Poker Hands

Poker Hand Rankings Chart: Everything You Need To Know

Knowing the standard five-card poker hand rankings is imperative if you want to win poker games. While several poker variants exist, most, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, use the standard hand rankings.

Usually, the rarer a poker hand is, the higher it is on the poker hands ranking chart. For instance, the Royal Flush. Its probability is 1 in 30,939 hands. So, now you know that aiming for this poker hand in the poker hierarchy can be difficult.

When you have the necessary information, it lets you concentrate on hands that can be easily formed. So, fret not! Here's everything you must know about poker hands, poker hand rankings, and more. Remember, having a thorough understanding can help you beat your opponents in the next game. So, let's get started.

Complete Poker Hands Ranking Chart

Without any delay, let's take a look at the poker hands ranking chart. This poker hierarchy chart contains the poker hands in order of highest to lowest.

Poker Hand

Description

Example

Royal Flush

A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit

A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit

9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same rank

8♣ 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 3♠

Full House

Three of a kind and a pair

Q♦ Q♠ Q♥ 4♣ 4♥

Flush

Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence

10♣ 7♣ 5♣ 3♣ 2♣

Straight

Five consecutive cards, not of the same suit

6♠ 5♦ 4♣ 3♠ 2♥

Three-of-a-Kind

Three cards of the same rank

J♦ J♠ J♣ 6♠ 2♥

Two Pair

Two pairs of different ranks

9♦ 9♣ 5♠ 5♥ 2♣

One Pair

One pair of the same rank

7♦ 7♠ 10♣ 4♠ 3♥

High Card

No matching cards, the hand with the highest card

A♦ 10♠ 8♣ 6♠ 4♥

Royal Flush

A Royal Flush is the best possible hand in poker hierarchy chart. It gets the name Royal Flush because it includes the royal cards. A royal flush is a super rare and unbeatable combination of five cards, which includes Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit. They can belong to hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades.

Since it is the best possible hand, it guarantees victory, as no other combination can surpass it. Royal Flush is one of the best poker hands out there!

As a poker player, you dream of achieving the royal flush at least once. Simply put, a royal flush isn't just a winning poker hand; it's almost like a badge of honor in the world of cards.

Straight Flush

The Straight Flush is the next best hand in the poker hand rankings chart. A straight flush is believed to get its name from the Old West.

A straight flush is a combination of five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of hearts. The probability of a straight flush is higher than a royal flush. That said, it still packs a punch.

If you have achieved this impressive poker hand, you are doing it right. The straight flush beats all the other poker hand rankings that come below it in the poker hand hierarchy.

Four-Of-A-Kind

A four-of-a-kind hand is a powerful set of cards on the poker hand rankings chart where you have all four cards of the same rank. While it ranks below the royal flush and straight flush, a four-of-a-kind is still one of the strongest hands.

For example, 7-7-7-7 forms four-of-a-kind. Statistically, the probability of being dealt a four-of-a-kind in a five-card hand is about 0.024% or 1 in 4,165 hands.

But if you have this poker hand, it becomes hard for your opponents to beat you.

Full House

A full house is a poker hand that consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. Don't be confused here. This poker hand is a combination of a three-of-a-kind and a pair. For example, having three 7s and two 4s would mean you have a full house. The cards don't have to be of the same suit in full house.

The ranking is calculated based on the value of the three-of-a-kind first. However, in the case of a tie, it is decided by the pair's value.

Full House is a strong hand in poker, falling just below four-of-a-kind and a straight flush in the poker hands ranking hierarchy.

Flush

In poker hands, a flush is when you have five cards of the same suit but not in a sequence. The main characteristic here is the suit. All cards must belong to the same suit: hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades.

The specific ranks of the cards within the flush are irrelevant as long as they share the same suit. For instance, a hand with the 2, 5, 8, 10, and King of Hearts can be called a flush. But even if your opponent has a flush, the winner is decided based on the strength of the flush. Flush beats straight, three-of-a-kind, and pair.

Straight

In poker hand rankings, straight is one of the bottom five. Here, you must have a hand with five consecutive cards of any suit. For example, 5-6-7-8-9, regardless of the suit, forms straight.

You can use aces at the start or the end for a straight. For instance, it can be A-2-3-4-5 or 10-J-Q-K-A. In case of a tie, the straight with the highest top card wins, and if still tied, the next highest cards are compared.

A straight poker hand with the highest possible cards within a standard deck is known as a Broadway Straight. It is essentially an ace-high straight, consisting of the cards 10-J-Q-K-A. This term is particularly common in Texas Hold'em and Omaha poker games, where having a Broadway Straight is considered a powerful and premium hand.

Three-Of-A-Kind

The next poker hand on our poker hands ranking cheat sheet is three-of-a-kind. As the name suggests, it consists of three cards of the same rank. However, the catch is that it also includes two unrelated cards.

For example, having three 8s and two other non-matching cards forms a three-of-a-kind, like 8-8-8-4-9. The strength of the hand is determined by the rank of the three matching cards. However, if there is a tie, it is decided by the ranks of the remaining two cards.

Two Pair

Two Pair is another popular poker hand in the poker hierarchy chart, where you have two sets of matching cards of the same rank but not the same suit. For example, K-K and 3-3.

Two Pair is a mid-range hand. Therefore, it becomes essential for you to analyze it by considering your opponents' actions and the community cards.

