Standard Poker Hand Ranking

Let us start from the basics: one pack contains fifty two cards and their ranking from high to low is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. There is no ranking between the suits, for example, the king of hearts and the king of spades are equal. Generally, poker hand consists of five cards. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category, for illustration, any three of a kind beats any two pairs. Between hands in the same category, the rank of the individual cards decides which is better, as described in more detail below. In games, where a player has more than five cards and selects five to form a poker hand, the remaining cards do not play any part in the ranking. Poker ranks are always based on five cards only.

When playing poker, sometimes the most frustrating part of the game is figuring out which hand outranks another at the poker table. Standard poker hands are ranked here in order of strength, from the strongest poker hand to the weakest:

1. Royal Flush:

This is the best possible hand in standard five-card poker, in other words it is a sequence from 10 to the Ace in the same suit (10,J,Q,K,A).

2. Straight Flush:

Five cards of the same suit in sequence. The value of the high end of the straight determines the ranking between straights. An Ace can be counted as low, so 5- 4- 3- 2- A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the Ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush.

3. Four of a Kind:

All four cards of the same index while the fifth one can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as "quads", and in some parts of Europe is called poker. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards wins, so 4-4-4-4-2 beats 3-3-3-3-A. It cannot happen in standard poker, but if in some other game you need to compare two fours of a kind where the sets of four cards are of the same rank, then the one with the higher fifth card is better.

4. Full House:

Three of a kind combined with a pair (A,A,A,5,5). When comparing two full houses, the rank of the three cards decides which is higher. For example, 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide.

5. Flush:

Flush is any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence. Do not be tricked into thinking that all five cards are the same color. The high card determines the winner if two or more people have a flush. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal, then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on.

6. Straight:

Straight is five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit. A straight cannot wrap, meaning it is not a straight if you have a Queen, King, Ace, Two, Three. The higher straight wins if two or more people have a straight. In case of fixed straights, we split the pot.

7. Three of a Kind:

Three cards of the same value when the highest set of three cards wins. We call this combination Triplets or Trips. When comparing two identical threes, the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank prevails. So for example, 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-Q. If you have to compare two threes of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.

8. Two Pair:

A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards, therefore J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, we compare the lower pairs, for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.

9. Pair:

One pair of two equal value cards constitutes a pair. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better, so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking of odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So, J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8.

10. High Card:

If a poker hand contains none of the above combinations, we agree on the tie by the highest card in the hand. Suits do not break ties.