Poker basics
Poker hands ranking, best to worst
There are 10 possible poker hands. The higher your hand is on this list, the better. In Texas Hold'em you make the best five-card hand you can from your two cards and the five shared cards on the board. Here's every hand, ranked, with a real example.
- 1
Royal flush
Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace — all the same suit. The best possible hand. You'll rarely see it, and it never loses.
10JQKATen to Ace, all spades - 2
Straight flush
Five cards in a row, all the same suit. Like a royal flush, just not topping out at the Ace.
56789Five to nine, all hearts - 3
Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank — also called quads. A monster hand that almost always wins.
QQQQ3Four Queens - 4
Full house
Three of a kind plus a pair. Strong and common enough to play often — say 'Kings full of fives.'
KKK55Three Kings and two fives - 5
Flush
Five cards of the same suit, in any order. When suits all match, you're flush.
269JAFive diamonds, ace high - 6
Straight
Five cards in a row of mixed suits. The Ace can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5).
678910Six to ten, mixed suits - 7
Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank — often called trips or a set. A solid, frequently winning hand.
888K4Three eights - 8
Two pair
Two cards of one rank and two of another. Decent, but watch out for bigger hands.
AA995Aces and nines - 9
Pair
Two cards of the same rank. The most common made hand — a high pair can still win plenty of pots.
JJA72Pair of Jacks - 10
High card
No pair, no anything — your highest card plays. The weakest hand, but it can still win if everyone else missed too.
AJ852Ace high
Two quick rules
- Suits never break ties. Spades aren't worth more than hearts. If two players have the same hand, the higher cards decide it.
- Kickers matter. When two players share a pair, the next highest card — the kicker — wins the pot.
Now go make some hands
Practice spotting these for real — Wit will call them out as you play.