Poker Hand Rankings: The Complete Hierarchy
Understanding Poker Hand Rankings
Poker hand rankings form the foundation of all poker variants, from Texas Hold'em to Omaha to Three Card Poker. Knowing which five-card combination beats which is essential for making optimal decisions at every stage of a hand. The hierarchy is based on mathematical probability—rarer hands rank higher because they are statistically more difficult to achieve.
In standard poker, hands are always five cards regardless of the variant. In Texas Hold'em, you make your best five-card hand from seven available cards (two hole cards plus five community cards). In Omaha, you must use exactly two of your four hole cards with exactly three community cards to form your five-card hand. In all cases, the same ranking hierarchy applies.
This reference guide presents all ten standard poker hands in order from strongest to weakest, with probability data, examples, and clarifications about tiebreakers. Understanding these rankings is prerequisite knowledge for serious poker study—you cannot evaluate hand strength, calculate equity, or make strategic decisions without this fundamental framework.
1. Royal Flush
Definition: A-K-Q-J-10 all of the same suit. This is the absolute best hand in poker, an unbeatable combination that cannot be beaten by any other hand. It is actually a specific type of straight flush—the highest possible straight flush.
Example: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
Probability: Approximately 1 in 30,940 hands (0.00323%) when dealt five cards from a 52-card deck. In Texas Hold'em, where you see seven cards total, the probability increases slightly to about 1 in 30,940 over the course of a hand. This remains extraordinarily rare—many poker players go years without seeing a Royal Flush in live play.
Notes: All suits are equal in poker, so the Royal Flush in spades is identical in value to a Royal Flush in hearts, diamonds, or clubs. If two players somehow both had a Royal Flush (only possible in games with wild cards or community card games where all five cards are shared), the pot would be split equally.
2. Straight Flush
Definition: Five consecutive cards all of the same suit, but not A-K-Q-J-10 (which would be a Royal Flush). The straight can be any sequence from A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel or bicycle, the lowest straight) up to 9-10-J-Q-K (the highest straight flush besides the royal).
Examples: 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ or K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦ 9♦
Probability: Approximately 1 in 3,590 hands (0.0279%) when dealt five cards. In Texas Hold'em, the probability is higher due to seeing seven cards, but straight flushes remain extremely rare in practice.
Tiebreaker: The straight flush with the highest top card wins. K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 9♠ beats 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣ because the King-high straight flush outranks the nine-high straight flush. In the special case of A-2-3-4-5, the Ace is considered low, making this the lowest possible straight flush (a five-high straight).
Notes: Aces can be high (in A-K-Q-J-10) or low (in A-2-3-4-5) for straights and straight flushes, but cannot wrap around. K-A-2-3-4 is not a valid straight. The A-2-3-4-5 straight flush is sometimes called a "steel wheel" in Omaha Hi-Lo and similar games.
3. Four of a Kind (Quads)
Definition: Four cards of the same rank plus one unrelated side card (kicker). Also called "quads" in poker terminology. This is a very strong hand that occurs far more frequently than straight flushes but remains quite rare.
Examples: 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ K♠ or A♥ A♠ A♦ A♣ 3♦
Probability: Approximately 1 in 595 hands (0.168%) when dealt five cards from a standard deck. In community card games like Texas Hold'em, quads can be made by having a pocket pair that connects with a pair on the board, or by having one card in your hand match three on the board.
Tiebreaker: The rank of the four matching cards determines the winner. Four Aces beats Four Kings, which beats Four Queens, and so on down to Four Deuces as the lowest quads. If two players have the same four of a kind (only possible in community card games where the quads are on the board), the fifth card (kicker) determines the winner. A♥ A♠ A♦ A♣ K♠ beats A♥ A♠ A♦ A♣ Q♦.
Notes: In Texas Hold'em, if all four cards of one rank appear on the board, all remaining players have quads and the player with the highest hole card wins. This creates rare situations where the kicker becomes critical.
4. Full House (Boat)
Definition: Three cards of one rank plus two cards of another rank. Also called a "boat" or "full boat" in poker slang. This powerful hand beats flushes and straights but loses to quads and straight flushes.
Examples: K♠ K♥ K♦ 9♣ 9♠ (Kings full of Nines) or 7♥ 7♦ 7♣ 4♠ 4♥ (Sevens full of Fours)
Probability: Approximately 1 in 694 hands (0.144%) when dealt five random cards. In Texas Hold'em and Omaha, full houses occur more frequently due to the additional cards available, making them relatively common winning hands in pots that reach showdown.
Tiebreaker: The rank of the three matching cards (trips) determines the winner first. If two players both have Kings full, the rank of the pair breaks the tie. K♠ K♥ K♦ 9♣ 9♠ beats K♠ K♥ K♦ 5♣ 5♠. Similarly, 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ A♣ A♠ beats 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ K♠ because the three Eights outrank the three Sevens, regardless of the pair.
