Poker Hand Rankings
From best to worst, poker hands rank royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. A hand is always five cards, and the rarer the kind, the higher it ranks. Here is the whole ladder, best hand first, with how often each one comes up in the 2,598,960 possible five-card hands.
Learn the ten hands in QuadsFree, five minutes.
The Ladder, Best Hand First
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A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠
A-K-Q-J-10 all in one suit, the best hand in poker.
Comes up in 0.00015% of hands, about 1 in 650,000.
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9♥8♥7♥6♥5♥
Five in a row, all one suit.
Comes up in 0.0014% of hands, about 1 in 72,000.
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7♣7♦7♥7♠K♦
All four cards of one rank.
Comes up in 0.024% of hands, about 1 in 4,200.
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K♣K♦K♥7♠7♦
Three of a kind plus a pair.
Comes up in 0.14% of hands, about 1 in 694.
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A♦J♦9♦6♦2♦
Five cards of one suit, not in a row.
Comes up in 0.20% of hands, about 1 in 509.
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9♣8♦7♥6♠5♦
Five ranks in a row, mixed suits.
Comes up in 0.39% of hands, about 1 in 255.
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Q♣Q♦Q♥9♠2♦
Three cards of the same rank.
Comes up in 2.1% of hands, about 1 in 47.
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K♣K♦7♥7♠A♦
Two different pairs.
Comes up in 4.8% of hands, about 1 in 21.
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A♣A♦9♥6♠2♦
Two cards of the same rank.
Comes up in 42% of hands, about 1 in 2.4.
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A♣J♦9♥6♠2♦
No pair, no straight, no flush, so the highest card counts.
Comes up in 50% of hands, about 1 in 2.
Which hand wins?
When two hands meet, the one higher on the ladder wins, whatever its cards. A tiny flush beats an Ace-high straight, because a flush is rarer. A pair of 2s beats Ace-King high: one match beats none.
Suits never break a tie. No suit beats another. Two hands that differ only by suit split the pot.
Questions
What is the best hand in poker?
A royal flush: A-K-Q-J-10 all in one suit, the best hand in poker. It comes up in 0.00015% of hands, about 1 in 650,000.
What is the lowest hand in poker?
High card: no pair, no straight, no flush, so the highest card counts. When nobody has a pair or better, the highest card wins.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush comes up in 0.20% of hands, about 1 in 509, a straight in 0.39% of hands, about 1 in 255. The rarer hand ranks higher.
Does a full house beat a flush?
Yes. A full house comes up in 0.14% of hands, about 1 in 694, a flush in 0.20% of hands, about 1 in 509. The rarer hand ranks higher.
Does four of a kind beat a full house?
Yes. Four of a kind comes up in 0.024% of hands, about 1 in 4,200, a full house in 0.14% of hands, about 1 in 694. The rarer hand ranks higher.
Do suits matter in poker?
No. No suit beats another. Two hands that differ only by suit split the pot.
Practise it in 5 minutes A short lesson, free: the ten hands, part 1.
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