Poker Hand Rankings

Hand rankings are shared by Hold’em, Omaha and almost every other poker variant. From strongest to weakest:

The ranking

1. Royal flush – A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit.
2. Straight flush – five consecutive cards of the same suit.
3. Four of a kind – four cards of one rank.
4. Full house – three of a kind plus a pair.
5. Flush – five cards of the same suit, not consecutive.
6. Straight – five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
7. Three of a kind – three cards of one rank.
8. Two pair – two different pairs.
9. One pair – two cards of one rank.
10. High card – nothing above; the highest card plays.

Breaking ties

• A hand is always five cards. When players share the same category, compare the ranks that define the hand first (higher three of a kind, higher pair), then the remaining cards in order – the kickers.
• Two identical five-card hands split the pot. Suits never break ties.
• In a flush, compare the highest card, then the next, and so on.
• In a full house, the three of a kind decides before the pair.

The ace

The ace is high in every category and additionally low in a straight: A-2-3-4-5 (the “wheel”) is the lowest straight. It cannot wrap around: Q-K-A-2-3 is nothing.

Common mistakes

• Counting a sixth card. Only five play; a “two pair with a better third pair” does not exist.
• In Omaha, forgetting the exactly-two-hole-cards rule; see Omaha rules.
• Thinking a higher-suited flush beats a lower one in some suit order. It does not.

Short-deck

Six-plus Hold’em, played without deuces through fives, changes the order: a flush beats a full house, and in most versions three of a kind beats a straight. Check the table’s rules before playing. For standard Hold’em see Texas Hold’em rules.