Poker Hand Rankings: A Beginner's Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction
Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world, and understanding the basic rules and hand rankings is essential to playing effectively. Whether you're playing a friendly game at home or participating in a tournament, knowing how to rank your hand compared to others is key. In this guide, we'll cover the poker hand rankings from highest to lowest and explain how ties are broken.
Poker Hand Rankings
In poker, each hand consists of five cards and hands are ranked based on their rarity, with the rarer hands being stronger. Here's a rundown of the standard poker hand rankings from strongest to weakest.
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Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker. It consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit, starting from 10 up to Ace (10, J, Q, K, A).
Example: 10♠, J♠, Q♠, K♠, A♠
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Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit, but not a Royal Flush.
Example: 6♣, 7♣, 8♣, 9♣, 10♣
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Four of a Kind
Four of a Kind means you have four cards of the same rank, plus any other card.
Example: 9♦, 9♠, 9♥, 9♣, 2♦
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Full House
A Full House consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
Example: K♠, K♣, K♦, 5♥, 5♠
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Flush
A Flush is any five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
Example: A♥, 10♥, 7♥, 4♥, 2♥
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Straight
A Straight is five consecutive cards of different suits.
Example: 5♣, 6♦, 7♠, 8♥, 9♠
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Three of a Kind
Three of a Kind means having three cards of the same rank and two unrelated cards.
Example: 8♠, 8♣, 8♦, J♥, 4♠
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Two Pair
Two Pair consists of two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and one unrelated card.
Example: Q♠, Q♦, 3♣, 3♠, 7♦
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Pair
Pair means having two cards of the same rank and three unrelated cards.
Example: 5♠, 5♦, K♣, 9♠, 2♥
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High Card
When your hand matches none of the above, you have a High Card.
Example: A♣, 10♦, 7♠, 4♠, 2♣
What is a Kicker?
A kicker is a card that is not directly involved in forming a poker hand but can be used to determine the winner when two players have hands of the same rank. For example, in a situation where two players have the same pair, the highest unrelated card (the kicker) can decide who wins the hand. Kickers are most commonly used in hands like Pair, Two Pair, and Three of a Kind, as well as in High Card situations.
For example, consider the following two hands:
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Player 1: 5♠, 5♦, K♣, 9♠, 8♣ (Pair of Fives, King kicker)
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Player 2: 5♣, 5♦, Q♠, 9♠, 8♣ (Pair of Fives, Queen kicker)
Both players have a Pair of Fives. However, Player 1 has a King as their highest unrelated card (the kicker), while Player 2 has a Queen. Since the King is higher than the Queen, Player 1 wins the hand.
Breaking Ties in Poker Hands
In poker, ties are relatively common, and there are specific rules for breaking ties depending on the type of hand. Here’s how ties are typically resolved:
Note: the order of ranks from highest to lowest goes A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
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Royal Flush
Since all Royal Flushes are the same, there is no tiebreaker. A tie occurs only if two players have a Royal Flush, and the pot is split.
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Straight Flush
The player with the highest top card in the Straight Flush wins. For example, a Straight Flush with a high card of 9 (5-6-7-8-9) loses to a Straight Flush with a high card of 10 (6-7-8-9-10). If two players have equal Straight Flushes, the pot is split.
Note: an Ace low straight flush (A-2-3-4-5) loses to any higher straight flush — for example (2-3-4-5-6). The fact that there is an Ace does not matter if the Ace is in the lowest position.
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Four of a Kind
The player with the higher set of four cards wins. If both players have the same Four of a Kind, the kicker (the fifth card) decides the winner. If the kickers are also equal, the pot is split.
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Full House
The player with the higher three of a kind wins. If the three of a kind is the same, the pair is used to break the tie. If two players have the same Full House, the pot is split. -
Flush
The player with the highest card in the Flush wins. If the highest cards are the same, the next highest card is compared, and so on, until the tie is broken. If two players have the same Flush, the pot is split. -
Straight
The player with the highest card in the Straight wins. For example, a Straight with a high card of Queen (8-9-10-J-Q) beats a Straight with a high card of Jack (7-8-9-10-J). If two players have the same Straight, the pot is split.
Note: an Ace low straight (A-2-3-4-5) loses to any higher straight — for example (2-3-4-5-6). The fact that there is an Ace does not matter if the Ace is in the lowest position.
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Three of a Kind
The player with the higher set of three cards wins. If both players have the same three of a kind, the highest kicker (one of the other two cards) decides the winner. If both kickers are the same, the pot is split. -
Two Pair
The player with the highest pair wins. If the highest pairs are the same, the second pair is compared. If both pairs are identical, the kicker decides the winner. If the kicker is identical, the pot is split. -
Pair
The player with the higher pair wins. If both players have the same pair, the highest kicker is used to break the tie, followed by the second highest and then the third highest, if necessary. If all kickers match, the pot is split. -
High Card
If no player has a pair or better, the player with the highest card wins. If the highest cards are tied, the next highest card is compared, and so on, until the tie is broken. If two players have the same High Card hand, the pot is split.
Conclusion
Understanding poker hand rankings, how ties are broken, and the role of a kicker is crucial for anyone looking to play poker effectively. By familiarizing yourself with these rules, you can make better decisions during the game and increase your chances of winning.
Ready to practice? Try out the Showdown Drill or check out the Hand Evaluator Tool.
Happy playing!