Texas Holdem Poker Hand Rankings

The following is a list of poker hand rankings, starting with the strongest:

ROYAL FLUSH

10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit, this is the strongest hand in all of poker. Example:

STRAIGHT FLUSH

Any series of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. Example:

FOUR OF A KIND

Any hand with four cards of the same rank. (The fifth card does not matter.) Example:

FULL HOUSE

A hand that consists of three cards of the same rank and two other cards of the same rank. In other words, a full house is a three-of-a-kind with a pair. Example:

A full house is referenced as the three cards “full of” the pair. For example, the hand above would be referred as “Kings full of fours”.

FLUSH

When the hand has five cards of the same suit. It doesn’t matter the rank of the cards, so long as they are all the same suit– like Spades or Diamonds. If two players have a flush, then the player with the highest card of that suit wins the hand. If the highest cards are equal, move to the second, then to the third, etc. Example:

Beats

STRAIGHT

Five sequential cards of any suit. If two players have straights, the straight with the highest card wins. Example:

Beats

THREE OF A KIND

Three cards of equal rank. Also known as “trips”. Example:

TWO PAIRS

Two pairs of cards of equal rank. Example:

PAIR

Two cards of equal rank. Example:

HIGH CARD

A hand that doesn’t form any of these combinations. If comparing two of these hands, whichever player has the highest card is the winner. Example:

In hands where the combinations are the same (like if two players have 3 Kings), then the tie is broken with the KICKER (next highest card). Whichever player has the higher kicker is the winner of the hand. If two players have the exact same five cards, the plot is SPLIT and the players equally divide the pot.

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