. A poker hand is always made up of 5 cards. The value of each card highest to lowest are ace,king,queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, ace (ace counts low or high).
Poker hands are ranked in order of the probability of being dealt
in five-card combinations from the standard deck of 52 cards.
There are 2,598,960 combinations of five-card hands possible to be dealt. The number of possible ways to be dealt a given hand are given below. The highest card is the commonest and easiest to get dealt hence it is worth the least (1,302,540 combinations) conversely a royal flush has only 4 combinations making it very rare and valuable.
Poker Hands Ranked Best to Worst
Below are the poker hands ranked from highest to lowest including pictures of example poker hands to make it easier to remember them.
Royal Flush
A,K,Q,J,10 all of of the same suit.
Straight Flush
5 cards in sequence (straight) all in the same suit eg. 5,6,7,8.9 of spades – 9 high straight flush
Four of a kind
Four Cards of the same denomination eg. 10 10 10 10 Q – quad tens
Full House
Three cards of one denomination and a pair (two of another)
eg. QQQ55 – full house queens full of fives – tied hands are decided first by the best three of a kind then the best pair
Flush
Five cards all in the same suit but not in denomination sequence eg. Kh, 10h 7h, 6h, 3h – a queen high flush
Straight
Five cards in denomination sequence of any suit eg. 45678 – staight eight high
Three Of A Kind
Three cards of the same denomination also known as Trips eg 777a9 – trip 7′s
Two Pairs
Two pairs of the same denominations – If tied with the same the higher pair then the highest low pair wins, if these are tied then highest other card (or kicker) decides it eg AA 66 2 – two pairs aces and 6′s
One Pair
one pair of the same denomination eg. Kh Ks A 7 4 – A pair of Kings
High Card
If none of the above hands are made then the highest card wins
eg. Q5278 – is a Queen high beaten by K5378 a king high
Now you understand the rank of poker hands the next important thing to understand is the strength or weakness of your poker starting hands (your hole cards). In Texas Hold-em and other poker variations starting hand selection is one of the most important factors to winning the game. As a new player correctly selecting which hands to play and which to lay down even BEFORE the flop is probably the single most effective way to minimise your loses, and maximise your wins … read more
Poker Terms – Definitions and explanations of the most important poker terms. Look up poker phrases or slag you don’t understand in our dictionary of poker terms.
Rules for different Poker Games
Texas Hold-em Poker Rules – Hold’em isn’t just another poker variant; it’s “the” poker game – the most popular, the most strategic, and by far the most common.
HORSE Poker Rules – HORSE is not just another poker variant, but a mixed game involving 5 popular poker variations. It takes a very experienced poker player to win a session of HORSE.
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Rules – Omaha is the next most popular poker game after Texas Hold-em, using the same three card flop, 4th turn card and 5th river card as community cards.
Razz Poker Rules – Razz became overwhelmingly popular about two or three years ago, and has maintained steady growth ever since – A favourite choice of many top pros.
7 Card Stud Poker Rules – Always one of the most popular poker variations. We will discuss the rules of 7 Seven Card Stud, followed by the best 7 Card Stud starting hands.
7 Card Stud Eight or Better Rules – Also known as Stud Hi-Lo, is one of the most popular Stud variants in the world of poker. It is a tricky game, however and takes some getting used to.
Badugi Poker Rules – A wildly different variation, Badugi, Asian Poker, Badougi or Padooki poker is a triple draw, low hand, four card poker game.
