Poker hand rankings, strongest to weakest
Every poker hand falls into one of ten categories. A higher category always beats a lower one. Within the same category, the cards inside the hand break the tie. Suits never rank above each other.
All ten hands, strongest first
| Hand | Example | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Royal flush | As Ks Qs Js Ts | The highest straight flush: ace-high, all one suit. It cannot be beaten, and all royal flushes tie. |
| 2. Straight flush | 9h 8h 7h 6h 5h | Five consecutive ranks, all one suit. Higher top card wins. |
| 3. Four of a kind | 8s 8h 8d 8c Kd | Four cards of one rank plus a fifth card, the kicker. Compare the quads first, then the kicker. |
| 4. Full house | Kh Kd Ks 4c 4d | Three of one rank and two of another. Compare the three-of-a-kind rank first, then the pair. |
| 5. Flush | Ah Jh 8h 5h 2h | Five cards of one suit, not in sequence. Compare the highest card, then the next, and so on. |
| 6. Straight | 10c 9d 8h 7s 6c | Five consecutive ranks, any suits. Higher top card wins. |
| 7. Three of a kind | Qs Qd Qc 9h 4s | Three cards of one rank plus two unrelated kickers. |
| 8. Two pair | Jh Jd 5c 5s Ad | Two different pairs plus a kicker. Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the kicker. |
| 9. One pair | 10s 10d Ah 7c 3d | Two cards of one rank plus three kickers, compared in order. |
| 10. High card | Ad Jc 9h 6s 3d | No pair, straight, or flush. Compare the highest card, then the next, and so on. |
The ace and the wheel
The ace can be high or low in a straight, but it cannot wrap around. A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest straight, often called broadway. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight, called the wheel, and it counts as five-high, so 6-5-4-3-2 beats it. A hand like Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
Kickers and tie-breaking
A kicker is a card that is not part of the main combination but helps decide a tie. Suppose two players have a pair of aces. One holds Ah Kd and the other Ac Jd, and the board is As 8c 5h 3d 2s. Both have a pair of aces. Their best five cards are A A K 8 5 and A A J 8 5. The first has the king kicker and wins.
If the best five cards are identical in rank, the pot is split. This happens when the board itself is the best hand, for example a board of Tc Jd Qh Ks Ac. Everyone has a broadway straight, and no flush is possible on this board.
- Full houses: compare the three-of-a-kind rank before the pair rank.
- Flushes: compare cards from highest to lowest until one differs.
- Two pair: higher pair, then lower pair, then the kicker.
Always the best five of seven
In Hold'em you pick the best five from your two hole cards and five board cards. With Ah 9h on a board of Kh 7h 2h Qc 3d you have an ace-high flush using both hole cards. Learn more about how a hand plays out in the Texas Hold'em rules.
Common mistakes
- Believing a flush beats a full house. A full house is higher.
- Treating two pair as stronger than three of a kind. Three of a kind is higher.
- Forgetting that a flush needs five cards of the same suit, not four.
- Letting suit break a tie between equal hands.
- Ignoring the kicker when both players share the same pair.
Once you know the order, the next skill is deciding whether a draw is worth a call. That is what pot odds are for.