Hand Rankings (High Card to Royal Flush)
Definition
Hand rankings determine which poker hand wins at showdown. In Texas Hold'em, you make the best 5-card hand from your 2 hole cards and 5 community cards. Hands are ranked from Royal Flush (best) to High Card (worst).
The 10 Hand Rankings
| Rank | Hand | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ T♠ | A-K-Q-J-T of same suit |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | 5 consecutive cards, same suit |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 7♠ | 4 cards of same rank |
| 4 | Full House | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 8♣ 8♠ | 3 of a kind + a pair |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 2♦ | 5 cards of same suit |
| 6 | Straight | 9♠ 8♥ 7♦ 6♣ 5♠ | 5 consecutive cards |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠ | 3 cards of same rank |
| 8 | Two Pair | J♠ J♥ 4♦ 4♣ A♠ | 2 different pairs |
| 9 | One Pair | T♠ T♥ A♦ 8♣ 3♠ | 2 cards of same rank |
| 10 | High Card | A♠ Q♥ 9♦ 6♣ 2♠ | No made hand |
Hand Probabilities
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 0.000154% | 1 in 649,740 |
| Straight Flush | 0.00139% | 1 in 72,193 |
| Four of a Kind | 0.024% | 1 in 4,165 |
| Full House | 0.144% | 1 in 694 |
| Flush | 0.197% | 1 in 509 |
| Straight | 0.392% | 1 in 255 |
| Three of a Kind | 2.11% | 1 in 47 |
| Two Pair | 4.75% | 1 in 21 |
| One Pair | 42.3% | 1 in 2.4 |
| High Card | 50.1% | 1 in 2 |
Important Rules
🃏 The Wheel
A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight ("the wheel"). The Ace plays low.
🃏 Broadway
T-J-Q-K-A is the highest straight ("Broadway").
🃏 Suits Don't Rank
A♠ = A♥ = A♦ = A♣
Suits never break ties in Texas Hold'em.
Comparing Same-Ranked Hands
| Hand Type | How to Compare |
|---|---|
| Flush | Highest card, then next highest |
| Straight | Highest card wins |
| Full House | Higher trips wins, then pair |
| Two Pair | Higher pair, then lower pair, then kicker |
| One Pair | Pair rank, then kickers |
Quick Memory Aid
Royal Flush → "The unbeatable"
Straight Flush → "Straight + Flush"
Quads → "Four of same"
Full House → "3 + 2"
Flush → "Same suit"
Straight → "In a row"
Trips → "Three of same"
Two Pair → "Pair + Pair"
One Pair → "Two of same"
High Card → "Nothing"
Key Takeaway
Memorize these rankings until they're automatic. You can't play good poker if you need to think about whether a flush beats a straight. It must be instant.