All Poker Hands Ranking Chart
What is poker hands order, and how are they formed? This is fundamental knowledge required to achieve success in any format. After all, you can take the pot by collecting the best combination compared to your opponents (or by compelling all rivals to muck their cards).
The rules for making hands may vary depending on the discipline, but you will mainly assemble combos using five cards. In Texas Holdem, for example, you can tap into 5 figures on the board and 2 personal starters in all proportions (i.e. choose five elements out of seven to make the optimal combination). In Omaha poker, you must use only two cards out of those four ones you’re holding and any three on the table.
We have prepared a handy and easy-to-understand guide that will be helpful for both absolute beginners and players looking to brush up on their knowledge. Clicking on each combination will open a detailed article explaining its specific characteristics.
How Are Poker Hands Ranked
| Rank | Combo | Example | Probability | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush |  | 0.003% | This is the most senior/powerful and the rarest combo one can make. It includes suited 10, J, Q, K, and A. In simpler terms, a royal flush can be considered the highest-ranking straight flush or the best of all suited straights. |
| 2 | Straight Flush |  | 0.028% | A combination of 5 consecutive cards, all of the exact suit (aka "suited straight"). It ranks just below a royal flush in terms of strength. When forming this hand (as well as a straight), an ace can be regarded as both the highest card (following the king) and the lowest one (preceding deuce). |
| 3 | Four of a Kind (or Quads) |  | 0.168% | Four cards share the same rank, for example, kings (KKKK). If two players have collected quads, the one with the higher card rank wins. If four-of-a-kind is on the table, the pot goes to the individual with a superior kicker. |
| 4 | Full House |  | 2.596% | Three elements of one value and two elements of another value (three-of-a-kind + pair). Its name reads like "jacks full of queens" (J-J-J-Q-Q) or "eights full o deuces" (8-8-8-4-4). If multiple people have a full house, the victor is determined by the triplet (3 numerically matching cards). |
| 5 | Flush |  | 3.025% | A combination of any 5 suited cards. Its value is decided by the highest figure in it, e.g. a king-high flush (64-84-T-J-K). Should two participants share the same superior card (which is on the board), their seniority is determined by the second-highest element, and so forth. |
| 6 | Straight |  | 4.6% | Five cards in consecutive order, regardless of their suit. In the case of multiple players having a straight, the champ is defined by a superior piece in this sequence, e.g. 84-9-T-J-Q♥ (pronounced as an "eight-to-queen" straight). |
| 7 | Three of a Kind (Triplet: Set/Trips) |  | 4.8% | Three cards of identical value. The better the rank, the stronger the combo, e.g. a "set of kings" beats a "set of sixes". If players have equally ranked triplets, the one with the stronger kicker wins. Sets and trips differ in how they are formed, with a set consisting of a pocket pair and one element on the board, while trips involve one pocket card and a pair on the table. |
| 8 | Two Pair |  | 23.5% | Two pairs of different values. The name includes both pairs, for example, a pair of tens and a pair of fives. Such hands' superiority is decided by the higher-ranked pairs, and if they are equal, then the lower-ranked pairs should be compared. If both pairs are equivalent, the kicker comes into play. |
| 9 | One Pair |  | 43.8% | Two cards of the same rank. The highest pair in poker is A-A (aces), while the lowest one is 2-2 (deuces). One can form such a combination either using their hole cards or community cards on the board. If people have matching pairs, the remaining three cards are compared to name the victor. |
| 10 | High Card |  | 17.4% | This is the lowest-ranking hand, which applies when you don't have any of the above-mentioned combinations. In this case, your cards are of different suits, don't match in rank, and don't form a sequence. In NLHE, you'll choose the five highest-valued cards from the seven available (board and hole ones). |
We have focused on Texas Holdem hands, as it is the most popular variation today. However, keep in mind that there are other types as well. If you're new to the game, you will also find poker rules, glossary, and poker cheat sheet useful in your journey (they will make things easier for you).
Unable to hold in memory what are the 5 hand poker rankings? No worries, as you can download and print our combination chart in high quality when needed. Having a visual reference to all hands can be really helpful, however, we recommend memorizing them by heart, as that’s the basis for playing online/offline poker.
