The Poker Trainer

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Poker Hand Rankings

Do you want to know how poker hands are ranked against one another? Learn the winning poker hand rankings. More

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Poker Hand Rankings

Do you want to know how poker hands are ranked against one another? Learn the winning poker hand rankings.

Traditional poker is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards. There are 4 suits in a standard deck, and 13 different values in each suit. All four suits have equal value, so a 7 of Clubs is equal in value to a 7 of Diamonds, or 7 of Spades. Cards are ranked by their face value with Ace having the highest face, then King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three and Two being the lowest. Here is a list of the various Poker Hand Rankings and their common poker name from highest to lowest.

Royal Flush
The highest ranked poker hand possible is a Royal Flush which is an Ace high Straight Flush. Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, all of the same suit. Much like a hole in one in golf, a Royal Flush is an extremely rare event, even in community card poker games.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is a combination of cards which are all of the same suit and run in sequential order. The above example shows a ten high straight flush. All the cards in the hand are all of the same suit, Clubs, and in the proper sequential order – 10, 9, 8, 7, 6.
Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is when a player holds 4 cards of an identical value with a side card. In the example above, the hand consists of a 4 Kings, and a six. This hand would be of lesser value than 4 Aces, but of greater value than 4 Queens. In Texas Hold’em, it is possible for 2 players to have identical 4 of a kind, in which case, the value of the side card or kicker would determine the winner.
Full House
This hand consists of a combination of a three of a kind AND a pair. Three cards of identical value, and two other cards of identical value. If two players have a Full House, than the one with the highest three of a kind value would win. In the event that two players have the same three of a kind, then the player with the highest pair to complete their Full House would win the hand.
Flush
Any hand of 5 cards which are all of the same suit is a Flush. There is no requirement for sequential order in a Flush. A Flush is ranked from the top card down, so if two players have a flush the highest card determines the winner. The above example would beat a K,10,7,6,4 Flush but would lose to a A,K,10,7,4 Flush.
Straight
Any combination of 5 cards in sequential order but not all of the same suit. A Straight is ranked from the top card, so the example above would beat a combination of J,10,9,8,7 but would lose to a K,Q,J,10,9. An Ace can complete a Broadway Straight of A,K,Q,J,10 or a Wheel of 5,4,3,2,A. Also, there are no Around the Corner straights allowed such as a 3,2,A,K,Q.
Three of a Kind
A poker hand which contains 3 cards of the same value and 2 unpaired cards. As in the example above, three 10’s, an 8 of Spades and 6 of Diamonds. A Three of a Kind is ranked from the top card down, so the above example would beat three 8’s, but would lose to three Kings. In the event that there multiple players with identical trips, then the highest kicker or side card would win the hand.
Two Pair
In a 5 card hand, one pair of cards with one value, a second pair or set of cards at another value, and side card of a third value. In the above example, the top ranked pair of cards are Aces, the second ranked pair are 9’s and the kicker is a 4. Two pair hands are rated from the top pair down. If two players have identical top pairs, then the hand is won by player with the top second pair. If players have identical top and secondary pairs, the hand is won by the player with the top kicker.
A Pair
A hand consisting of two cards of the same value and three cards of unrelated value. A pair is ranked from the top value down, so as in the example, the pair of Kings would beat a pair of Jacks, but lose to a pair of Aces. If two players have identical pairs, then the hand is won by the player with the top kicker.
High Card
There are times when players will showdown for the pot without any of the previously mentioned hand combination. This is often the result of a player attempting a flush or straight draw, and not getting the cards they need. If no other combinations are left in the pot, then the player with the highest card will take the pot. In the above example, the player would win the pot unless another player has an ace. If two players have the same top high card, then the next highest card would win the pot.

One of the questions we are often asked when people look at our hand rankings, is how could two players tie with hands like 3 of a kind, when there are only 4 cards in every deck of identical value, i.e. 4 Aces, 4 Jacks, etc. That is where community card poker games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha are unique, as the game can indeed lead to many players have identical hands. In some cases, a hand will end up as a draw, due largely to the play of community cards. It is suggested strongly that players looking to learn how to play poker, memorize these poker hand rankings. As well, players need to spend time getting familiar with basic poker terminology.