Notes: When stating a full house, the trips are always mentioned first: "Kings full of Nines" or "Sevens over Fours." In games with community cards, it's possible for the board to show a full house, in which case all active players share it unless someone can improve it with their hole cards.
5. Flush
Definition: Five cards all of the same suit, not in consecutive order. If they were consecutive, the hand would be a straight flush instead. The flush is a strong hand that beats straights due to being statistically rarer.
Examples: K♠ J♠ 9♠ 5♠ 3♠ or A♦ Q♦ 10♦ 7♦ 2♦
Probability: Approximately 1 in 509 hands (0.197%) when dealt five cards. In Texas Hold'em, flush draws are common—starting with two suited cards gives roughly a 6.5% chance of completing a flush by the river, making this a frequently pursued draw.
Tiebreaker: The flush with the highest card wins. If the highest cards tie, compare the second-highest, then third-highest, and so on. A♠ J♠ 9♠ 6♠ 3♠ beats K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 8♠ because the Ace is higher than the King. If comparing K♦ Q♦ 9♦ 6♦ 4♦ versus K♥ Q♥ 9♥ 6♥ 3♥, the first flush wins because the fourth card (6 versus 6) ties but the fifth card (4 beats 3).
Notes: Suits have no ranking in poker—a spade flush is exactly equal in value to a diamond flush with the same card ranks. In community card games, if five suited cards appear on the board, all players have a flush and the player with the highest suited hole card wins.
6. Straight
Definition: Five consecutive cards of mixed suits. If all five cards were the same suit, the hand would be a straight flush. The straight is a middling-strength hand that beats trips and two pair but loses to flushes and better.
Examples: 10♥ 9♠ 8♦ 7♣ 6♥ or A♠ K♦ Q♣ J♥ 10♠
Probability: Approximately 1 in 255 hands (0.392%) when dealt five cards. In Texas Hold'em, open-ended straight draws (needing one card on either end) have about an 8.5% chance per street to complete, making them powerful drawing hands.
Tiebreaker: The straight with the highest top card wins. A-K-Q-J-10 (broadway) is the highest straight, beating K-Q-J-10-9, which beats Q-J-10-9-8, and so on. The lowest straight is A-2-3-4-5 (wheel or bicycle), where the Ace acts as a low card. In A-2-3-4-5, the five is the "high" card of the straight, making it lose to any other straight.
Notes: Aces can be high or low for straights, but not both simultaneously. A-K-Q-J-10 is valid (Ace high), and A-2-3-4-5 is valid (Ace low), but K-A-2-3-4 is not a straight. Two straights of the same rank always split the pot—there's no tiebreaker beyond the high card.
7. Three of a Kind (Trips/Set)
Definition: Three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated side cards (kickers). Called "trips" when two of the three cards are on the board and one is in your hand, or a "set" when you have a pocket pair that connects with one board card. This distinction matters in Hold'em strategy but not for hand ranking purposes.
Examples: Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ J♣ 7♠ or 5♥ 5♦ 5♣ K♠ 9♦
Probability: Approximately 1 in 47 hands (2.13%) when dealt five cards. In Texas Hold'em, flopping a set with a pocket pair occurs roughly 12% of the time, making sets powerful but not uncommon hands in full-ring games.
Tiebreaker: The rank of the three matching cards determines the winner. Three Aces beats Three Kings, and so on. If two players have the same three of a kind (possible in community card games), the highest kicker wins, then the second kicker if necessary. Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ K♣ 9♠ beats Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ J♣ 10♠ because the King kicker outranks the Jack.
Notes: Three of a kind beats two pair, which confuses some beginners. The probability-based ranking system makes three matching cards rarer than two separate pairs. In games like Omaha, where stronger hands are more common due to four hole cards, three of a kind is often not strong enough to win at showdown.
8. Two Pair
Definition: Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, plus one unrelated kicker card. This is a common hand in all poker variants and frequently wins at showdown, particularly in Texas Hold'em.
Examples: A♠ A♦ 8♥ 8♣ K♠ (Aces and Eights) or J♣ J♠ 5♦ 5♥ Q♣
Probability: Approximately 1 in 21 hands (4.75%) when dealt five cards. In Texas Hold'em, two pair occurs frequently—if you pair one hole card on the flop, you have roughly a 17% chance to pair your second hole card by the river, creating two pair.