Poker players commonly call the hand AK (ace-king) by the name of the renowned tennis player Anna Kournikova. There is an ironic explanation behind this nickname: it looks great but plays poorly. Thus, people frequently fail to form a strong combination when having it.
How to Determine a Winning Combo
When playing poker, combinations and their strength define the champ in each hand. However, novices sometimes struggle with analyzing their sets of cards.
Let’s assume we entered a hand, went through all betting streets and reached the showdown.
Suppose that we are opposed by two individuals. We reveal our cards, and both rivals show their holdings.
It’s time to assess our combo. We remind you that to form the best poker hands, one should pick 5 cards from the 7 available (two starting elements and five on the board).
Now let’s define which combo each of our opponents has. We compare the strength of 3 hands, with the strongest grabbing the pot. If there are two identical ones, then the pot is equally divided between their holders. If the most powerful combo comes on the board, then the pot is split among all three finalists (for instance, a full house lies on the table and no one has a better hand).
You cannot control which figures will appear on the board, but you can aim to play stronger starters to increase the probability of forming winning compounds. It is also essential to note that the power of a combination doesn’t depend on its suit.
At the World Series of Poker, combos and starting hands are often given a new name if someone achieves victory with them. For example, T-2 was named after Doyle Brunson as a tribute to the poker player who secured his first two gold (WSOP) bracelets holding that hand.
What is Kicker in Poker
We cannot always determine the victor in accordance with poker hand rankings, so the concept of "kicker" must be sometimes applied. This card isn’t included in the combination itself, but we use it to understand who will take the pot when a few players have equally ranked hands. This may sound complicated, but with an example, everything will quickly become clear to you.
Four queens and five are on the board: Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ 5♥.
Player 1: K♠ 9♥
Player 2: J♦ 5♦
Both players have the same combination, that is, four of a kind. And this is the strongest hand that can be collected from the given seven pieces. But, who is the winner? This is where the kicker comes into play. Player 1 kicker is a King (which is the highest figure among K, 9, and 5), while Player 2 has a kicker Jack (they also have a pair of fives, but it does not count here, since their superior five-card combo is QQQQJ). So, now everything is obvious: Player 1 emerges victorious.
If you're into tournaments, then you might find a tool like Sharkscope quite useful and valuable. This program gives extensive information about each of your opponents at the tables, helping you make optimal decisions during gameplay.
Draw Combinations at a Glance
In this article, we are looking at standard hands, and there are ten of them: from a high card to a royal flush. However, there is another crucial concept known as a draw. It occurs when you are one or two pieces away from completing a strong combo. This situation commonly arises on the flop or the turn. It's worth noting that draws become impossible once you reach the river, as no more cards will be laid out on the board (meaning your hand has no further chance of improvement).
The most common types of draws are listed as follows:
- straight draw (open-ended straight draw, gutshot)
- flush draw
It's crucial to understand here that you can sometimes play your cards aggressively (by placing bets and/or raising) with just a draw rather than a complete hand. You should be able to identify draws in your own holding as well as predict the possibility of your opponents having them.
Must have online rooms for newbies
So, in this article, you got acquainted with all poker combinations, learned how to determine the winner, and found out the concept of kickers and draws. These fundamental aspects are crucial for gaining a clear understanding of the game and improving your play. If you find it challenging to memorize the combos and feel overwhelmed, don’t worry. Practising in the poker rooms listed below, you will soon gain confidence and never confuse a flush with a straight again.
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FAQ
👑 What is the poker hands in order?
In the traditional game and most variations, there are exactly 10 possible combinations. Here is their ranking from weakest to strongest: high card, one pair, two pair, set/trips, straight, flush, full house, quads, straight-flush, royal flush.
There is no hierarchy among suits: hearts, spades, clubs or diamonds. This means that a king-high spade straight flush and a king-high heart straight flush are equally powerful.
⭐️ What is the difference between a straight and a flush?
A sequence of five off-suit figures forms a straight, for instance, 9♣-8♥-7♠-6♣-5♦. A flush, in turn, is a set made up of five suited elements in any order (their sequence is completely unimportant). For example, 4♥-K♥-9♥-T♥-3♥.
👀 Is ace 2 3 4 5 a straight?
Yes. Ace is the only item that can be both high (A-K-Q-J-T) and low in a straight. Therefore, 5-4-3-2-A (otherwise called "wheel") is the weakest set of this type.
