Hand Rankings

Poker hands are always five cards. For example, even though each player in a seven-card stud game has seven cards, only the best five of those cards play. Poker has no six- or seven-card hands.

 

These are the winning high hands in high only and high-low split games, from highest to lowest. Any hand in one category in the list beats any hand in any category below it. For example, any straight flush beats any four of a kind; any flush beats any straight.

 

Royal Flush

The ultimate in winning poker hands, a Royal Flush is an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit. This is the best poker hand you can have in high. Poker probabilities state that the odds of getting this in 5-card poker are 1 in 649,740.

In the event of a tie, two or more Royal Flushes split the pot.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is five cards in sequence, of the same suit. There are 36 different ways a player can get a straight flush poker hand, with poker probabilities stating that the odds of getting one in 5 cards is 1 in 72,193.33

In the event of a tie, the highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

Four of a Kind - Quad Queen

Four of a Kind is four cards of the same rank, and one side card. Poker probabilities say that the odds for this are 1 in 4,165, as there are 624 different ways to achieve this poker hand in 5-card poker games.

In the event of a tie: Highest four of a kind wins.

In community card games such as Texas Hold Em where players have the same four poker hands of a kind, the highest fifth side card (”kicker”) wins.

Full House - Tens Full

 

A Full House is three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. The poker probabilities for this hand feature odds of 1 in 694.16.

In the event of a tie, the hand with the 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

This poker hand features five cards of the same suit and there are 5,108 different ways that players can get this hand, with poker probabilities stating the odds for making this being 1 in 508.80. In the event of a tie: The player holding the highest ranked card in the poker hands wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and fifth-highest cards can be used to break the tie.

Straight - Ace High

 

Straight - Five High

 

A straight features five cards in sequence. There are over 10,000 ways in which a player can create this hand, making the poker probabilities of getting a straight 1 in 254.80.

In the event of a tie, the highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins.

Please note that in this poker hand, the Ace may be used at the top or bottom of the sequence, and is the only card that can act in this manner.

 

Three of a Kind - Trip Kings

 

Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. Poker probabilities peg the odds for making this poker hand 1 in 47.32, and you can make this 54,912 different ways.

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 in their poker hands, the highest side card, and if necessary, the second-highest side card wins.

 

Two Pair - Aces Up

 

Two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card. One of the most common poker hands, there are 123,552 ways to make this, with the odds of having two pairs in your hand being 1 in 21.

In the event of a tie: Highest pair wins. If players have the same highest pair, highest second pair wins. If both players have identical pairs in their poker hands, highest side card wins.

 

One Pair

 

A single pair features 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.

 

No Pair - Ace High

 

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.

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