You’ve got two pair and feel good about it. Then someone flips a flush and takes the whole pot. Every hand type has an exact spot in the rankings, and one of them always wins.
From strongest to weakest, the poker hands in order are: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. The chart below breaks down each one with examples, and the sections after it explain exactly what beats what. Learn the order once, and reading hands in a poker game gets easier.
Poker Hands Chart: The Full Hand Ranking
You’ll find poker hands ranked into ten total types. Suits don’t affect the ranking; only the combination does. Check the details below for the full breakdown.
| Rank | Hand | What It Means | Example |
| 1 | Royal Flush | The five highest-ranked cards (Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten), all sharing one suit | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ |
| 2 | Straight Flush | Five same-suit cards in numerical order | 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same rank | 9♣ 9♦ 9♥ 9♠ K♦ |
| 4 | Full House | Three cards of one rank plus a pair | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 5♣ 5♥ |
| 5 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit | A♣ J♣ 8♣ 4♣ 2♣ |
| 6 | Straight | Five cards in a row, mixed suits | 7♦ 8♠ 9♥ 10♣ J♦ |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank | 5♣ 5♦ 5♠ K♣ 10♦ |
| 8 | Two Pair | Two separate pairs | J♣ J♦ 4♠ 4♥ A♣ |
| 9 | One Pair | Two cards of the same rank | 10♠ 10♦ K♣ 7♥ 3♣ |
| 10 | High Card | No pair or pattern, highest card wins | A♠ J♦ 8♣ 6♥ 3♦ |
Three matchups come up more than any other. A flush beats a straight, because five cards of one suit are harder to make than five in sequence. A full house beats a flush, for the same reason. And three of a kind beats two pair, even though two pair uses more of your cards.
Royal Flush
A royal flush sits at the top of every list of best poker hands. It is an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, all in the same suit. Only four exist in a full deck. Nothing beats it, and the only time it does not win outright is when the whole royal flush is on the board, and every remaining player shares it.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is five cards in a row, all in the same suit. It beats four of a kind and everything below it, and loses only to a royal flush. When two players both have one, the higher top card takes the pot. Outside of a royal flush, nothing you will see while playing poker beats it.
Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is four cards of the same rank, which players usually call quads. It beats a full house and loses only to a straight flush or a royal flush. It is rare enough to feel like a small celebration when it lands.
Full House
A full house is three matching cards plus a separate pair, sometimes called a boat. It beats a flush and loses to four of a kind. When two players both have one, the higher three-card set decides it, so kings full of twos beats queens full of aces. Knowing how to play a full house in poker matters most when the board pairs and someone could have quads.
Flush
A flush is five cards of the same suit that are not in sequence. It beats a straight and loses to a full house. Suit never breaks a tie, so when two players both make a flush, the highest card in the flush wins.
Straight
A straight is five cards in numerical order with mixed suits. It beats three of a kind and loses to a flush. An Ace can sit at the top or the bottom of a straight, but never both, so A-2-3-4-5 and 10-J-Q-K-A are both valid while Q-K-A-2-3 is not. There is more to playing a straight in poker than spotting one, especially when the board is showing a flush draw.
Three of a Kind
Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards. It beats two pair and loses to a straight. In Texas Hold ‘Em, you will hear two names for it, and they are not interchangeable: a set is when you hold a pocket pair and match it on the board, while trips is when one of your cards matches a pair already showing.
Two Pair
Two pair is two separate pairs plus one extra card. It beats one pair and loses to three of a kind. It shows up often in a normal game, and when two players both have it, the highest pair is compared first, then the second pair, then the fifth card.
One Pair
One pair is two cards of the same rank with three unrelated cards alongside them. It beats high card and loses to two pair. You will see this hand more than any other at the table, and when two players hold the same pair, the highest side card decides the pot.
High Card
High card means your five cards do not form a pair, a sequence or a matching suit. It is the weakest hand on the list and loses to everything above it, but it still takes plenty of pots when nobody else connects. Whoever holds the single highest card wins.
Poker Hand Guide: How Rare Each Hand Is
The rankings are not arbitrary. Each hand sits where it does because of how many ways it can be made from a 52-card deck; the rarer the combination, the higher it ranks. Some poker combinations are far harder to hit than others, and the numbers below show exactly how much.
| Hand | Combinations | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 4 | 0.000154% |
| Straight Flush | 36 | 0.00139% |
| Four of a Kind | 624 | 0.024% |
| Full House | 3,744 | 0.144% |
| Flush | 5,108 | 0.197% |
| Straight | 10,200 | 0.392% |
| Three of a Kind | 54,912 | 2.11% |
| Two Pair | 123,552 | 4.75% |
| One Pair | 1,098,240 | 42.26% |
| High Card | 1,302,540 | 50.12% |
Two numbers are worth remembering. More than 92% of five-card hands come out as one pair or worse, which is why a single pair wins more pots than most new players expect. A flush is rarer than a straight, which is why a flush beats one. The same math drives Texas Hold ‘Em poker odds during a hand, not just at showdown.
What Happens If There’s a Tie?
Sometimes two players end up with the same type of hand. When that happens, the cards decide it, and the comparison always runs from the highest card down.
Start with the cards that define the hand. Two flushes are settled by the highest card in each flush. Two full houses are settled by the three-card set, not the pair.
If the hand itself is identical, the kicker breaks the tie. A kicker is the highest unmatched card left in your five-card hand. Say you hold ace-king and your opponent holds ace-queen on a board of A-9-6-4-2. You both have a pair of aces, but your king outkicks their queen and the pot is yours.
If all five cards match exactly, the pot splits. That happens most often when the best five-card hand is the board itself, and neither player’s hole cards improve on it.
How to Get More Winning Poker Hands
Winning poker hands aren’t only about the cards you’re dealt. How you play them matters just as much. A handful of small changes can boost your results over time.
- Fold quickly if your hand ranks near the bottom of the list.
- Watch the board for possible flushes or straights against you.
- Play fewer hands, but play them with more confidence.
- Pay attention to how other players bet, not just their cards.
None of this guarantees a win, but it does put the odds back in your favor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Poker Hands
How do you read poker hands?
Compare hand types first, since a higher category always beats a lower one. If both hands are in the same category, compare the card ranks within each hand, starting with the cards that define the hand and working down to the kicker. The poker hands chart near the top of this page settles most of it in a few seconds, and a poker cheat sheet is worth keeping handy while the order is still new.
What are the top 5 starting hands in poker?
In Texas Hold ‘Em, the strongest starting hands are pocket Aces, pocket Kings, pocket Queens, Ace-King suited and pocket Jacks. These five win more often than any other starting combination before the flop. The full list of strongest starting hands goes deeper, including how position changes which hands are worth playing.
What is the unluckiest hand in poker?
Seven-deuce offsuit is widely considered the worst starting hand in Texas Hold ‘Em. The cards do not connect well and rarely improve into anything strong, which is why it has picked up the nickname “the hammer.”
What’s the luckiest hand in poker?
Pocket Aces have the highest poker hand strength of any starting cards. It wins against any other single starting hand more often than not before the flop.
How to win more hands in poker?
Play fewer hands and fold when your cards are weak before the flop. Pay attention to the board and to how your opponents bet.
Come Play at WinStar Casino
These poker hands, in order, will start to feel familiar after a few sessions at the table. Watch the board closely, and let the rankings guide your next move. The cards don’t change, but how you read them will.
So, time to put this list to work! Head over to WinStar World Casino and Resort and take a seat at the tables. We’d love to have you.