Tiebreaker: Compare the higher pair first. If tied, compare the lower pair. If both pairs match (common in community card games), the kicker determines the winner. A♠ A♦ 3♥ 3♣ K♠ beats K♥ K♦ Q♠ Q♣ J♥ because Aces over Threes beats Kings over Queens (the higher pair is compared first). In A♠ A♦ 8♥ 8♣ K♠ versus A♥ A♣ 8♦ 8♠ Q♣, the first hand wins due to the King kicker beating the Queen.
Notes: When stating two pair, the higher pair is always mentioned first: "Aces and Eights" or "Jacks over Fives." The kicker can be crucial in community card games where multiple players often share one pair on the board.
9. One Pair
Definition: Two cards of the same rank plus three unrelated kickers. This is the most common winning hand in Texas Hold'em, occurring in approximately 42% of hands that reach showdown. Despite being a weak hand in absolute terms, it wins more pots than any other hand type simply due to frequency.
Examples: 10♠ 10♦ A♥ J♣ 7♠ or 4♥ 4♣ K♠ Q♦ 9♥
Probability: Approximately 1 in 2.4 hands (42.3%) when dealt five cards. In Texas Hold'em, you'll flop at least one pair roughly 32% of the time when you start with two unpaired hole cards, making this outcome very common.
Tiebreaker: The rank of the pair determines the winner first. If two players have the same pair, compare the highest kicker, then the second kicker, then the third kicker if necessary. A♠ A♦ K♥ J♣ 9♠ beats A♥ A♣ K♠ J♦ 8♥ because the first three cards tie but the fourth kicker (9 beats 8). Similarly, 9♠ 9♥ A♦ K♣ Q♠ beats 9♦ 9♣ A♥ K♠ J♥.
Notes: Kickers are critical with one pair. Many beginners focus only on the pair and ignore kickers, leading to costly mistakes. In a game like Texas Hold'em, if the board shows A♠ K♦ Q♣ 9♥ 2♠ and you hold A♥ 8♣ while your opponent holds A♦ J♥, you both have Aces but your opponent wins with a Jack kicker versus your Eight kicker.
10. High Card (No Pair)
Definition: Five unrelated cards that don't form any of the above combinations. No pair, no flush, no straight—just five disconnected cards. The hand is named after its highest card: "Ace high" or "King high," for example.
Examples: A♠ K♦ J♥ 9♣ 5♠ (Ace-high) or K♥ Q♠ 10♦ 8♣ 6♥ (King-high)
Probability: Approximately 1 in 2 hands (50.1%) when dealt five cards. Despite being the most common hand type mathematically, high card rarely wins at showdown because most hands that reach showdown have at least paired something.
Tiebreaker: Compare the highest card first. If tied, compare the second-highest, then third, fourth, and fifth cards in descending order until a difference is found. A♠ K♦ Q♥ J♣ 9♠ beats A♥ K♣ Q♠ J♦ 8♥ because the fifth card (9 beats 8). K♠ Q♦ J♥ 10♣ 8♠ loses to A♥ 7♦ 5♣ 4♠ 2♥ because Ace-high beats King-high regardless of the other cards.
Notes: In Texas Hold'em, if you reach showdown with high card, you often lose unless your opponent was bluffing with an even weaker high card. However, high card hands win frequently before showdown when players bet and force folds—this is the essence of poker strategy.
Probability Summary Table
The following probabilities are for five-card hands dealt from a standard 52-card deck. Texas Hold'em and Omaha probabilities differ due to seeing additional cards, but the relative rarity and ranking order remain the same.
- Royal Flush: 1 in 30,940 (0.00323%)
- Straight Flush: 1 in 3,590 (0.0279%)
- Four of a Kind: 1 in 595 (0.168%)
- Full House: 1 in 694 (0.144%)
- Flush: 1 in 509 (0.197%)
- Straight: 1 in 255 (0.392%)
- Three of a Kind: 1 in 47 (2.13%)
- Two Pair: 1 in 21 (4.75%)
- One Pair: 1 in 2.4 (42.3%)
- High Card: 1 in 2 (50.1%)
These probabilities explain the ranking hierarchy. Royal Flush sits at the top because it's exponentially rarer than any other hand. High Card is the most common hand type, occurring more than half the time in five random cards, yet it ranks lowest because it represents no successful combination.
Hand Rankings Across Poker Variants
Standard poker hand rankings apply to nearly all poker variants, including Texas Hold'em, Omaha Poker, Seven Card Stud, and Five Card Draw. The fundamental hierarchy remains identical regardless of how cards are dealt or how many cards each player receives.
In Texas Hold'em, you make your best five-card hand using any combination of your two hole cards and five community cards. You might use both hole cards (like when you have pocket Aces), one hole card (like when you have A♠ and the board shows K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠, giving you a Royal Flush using your Ace), or even zero hole cards if the board shows the best possible five-card combination.
