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Poker hand rankings

From strongest to weakest. You always play your best five cards; faded cards in each example don't count towards the hand.

  1. Rank 1: Royal flush

    Ace, king, queen, jack and ten, all in one suit. It can't be beaten, and most players go years without seeing one.

  2. Rank 2: Straight flush

    Five cards in a row, all in the same suit. If two players have one, the higher top card wins.

  3. Rank 3: Four of a kind

    All four cards of one rank. The fifth card, the kicker, only matters if two players share the same four.

  4. Rank 4: Full house

    Three of one rank plus a pair of another. Ties are settled by the three-card set first, then the pair.

  5. Rank 5: Flush

    Any five cards of the same suit that aren't in a row. Compare the highest card, then the next, and so on.

  6. Rank 6: Straight

    Five cards in a row in mixed suits. The ace can sit at the top (10-J-Q-K-A) or the bottom (A-2-3-4-5).

  7. Rank 7: Three of a kind

    Three cards of the same rank alongside two cards that don't match. Sometimes called trips or a set.

  8. Rank 8: Two pair

    Two different pairs and one spare card. The higher pair is compared first, then the lower, then the spare.

  9. Rank 9: One pair

    Two cards of the same rank. When two players hold the same pair, the best remaining cards decide it.

  10. Rank 10: High card

    Nothing connects, so your highest card does the talking. It wins more pots than you'd think.