To succeed in poker, every beginner must learn the various hands and their rankings. Knowing how strong your hand is in a given situation will help you decide your next moves wisely. There are only ten poker hands to remember, so it’s manageable! And for the first few games, feel free to print the chart below and keep it handy.
The hands on the chart are organized by strength—from the weakest at the bottom to the strongest at the top. Each one also includes a brief description of how it’s formed. But sometimes, situations get tricky and require more detail. That’s why we’re breaking down each hand below, in the same order as they appear on the chart.
Poker Hands Ranked by Strength
A poker hand consists of five cards. Even if all five don’t directly form a hand, they still play a role. For example, a “pair” uses just two cards, but the remaining three “kicker” cards (explained below) can help break ties when two players have the same pair.
Royal Flush
The Royal Flush is the ultimate poker hand and is extremely rare (some players might never hit it in their lifetime). This hand is made of five cards in the same suit, running from 10 through Ace. In other words, a 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit is a Royal Flush. Suit doesn’t matter here; a heart Royal Flush doesn’t beat a spade Royal Flush.
In Texas Hold’em, multiple players can get a Royal Flush if all five cards are on the board.
Straight Flush
The next highest hand is the Straight Flush, similar to a Royal Flush but with any starting card. Unlike the Royal Flush, it doesn’t have to begin with a 10. If two or more players have a Straight Flush, the hand with the highest starting card wins.
The smallest Straight Flush possible is A-2-3-4-5, also called the “wheel,” where the Ace counts as the lowest card.
Four of a Kind (Quads)
Four of a Kind ranks third and consists of four cards of the same rank. The higher the rank, the stronger the hand, with four Aces being the best. When two players have the same Four of a Kind, the winner is determined by the kicker card.
Full House
A Full House combines three cards of one rank and two of another. The strength of the hand depends on the rank of the three cards. For example, 10-10-10-2-2 beats 9-9-9-K-K. If two players have the same three cards, the two-card pair breaks the tie.
Flush
A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit, with no specific order required. The highest card in the Flush determines its strength. For example, an A-2-4-6-7 Flush wins over a K-Q-J-10-8 Flush. Suit does not affect the rank.
Straight
A Straight is five consecutive cards in rank. Like with a Straight Flush, the highest card determines the rank of the Straight. The highest Straight is 10-J-Q-K-A, and the smallest Straight is A-2-3-4-5 (the “wheel”).
Three of a Kind (Trips)
Three of a Kind consists of three cards of the same rank. This hand also has two kickers. When multiple players have the same Three of a Kind, the kicker cards are used to break the tie.
Two Pair
As the name suggests, Two Pair includes two pairs of cards with different ranks. If two players have Two Pair, the higher pair wins. If both pairs are the same, the kicker determines the winner.
One Pair
One Pair is simply two cards of the same rank, with three kicker cards. The highest possible Pair is Aces, and the lowest is twos. In case of a tie, the kickers are used to decide the winner.
High Card
If no one has any of the hands listed above, the winner is the player with the highest card in their hand. This hand can be thought of as five kickers with no hand made.
These are all the basic poker hands. For beginners, they’re explained as clearly as possible. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.