In Omaha Poker, the critical difference is that you must use exactly two of your four hole cards with exactly three community cards. This rule affects which hands are possible but doesn't change the ranking hierarchy. A Royal Flush still beats a Straight Flush, which still beats Four of a Kind, and so on.
Some specialized variants modify rankings. In Three Card Poker, hands are only three cards instead of five, creating a different probability distribution where straights are rarer than flushes. In Deuce-to-Seven Lowball, the goal is the worst hand, inverting the rankings entirely. However, these are exceptions—standard rankings dominate the poker world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do suits have a ranking in poker?
No. In standard poker, all suits are equal. A spade flush is identical in value to a heart flush with the same card ranks. Suits only matter for determining whether you have a flush or straight flush, not for breaking ties. Some home games use suit rankings to break ties for determining the bring-in bet in Stud games, but this is not standard.
Can a hand be both a straight and a flush?
Yes—that's a straight flush, the second-highest hand in poker. If you have five consecutive cards all of the same suit, you have a straight flush, not just a straight or just a flush. The combined hand ranks far higher than either component alone.
What if the best hand is on the board?
In community card games like Texas Hold'em, if the five board cards form a stronger hand than any player can make using their hole cards, the pot is split among all remaining players. For example, if the board shows A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ (a Royal Flush), all active players tie with a Royal Flush regardless of their hole cards.
Does three pair beat two pair?
There is no such thing as "three pair" in poker because hands are always exactly five cards. If you have three separate pairs available (possible in Texas Hold'em when you have one pair in your hand and the board shows two pair), you use only the two highest pairs plus your highest kicker to form your five-card hand.
How often should I expect strong hands?
Strong hands are rare. You'll be dealt pocket Aces about once every 221 hands in Texas Hold'em. You'll flop a set with a pocket pair roughly once every eight times you see a flop with that pair. You'll make a flush on the flop when starting with suited cards only about 0.8% of the time. Understanding these frequencies helps calibrate expectations and prevents overvaluing marginal holdings.
Strategic Implications of Hand Rankings
Understanding hand rankings is necessary but not sufficient for poker success. Knowing that a flush beats a straight tells you who wins at showdown, but poker strategy revolves around relative hand strength, opponent ranges, and betting patterns rather than absolute hand rankings.
In Texas Hold'em, position dramatically affects which hands are playable. A hand like Q♠ J♠ might be strong enough to raise from the button but should be folded from early position against tight opponents. The hand's absolute strength hasn't changed—your Queen-high or Jack-high is still just high card before the flop—but its relative strength and playability change based on position and opponent actions.
Board texture matters enormously in community card games. Three of a Kind might be the nuts (unbeatable hand) on a dry board like K♥ 7♣ 2♠, but on a connected board like 10♠ 9♠ 8♥, multiple straight draws and flush draws make trips much more vulnerable. Evaluating your hand's strength requires considering what better hands are possible given the board.
Equity calculation extends hand ranking knowledge to probability. If you hold K♠ Q♠ on a flop of J♠ 10♥ 4♠, you currently have high card (King high), but you have numerous outs to improve: any Ace gives you a straight, any 9 gives you a straight, and any spade gives you a flush. Your hand's equity (expected share of the pot) is much higher than its current showdown value suggests.
Apply Hand Rankings to Real Games
Now that you understand which hands beat which, apply this knowledge to actual poker variants. Start with Texas Hold'em to learn how community cards interact with hole cards to form the best five-card combination. The game's popularity means abundant learning resources and opportunities to practice.
For a more complex challenge, study Omaha Poker, where you must use exactly two hole cards with exactly three community cards. This restriction creates different strategic considerations while using the same hand ranking hierarchy. Stronger hands occur more frequently in Omaha due to four hole cards, making hand reading more complex.
If you prefer casino games, Three Card Poker uses a modified ranking system for three-card hands where straights are rarer than flushes, creating an interesting probability inversion. Understanding standard five-card rankings helps appreciate why three-card rankings differ.
Responsible Poker Education
Learning hand rankings is a fundamental educational exercise in probability and game theory. Whether you play poker casually with friends, study it academically, or compete seriously, understanding the mathematical foundation of hand strength is essential. This knowledge has value beyond poker—the probability concepts transfer to decision-making in business, statistics, and risk assessment.
If you choose to play poker for money, understanding hand rankings is prerequisite knowledge but not a guarantee of success. Poker is a game of skill with short-term variance. Even expert players experience losing sessions and downswings. Never risk money you cannot afford to lose, and treat poker as entertainment rather than income unless you've developed professional-level skills through extensive study and practice.
For those who find themselves playing beyond their intended limits or experiencing emotional distress related to poker results, seek help through responsible gambling resources. The game should be intellectually engaging and enjoyable, never a source of financial or emotional harm.