How many poker hands are there?

There are 10 basic poker hands for the traditional variations such as Texas Hold’em. These hands are ranked from the lowest to highest possible value and beat each other in a hierarchical manner. However, there are more and different hands for some other poker variations.

What are the best and worst traditional hands in poker?

The best traditional hand in poker is a Royal Flush. The lowest possible hand in traditional 5-card hand ranking is a high card. The lowest possible five-card hand is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 with no flush present, unless Aces are agreed by players to be considered low cards.

What happens if two players have the same hands?

In traditional poker variations, the kicker is used to solve such situations. The kicker is the card not included in the formed hand that has the highest value. If there is no kicker card and the hands of two players are identical, then the pot is shared between those two players.

Are poker hand rankings the same in all variants of poker?

No, some poker variants have unique hand rankings. For example, in some Lowball games, the lowest hand (such as 2-3-4-5-7, not all of the same suit) is the strongest hand.

What is the importance of understanding poker hand rankings?

Understanding hand rankings is essential for knowing the strength of your hand and making strategic decisions in the game, such as when to bet, raise or fold.

What is the lowest-ranking hand in poker?

The lowest-ranking hand is High Card, which means no combination of cards from the above rankings. The hand is determined by the highest single card.

Which hand is stronger, a Straight or a Flush?

A Flush is stronger than a Straight. A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit, while a Straight is five consecutive cards of any suit

Poker Hands: Values, Hierarchy, And Rankings

Jamie Bungaree | Reviewed by: Gail Banavage | May 24, 2022 | Updated on: October 14th, 2024

Playing poker is more challenging than other games. Beginners often find the various poker variations and the different orders and values of poker hands intimidating.

Understanding Traditional High Poker Hands

These classic poker hands are used in popular variations like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and other casino poker games. Each hand has a specific rank, making it clear which hand beats the others. Memorising these combinations is crucial for anyone aiming to play and succeed in poker.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is any five cards in a row, all in the same suit.

If there’s a tie, the highest card at the top of the sequence determines the winner. The highest straight flush is the Royal Flush, which includes an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit, making it the strongest hand in poker.

Four of A Kind

Four cards of the same rank with an extra card are known as a Kicker in poker.

In case of a tie, the hand with the highest four-of-a-kind wins. In games with community cards, if two players have the same four of a kind, the winner is decided by the highest kicker card.

Full House

Three cards of the same rank paired with two cards of another matching rank form a Full House in poker.

In case of a tie, the hand with the highest three matching cards wins. In games with community cards, if two players have identical hands, the one with the highest pair of matching cards wins the pot.

Flush

A Flush in Poker consists of five cards all of the same suit.

If there’s a tie, the hand with the highest-ranked card of that suit wins the pot. If two players have the exact same flush, the pot is split between them.

Straight

A Straight in poker is five cards in numerical order, though not all of the same suit.

In a tie, the hand with the highest card at the top of the sequence wins. Typically, straights are made with numerical cards, but players may agree beforehand whether aces count as high or low cards.

Three of A Kind

Three cards of the same rank with two other unrelated cards form a Three of a Kind in poker.

In case of a tie, the winner is decided by the highest-ranking three cards. In games with community cards, if two players have identical three-of-a-kind hands, the winner is determined by the higher-ranking side cards.

Two Pair

Two cards of the same rank paired with two cards of a different rank and one side card make a Two Pair in poker.

In case of a tie, the winner is decided by the highest-ranked pair. If both players have the same pair, then the second-highest pair determines the winner. If the second pair are also identical, then the highest side card breaks the tie.

One Pair

Two cards of the same rank with three other unrelated cards form a Pair in poker.

If there’s a tie, the hand with the highest pair wins. If two players have the same pair, the winner is determined by the highest value of any side card.

High Card

Any hand in poker that doesn't fit into the categories listed above is considered a High Card hand.

In a tie, the hand with the highest single card wins. If needed, the smallest card can be used to break the tie.

Ace to Five

This method features a different way to rank low poker hands and it is used in traditional Hi/Lo poker variations, such as Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo. The main difference is comparison to traditional poker hands is that suits are irrelevant and that aces are always considered as low cards.

Five Low

A sequence that includes a five, a four, a three, a deuce and an ace.

If there is a tie, the pot should be divided into equal parts.

Six Low

A hand with six and four other unpaired cards with the value lower than 6.

If there is a tie, the lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot, e.g. 6-4-3-2-A is considered as a better hand than 6-5-4-2-A.

Seven Low

A hand with seven and four other unpaired cards with the value lower than 7.

If there is a tie, the second lowest ranking card wins the pot. If two players have the same lower second-highest cards, then other cards are considered to break the tie.

Eight Low

A hand with eight and four other unpaired cards with a value lower than 8.

