Poker Hand Rankings

When playing poker, the objective is to create hands of five cards, but these five cards must come in certain order and some hands rank above other hands. The player who has the highest ranking hand wins.

The Straight Flush
In this hand a player will have numbered cards in sequence ad all of the same suit. So if you have five cards that are 6,7,8,9,10 and all are spades, then you have a straight flush, but if a player has a straight flush of 10,J,Q,K,A with hearts, then this player has a better hand than the straight flush of 6,7,8,9,10 of spades, just because the hearts straight flush is of higher numbers. If two players have a straight flush with the same numbers, but a different suit, then they are tied. Aces can play either high or low. In a flush of 10,J,Q,K,A the A plays high, but if the straight flush is A,2,3,4,5 then the Ace plays low. When the straight flush is Ace high then it is known as the royal flush and is the highest ranking hand in poker.

Four of a Kind
The next highest ranking hand is the four of a kind (quads). These are four out of your five cards that are the same number, like four 8’s with the fifth card being anything else. A four of a kid ranks above a full house and lower than a straight flush, and the higher the four of a kind the higher the rank. So, if a player has four Ks his four of a kind will rank above four 5’s. In games like Texas Holdem its possible for more than one player to have four of a kind. So if two players have four 10’s their last card is going to determine the winner, so if one player has a 2 and another a Q, then the player with the four 10’s and a Q wins over the player with four 10’s and a 2, because the Q is higher than the 2.
When you get a four of a kind with Kings, this four of a kind is also known as four horsemen.

The Full House
The full house is also known as a full boa and is a hand that is comprised of three of a kind and a pair. So if you have three 10’s and two 5’s then you have a full house. This hand ranks above a flush and below a four of a kind. When there are two players with a full house, then the player with the largest set of three wins. If for instance, one player has three 8’s and a pair of 2’s and another player has three 2’s and a pair of 4’s then the player with the three 8’s wins. In community games like Texas Hold’em were two players have the same set of three cards then the highest pair wins. Lets say both players have three 8’s and one player has three 8’s and two 10’s and the other player has three 8’s and two 3’s the the player with the 8’s and the pair of 10’s wins.

The Flush
The flush is a hand where all five cards are of the same suit and the player who has a flush with the highest cards of the same suit wins. So if one player has k, J,8 ,5, 3 of the same suit and another player has a K,9,6, 5,4 of another suit the first player wins because although both players have K’s the second card of the first player is a J and that is higher than the 9 of the second player.

The Straight
When you have a straight in a poker hand that means that you have the numbers in sequence, like 2,3,4,5,6 etc, but they don’t have to be of the same suit. A straight is ranked above three of a kind and it is considered less than a flush. When two players have straights then the highest straight wins. When there are two straights with the same high card then the pot is split. An A,K,Q,J,10 straight ranks higher than a K straight. The A may be played low too.

Three of a Kind
Three of a kind are three cards that are the same. These are also called trips, a prile or a set. They might be similar to 3,3,3,K,10. A trip ranks above a pair but below a straight. In games like Texas hold’em a set refers to a trip that is made of a pocket pair and a matching card on the board. The higher trip beats a lower trip. When two players have the same trip then the tie breaker is the kicker card or the next highest card the player has. The player with the highest single card next to the set wins.

Two Pair
A had which holds two pairs and one unmatched card is ranked above one pair but below three of a kind. When two players have two pair the first pair is analyzed first and the higher pair wins, but if both players have the same high pair then the second pair is compared and the higher second pair defines who the winner is. If two players have the same two pairs then the kicker cards qualify the winner.

A Pair
A pair is when a player holds two cards that are the same number. So if a player has two 10’s and other unrelated card, it is said he has a pair of tens. The pair ranks above a high card hand but under all other poker hands. The higher ranking pairs beat the lower ranking pairs and if two players have the same pair then the kicker card decides on who is the winner.

High Card
This is a hand that has no pair but has a high card. Hands like K, J, 7,5,3 are considered to be a high card hand because of the K. High card hands rank below all