In Two Pair, the highest-ranking pair determines the strength of the cards. For instance, if you have K-K-3-3 and your opponent has Q-Q-10-10, you win because the king beats the queen.

Pair

Unlike Two Pair, here you just have a pair of matching cards. While they belong to the same rank, they are not of the same suit.

A pair ranks just above a high card and below two pairs in poker hands ranking. This hand is also known as one pair. If you have a pair, it becomes crucial for you to analyze the strength of the hand as per the weight they carry.

High Card

If you don't have any poker hands, as mentioned above in the list of poker hand rankings, and none of the players do, you can still win the poker game if you have the highest card. Let's say you have A-10-6-5-3, and your opponent holds Q-9-8-6-2. You will win because Ace is the highest.

Poker Hands in Hi-Lo Games

When you play poker, it is essential to remember that not all games decide the winner based on the highest hand as per the poker hand rankings. The three ways mentioned below also come into play as per the rules of the particular poker variant. Take a look!

Hi or High-Hand Poker Hands

The simplest poker hand is Hi or high-hand. In these games, the winner is the one with the highest hands in poker, such as a royal flush or straight flush. If no one has a high hand, the winner is decided as per the highest card.

Lo, Low-Hand, or Lowball Poker Hands

Now, lo or lowball poker is the opposite of Hi. Here, the lowest poker hand is the best hand you can possibly have. In poker, Ace can function as the highest and lowest cards. For instance, you can build the lowest straight with A-2-3-4-5.

Hi-Lo or High-Low Poker Hands

The third type is the high-low split poker games. As the name suggests, there are two winners in these games - the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest possible hand. The pot is split equally among the two.

Pocket Cards in Poker

In Texas Hold'em or Omaha, pocket cards mean private or hole cards dealt to you at the beginning of the game. However, you use pocket cards or hole cards that are a pair or two similar cards, such as 9-9 (pocket nines). These cards are unique to you, and by using them, you can build the best hand with the community cards.

A pocket pair in a five-card hand is considered a very strong starting hand. The strongest pocket pairs include pocket jacks, pocket queens, pocket kings, and pocket aces.

Poker Winning Hands

The poker-winning hands vary in how often they appear and how strong they are. While everyone craves a royal flush, the highest-ranking hand in the poker winning hands chart, it is the rarest. In fact, only 1% of the time, a royal flush will win the game. Despite being the best hands, the highest winning hands in poker almost occur once in a blue moon. This is also the case with Straight Flush and Four of a Kind; they occur only 1% of the time.

The fourth best poker-winning hands in order is the full house. This hand will win about 9% of the time. As you can see, the best hands have a low percentage of occurrence.

The hand that wins most often, which is about 31% of the time, is two pairs. Next up is three-of-a-kind; it wins around 12% of games. So, striving for the best winning hand in poker is exciting. After all, who doesn't want a royal or a straight flush? That said, it's smart to appreciate the value of simpler combinations that give you a better chance of winning.

Common Mistakes You Must Avoid With Your Poker Hands

One last step and the game is yours! You must avoid these common mistakes when playing with one or multiple players.

Playing Too Many Hands

One of the most common mistakes players make in poker games, like Texas Hold'em, Omaha, or Seven Card Stud, is that they play a wide range of hands, especially the weak ones, which can lead to losses.

Remember, poker is all about having a proper strategy in place. It requires critical thinking as soon as the cards are dealt to you.

So, it is important to be selective. Stick to playing strong poker hands, especially in early positions. Tighten your range and play fewer hands to increase your chances of winning.

Being Predictable

Sometimes, in-game or in life, we tend to follow patterns. However, don't do this with poker hands. Always playing hands the same way makes it easy for opponents to read you. In poker, it is all about maintaining an aura of secrecy and bluffing your way through the game.

So, mix up your play. Don't follow the same patterns consistently. Vary your bets and actions to keep opponents guessing.

Overvaluing Poker Hands

Being optimistic is great. But assuming a good start means a guaranteed win is wrong. You cannot base your entire game on the start that you have. It is important to be alert and build a robust strategy in your mind as the game progresses.

Consider the situation and your opponents. Also, be willing to fold even strong poker hands if the circumstances suggest that you are likely beaten. Confidence is good, but overconfidence is not.

Chasing Draws Incorrectly

Never call for bets continuously without considering the odds. Evaluate pot odds and the likelihood of completing your draw. Don't chase draws if the odds are unfavorable. This is extremely important when it comes to poker.

Ignoring Your Position

The position of the table is super crucial in Poker. Not considering your position at the table when deciding which poker hands to play can be a mistake.

So, play more hands from late positions and fewer from early positions. Being in a later position lets you see how opponents act before deciding. This allows you time to read them.

Failing To Adapt To Opponents' Playing Styles

Never ignore the playing styles of your opponents. Be aware of how others play and adjust your strategy accordingly. Exploit the weaknesses of your opponents and be aware of their predictive nature.

Over or Under-Betting

Betting too much or too little relative to the pot and your opponents' likely holdings is a mistake.

So, make your bets proportional to the pot size and tweak them accordingly. It's also important that you stop making predictable bets that give away information. Every move in poker should be well thought out.

Lack of Patience

Poker needs patience. Playing your poker hands too aggressively or impatiently, especially in low-stakes games, can lead to losses. So, it is imperative to be patient and wait for good opportunities. Avoid unnecessary risks and focus on making well-informed decisions.