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Poker Hands

This is a discussion of poker hands including the ranking of cards in poker hands and the ranking of poker hands in general.  Basic poker rules are not as difficult as they may seem.  You need to memorize some basic poker hands and poker rules to get started.  Afterward, review the section on poker betting, and then move on to the specific Poker Rules for the poker game you are interested in.

Poker is played from a standard pack of 52 cards (some variant games use multiple packs or add a few cards called jokers).  The cards in poker hands are ranked (from high to low) Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.  (Ace can be high or low in poker hands, but is usually high).  There are four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs); however, in poker hands no suit is higher than another suit.

Some poker games have wild cards, which can take on whatever suit and rank their possessor desires for his poker hand.  Sometimes jokers will be used as wild cards, other times, the poker game will specify which cards are wild (deuces, one-eyed jacks, and so on).

Rank of Poker Hands

Poker hands are ranked as follows (from high to low):

...go to poker odds for the probabilities of getting a particular poker hand.

The Poker Hands

Five of a Kind - This poker hand is only possible when using wild cards; it is the highest possible poker hand.  If more than one poker hand has five of a kind, the higher card wins (five aces beats five kings, which beat five queens, and so on).

Straight Flush - The best possible natural poker hand.  A straight flush poker hand has a straight (5 cards in order, such as 5-6-7-8-9) that are all of the same suit.  As in a regular straight, you can have an ace either high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-A).  However, a straight poker hand may not 'wraparound" (such as K-A-2-3-4, which is not a straight).  An ace high straight-flush is called a Royal Flush and is the highest natural poker hand.

Four of a Kind - This poker hand contains four cards of the same rank.  If there are two or more poker hands that qualify, the poker hand with the higher ranking four of a kind wins.  If, in some bizarre game with many wild cards, there are two four of a kind poker hands with the same rank, then the poker hand with the high card outside the four of the kind wins.

Full House - This poker hand contains three of a kind and a pair, such as K-K-K-5-5.  Poker hand ties are broken first by the three of a kind, then the pair.  So K-K-K-2-2 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A, which beats Q-Q-Q-J-J.  (Obviously, the three of a kind can only be similar if wild cards are used.)

Flush - This is a poker hand where all of the cards are the same suit, such as J-8-5-3-2, all of spades.  When flushes tie, follow the poker rules for high card.

Straight - This poker hand is 5 cards in order, such as 4-5-6-7-8.  An ace may either be high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-A).  However, a straight poker hand may not 'wraparound" (such as Q-K-A-2-3, which is not a straight).  When straight poker hands tie, the highest straight wins (e.g., A-K-Q-J-T beats K-Q-J-T-9 down to 5-4-3-2-A).  If two straight hands have the same value (A-K-Q-J-T vs. A-K-Q-J-T) the two poker hands split the pot.

Three of a Kind - This poker hand consists of three cards of the same rank, matched with two cards that are not a pair (otherwise it would be a full house) - such as K-K-K-5-3.  Again, the highest three of a kind poker hand wins.  If both three of a kind poker hands are the same rank, then they compare high cards.

Two Pair - This poker hand contains two distinct pairs of cards and a 5th card - such as K-K-5-5-3.  The highest pair wins ties.  If both poker hands have the same high pair, the second pair which is higher wins.  If both poker hands have the same pairs, the remaining high card determines the winner.

Pair - This is a poker hand consisting of one pair with three distinct cards - such as K-K-10-5-3.  The remaining high card breaks ties.

High Card - If no player has a poker hand that qualifies as one of the above hands (e.g., K-J-10-5-3) the poker hand with the highest card wins.  So, if no player has a pair or better, then the winning poker hand is simply the one with the highest single card.  If multiple players tie for the highest card, the players look at the second highest card, then the third highest card, etc.  High card is also used to break ties when the high poker hands both have the same type of hand (pair, flush, straight, etc).

There are three methods of ranking low poker hands, called ace-to-five low, deuce-to-seven low, and ace-to-six low.  The ace-to-five low poker hand method is most common. 

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