A guide to poker hands ranking

In Texas Hold’em players are dealt two hole cards, which they must use in conjunction with the five community cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the table (three on the flop, one on the turn, and a final one on the river) to form the strongest five-card poker hand. At the conclusion of the final betting round, the player with the strongest hand wins the pot.

In Hold’em final hands are comprised of 10 distinct poker hands, which are ranked below from lowest to highest.

Here are the descriptions of those 10 hands:

Poker Hands - High Card

High Card – The lowest ranking hand in poker. This hand is made up of five cards that do not connect to one another in any way. When no other players hold higher hands, the highest card of the bunch will determine the winner. If two or more players have the same high card, the next highest card will be used to determine a winner (and so on until a winner is determined).

Poker Hands - One Pair

One Pair – One pair in poker is a hand consisting of two cards of the same rank, such as two queens with three other random, disconnected cards. When two or more players each have one pair, the higher pair wins. If two players have the same pair, the highest next card will determine the winner.

Poker Hands - Two Pair

Two Pair – Two pair in poker is a hand consisting of two cards of one rank, and two cards of another rank. For example, having two kings and two aces with any other non king or ace card is considered having two pair. If two or more players have two pairs, the highest pair wins the hand.

Poker Hands - Three of a Kind

Three of a Kind – A three of a kind is made up of three cards of the same rank, and two other unpaired cards. For example, three aces with a jack and a queen would be three of a kind. If two or more players have three of a kind, the higher ranking one wins.

Poker Hands - Straight

Straight – A straight is made up of five cards in consecutive order that are not of the same suit. For example, holding a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of a non-uniform suit would be a straight. If two or more players hold a straight the player holding the highest card would win the pot.

Poker Hands - Flush

Flush – A flush is made up of five cards of the same suit that are not in consecutive order. For example, a player holding a 2, 5, 7, J, Q of spades would make a flush. If two or more players hold a flush, the player holding the highest card in their flush would win the pot.

Poker Hands - Full House

Full House – A full house is made up of three cards of the same rank, as well as two more cards of another rank. For example, three 7s and two 5s would make a full house. If two or more players hold a full house, the player with the highest three of a kind would win the pot.

Poker Hands - Four of a Kind

Four of a Kind – A four of a kind – sometimes referred to as “quads” – is made up of four cards of the same rank, such as four 8s. The fifth card, known as a “kicker”, can be any other card.

Poker Hands - Straight Flush

Straight Flush – A straight flush is made up of five cards of the same suit in consecutive order. For example, holding a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of clubs would make a straight flush.

Poker Hands - Royal Flush

Royal Flush – The highest ranking hand in poker, a straight flush is made up of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of the same suit. This hand is unbeatable. If two or more players hold a royal flush, the pot will be split between them.

Download the Poker Hands Ranking PDF File

Poker Hands FAQs

What is the order for poker hands?

If you’re asking what are the best hands in poker, this should help (from best to worst): Royal Straight Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card.

What is the highest ranking poker hand?

The highest-ranking poker hand in Texas Hold’em and other variations of poker is a Royal Flush. But winning hands in Texas Holdem isn’t determined by the hand ranking system. They’re determined by how well you play.

Remember, you can be sitting with a three of a kind and bluff your way to victory against someone who has a straight simply by bluffing them out of the hand.

What is the second best hand in poker?

The second-best hand in poker, after a Royal Flush, is a Straight Flush. It’s very much the same as a Royal Flush in that this poker hand rank also includes cards of the exact same suit, in sequential order. The difference? The highest possible card in this hand is a King (because an Ace would make that a Royal Flush).

How do I know how to rank poker hands?

Just use the poker hand rank chart on this page to guide you. It’ll help you identify if you have the worst hand in poker or if you’re doing much better than you thought.

What is the best poker hand?

It’s definitely a Royal Flush. And if you’re sitting on that, you are absolutely unbeatable. Congrats!

What is the worst hand in poker?

When it comes to Texas Hold’em, the worst hand in terms of poker cards is 2-7 offsuit. Why is it so bad? In a nutshell, there are very few good options for you off the bat. You have no straight draw or the possibility of a flush draw. And if you do end up hitting a pair of 7s or 2s, you’re probably still not very likely to have the best hand.

That’s not to say that it’s impossible to win with 2-7 offsuit. You could very well get the cards you need to win, especially if you hit trip 7s or trip 2s. But at the end of the day, the odds are against you.

Should you only play top hands in poker?

Great question. And that’s not exactly one we can answer in an FAQ. The truth is the hands you should play depends on your position.

Are you on the button? In early position? In middle position? These are important factors that’ll help you figure out how to play your poker hands. See our in-depth section above for everything you need to know.

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