If there is a tie, the second lowest ranking card wins the pot. If two players have the same lower second-highest cards, then the values of other cards are considered to break the tie. When either Omaha Hi/Lo or Stud Hi/Lo variations are played, the eight low is known as the weakest possible hand.

Deuce to Seven

Deuces Wild is a popular form of draw poker with key differences from traditional poker: all twos are wild cards, and sometimes Jokers are too. These wild cards don’t lower a hand’s value.

In Deuce to Seven Lowball, rankings are opposite to traditional poker, making the weakest high hand (like seven-five of different suits) the best low hand (a ‘perfect seven’ or ‘wheel’). Aces are always high. There are no specific qualifications for low hands in Deuce to Seven; any lower hand wins.

Seven Low

A hand with seven and four other unpaired cards with a value lower than 7.

If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. For example, 7-5-4-3-2 beats 7-6-5-3-2 (a 'Seven-Five low' is better than a 'Seven-Six low').

Eight Low

A hand with eight and four other unpaired cards with a value lower than 8.

If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. If players have the same second-lowest cards, the value of their other cards decides the winner.

Nine Low

A hand with nine and four other unpaired cards with a value lower than 9.

If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. If players have identical second-lowest cards, the value of their other cards determines the winner.

Ten Low

A hand with ten and four other unpaired cards with a value lower than 10.

If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. If players have the same second-lowest card, the value of their other cards decides the winner.

Guidelines For Playing Traditional Hands: What Beats What In Poker

Understanding poker hand rankings is crucial for mastering the game, whether you’re playing in a real casino or online. Poker is known for its skill-based nature, requiring players to memorise and understand hand combinations. Knowing which hands beat others is essential because the hierarchy can be complex. Once you grasp these rankings, you can confidently play various poker games at different online casinos.

The rarity of hands determines their ranking. For example, a royal flush, the rarest hand, beats more common combinations. A straight flush, four-of-a-kind, and full house follow in descending order of rarity. A full house, for instance, ranks higher than a flush because it occurs slightly less frequently.

Despite the skill involved, luck also plays a role in poker. This means that even with a weaker hand, you can win through strategic bluffing, convincing opponents to fold before revealing the community cards. Mastering bluffing tactics is crucial, especially in games with shared community cards, to extend your time in the game.

Odds of Poker Hands

In betting, higher odds are typically offered for less likely outcomes, making big winnings rare. There are 52 cards in a poker deck, resulting in 2,598,960 possible combinations, making calculations straightforward. The odds for forming a specific poker hand are determined by dividing the number of ways to make that hand by the total number of poker hands, making the odds openly available.

Poker Hands	No. of Ways	Probability
Royal Flush	4	0.000154%
Straight Flush	36	0.00139%
4-of-a-Kind	624	0.0240%
Full House	3,744	0.1441%
Flush	5,108	0.1965%
Straight	10,200	0.3925%
3-of-a-Kind	54,912	2.1128%
Two Pair	123,552	4.7539%
One Pair	1,098,240	42.2569%
High Card	1,302, 540	50.1177%

Relative Value And Absolute Value

The ranking of traditional poker hands remains fixed, but their actual value can change based on gameplay. This value can be understood in two ways: absolute value (the inherent strength of the hand) and relative value (its value in the current game context). For instance, having two pairs is generally a strong hand, but its value decreases if an opponent holds a flush.

Poker Hands Glossary

Community cards

Cards placed face-up on the poker table and shared by all players.

Flop

The first three community cards dealt face-up in certain poker games.

River

The fifth and final community card dealt in certain poker games.

Turn

The fourth community card dealt in certain poker games.

Hole cards

The private cards dealt face-down to each player in a game of poker.

Showdown

The final phase of a poker hand where players reveal their cards to determine the winner.

Pot

The total amount of money or chips wagered by players in a poker hand.

Pot odds

The ratio of the current bet to the potential winnings from the pot, used to make informed betting decisions.

Hand strength

The relative value or potential of a player's hand based on the combination of cards.

Raise

Increasing the current bet by adding more chips to the pot.

Ante

A small mandatory bet that all players must contribute before each hand.

Betting rounds

The phases in a poker hand where players can bet, check, raise, or fold.

All in

Betting all of one's chips or money in a single bet.

Call

Matching the current bet to stay in the hand.

Blinds

Mandatory bets placed by players before the cards are dealt, typically the small blind and big blind.

Position

A player's location at the poker table relative to the dealer, influencing the order of betting.

Positional Awareness

The ability to make strategic decisions based on one's position at the poker table.

Check

Declining to bet while retaining the right to call or raise later in the betting round.

Fold

Discarding one's hand and forfeiting any further participation in the current hand.

Tells

Subtle physical or behavioural cues that may reveal information about a player's hand or intentions.

Poker Hands: Values, Hierarchy, And Rankings