Poker is a game that has been around for centuries and is enjoyed by people worldwide. While the rules may vary depending on the poker you are playing, some hands rank higher than others.
It might surprise you that the ace-high straight flush is the best possible hand, while a two-pair is among the worst. This blog post explores poker hands ranked from best to worst.
So, understanding poker hand rankings will offer you a competitive advantage, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned player or playing for pleasure or money.
Make sure you know what beats what so you can win!
What are poker hands?
A poker hand is a combination of five cards used to determine the winner of a poker game. The player with the best hand wins the pot.
Photo by Sergi Viladesau on Unsplash
There are many poker games, but most hands follow the same ranking. The only exception is lowball games, where the lowest hand wins. GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room, has further information about poker hand rankings.
Poker Hands from Highest to Lowest
Poker hand rankings are based on traditional high poker, where the player with the highest hand wins.
Royal Flush: A-K-Q-J-10, all in a similar suit.
The royal flush is the best possible hand and will always win. The chances of being dealt a royal flush are about 1 in 650,000 hands.
Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence, all in a similar suit.
A straight flush is the second-best poker hand, and it beats everything except for a royal flush.
The odds of being dealt a straight flush are about 1 in 72,000 hands.
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank (e.g., 4 Aces).
Four of a kind is also known as quads, the third-best poker hand. The odds of being dealt quads are about 1 in 4,000 hands.
Full House: Three cards of the same rank and two other cards of the same rank (e.g., 3 Aces and 2 Kings).
A full house is the fourth-best poker hand, and it beats everything except for quads, a straight flush, and a royal flush. The odds of being dealt a full house are about 1 in 700 hands.
Flush: Five cards of a similar suit (e.g., all Hearts).
A flush is the fifth-best poker hand, and it beats everything except for a full house, quads, a straight flush, and a royal flush. The odds of being dealt a flush are about 1 in 500 hands.
Straight: Five cards in sequence (e.g., 5-6-7-8-9).
A straight is the sixth-best poker hand, and it beats everything except for a flush, a full house, quads, a straight flush, and a royal flush. The odds of being dealt a straight are about 1 in 250 hands.
Three of a Kind: Three cards of a similar rank (e.g., 3 Aces).
Three of a kind is also known as triples or trips, and it is the seventh-best poker hand. The odds of being dealt triples are about 1 in 50 hands.
Two Pair: Two cards of the same rank and two other cards of the same rank (e.g., 2 Aces and 2 Kings).
Two pair is the eighth-best poker hand, and it beats everything except for triples, a flush, a full house, quads, a straight flush, and a royal flush. The odds of being dealt two pair are about 1 in 20 hands.
Pair: Two cards of a similar rank (e.g., 2 Aces).
A pair is the ninth-best poker hand, and it beats everything except for two pair, triples, a flush, a full house, quads, a straight flush, and a royal flush. The odds of being dealt a pair are about 1 in 2 hands.
High Card: When you don’t have any of the above hands, your highest card will be your hand (e.g., Ace).
A high card is the tenth best poker hand, and it beats everything except for a pair, triples, a flush, a full house, quads, a straight flush, and a royal flush. The odds of being dealt a high card are about 1 in 1 hand.
Which poker hands beat which?
The following poker hands beat a flush: full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush.
The following poker hands beat a full house: four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush.
The following poker hands beat four of a kind: straight flush and royal flush.
The following poker hand beats a straight flush: royal flush.
So, what are the strongest hands in poker? There is no definitive answer—it depends on the game you’re playing and the situation you find yourself in. However, understanding which hands are strongest gives you a better chance of winning a game.
If you want to put these principles into practice and start improving your game today, sign up with GGPoker today!
