Beginner guides
Poker hand rankings
Learn what beats what in poker, from a royal flush to high card, with clear card examples and tie-break rules.
The hands, strongest to weakest
Compare the type of hand first: any flush beats any straight, and any full house beats any flush. If both players have the same type, compare the card ranks using the rules below.
These rankings apply to standard high-hand games, including Texas Hold’em. Lowball and short-deck games can use different rules.
Royal flush
The ace-high straight flush: ten through ace, all in one suit. It is the strongest hand in standard high poker.
Same type of hand? There is no higher hand. Players with the same royal flush share the pot.
Straight flush
A run of five cards in the same suit. This example is an eight-high straight flush.
Same type of hand? Compare the top card of each run. The higher one wins.
Four of a kind
All four cards of one rank, plus a fifth card. Four nines are often called ‘quad nines’.
Same type of hand? Compare the four matching cards first, then the fifth card if needed.
Full house
Three matching cards together with a pair. Here you have sevens full of queens.
Same type of hand? Compare the three matching cards first. If those match, compare the pair.
Flush
Five cards in one suit, without a complete run. This is a king-high diamond flush.
Same type of hand? Compare the highest card, then each remaining card in descending order until they differ.
Straight
Five ranks in a row, with more than one suit. Suits do not matter for an ordinary straight.
Same type of hand? The run ending in the higher card wins. Equal runs split the pot.
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank and two other cards of different ranks. These three fours beat any two-pair hand.
Same type of hand? Compare the three matching cards, then the higher side card, then the other side card.
Two pair
Two separate pairs and one side card. This example has jacks and sixes, with an ace.
Same type of hand? Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the side card.
One pair
Two cards of the same rank, with three different side cards. A pair of eights beats a pair of sevens.
Same type of hand? Compare the pair first, then the three side cards from highest to lowest.
High card
When there is no pair, straight or flush, use your highest card. This example is ace-high.
Same type of hand? Compare all five cards from highest to lowest, stopping at the first difference.
Four rules that prevent confusion
Only your best five cards count
In Texas Hold’em, there are seven cards available by the river: two private cards and five on the board. Choose your best five. A sixth or seventh card cannot break a tie, and you do not have to use both private cards.
An ace can be high or low in a straight
A-2-3-4-5 is a five-high straight, the lowest straight. 10-J-Q-K-A is the highest. The ace cannot go in the middle: Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
No suit outranks another at showdown
Hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades have equal value when comparing hands. A spade flush does not beat a heart flush just because of its suit. Compare their cards from highest to lowest.
Identical best hands share the pot
If the best five-card hands have the same category and matching ranks, the players tie. When everyone’s best hand is the five community cards, everyone still in the hand shares the pot.
What is a kicker?
A kicker is a side card used to compare hands of the same type. If you both have a pair of kings, compare the highest card outside the pair, then the next, and the next if needed.
Player one
Player two
Player one wins: both have kings, but the ace kicker beats the queen. Compare the best five-card hands, rather than just the two private cards.
Try it: which hand wins?
One player has a straight. Another has three of a kind. Who wins?
Show the answer
The straight wins. Its hand category ranks above three of a kind, regardless of the ranks in the three matching cards.
The board is A♠ K♦ Q♣ J♥ 10♠. One player holds 8♣ 8♦; the other holds 2♣ 3♦. Neither can make a flush. Who wins?
Show the board-hand answer
They tie. Each player’s best hand is the ace-high straight already on the board. The pair of eights does not improve it, and the unused private cards do not break the tie.