Demystifying Poker Hands and Their Rankings

Poker holds a unique place in our popular culture. It’s the subject of countless songs, and many compelling movie scenes, reflecting its popularity as a game of skill, luck, drama, and tension. But how many of us really know all the hands and all their rankings? Fewer than you’d think, given the game’s popularity in bricks-and-mortar and online casinos. What is a full house? Why does four-of-a-kind beat a flush? What’s the best hand you can get?

It is possible to enjoy playing poker without knowing the answers to these and similar questions, but as with all things, knowledge is power. And when there is money on the table it pays dividends to have a healthy grasp of the rules. Read on as we demystify all the major hands in poker, from the weakest to the very strongest.

Learn the Basics

Before you decide to spend any money playing poker it is important to learn some basic rudimentaries about the game, beyond the rankings of these hands. Learning about the basic concepts of poker puts you in good stead not only to win money, but to enjoy playing the game in the first place. It’s frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing, for you and your fellow players.

High Card

This is the weakest possible hand you can have — none of your five cards match suit or number, so you’re reliant on the highest card to give your hand value. The highest you can hold is an ace, and the weakest, a two. You’re unlikely to win based on a high card, although it is possible, the chances of someone beating you are extremely high, so you’ll likely need to bluff your way to the pot.

One Pair

This makes up 42% of possible outcomes, so a one-pair hand is pretty weak. The pair is made up of numbered cards, and if opposed by another pair, the highest pair wins. If the pairs are the same, the next high card in the hand determines the winner.

Two Pair

You guessed it, two pair is when you have two pairs of matching cards. In the event of two two-pairs going up against one another then the player with the highest pair wins — for example, pairs of twos and aces beat pairs of Queens and Jacks.

Three-of-a-Kind

We’re looking at less common hands now, where many players choose to up the ante a little. This hand consists of three matching cards and two unmatched cards (if the other cards match then you’re looking at a much stronger Full House hand). As three of a kind occurs only once every 42 times, it is considered a pretty strong hand.

Straight

This is the first hand that requires all five cards. A straight is where you have a sequential run of cards not of a matching suit, for example from ace to five (‘straight to the five’), or ten to ace (an ace can be used to bookend either). As usual, the higher the card at the end the better the hand. A straight is considered a valuable hand as it only occurs once in 132 draws.

Flush

A flush is where all five cards are of matching suit, but aren’t sequential. The flush is valued by its highest ranking card, for example a ‘King-high flush’ defeats a ‘Jack-high flush’. The odds of drawing a flush are 509/1, so if you find yourself in possession of one, it’s worth raising the stakes on your opponents.

Full House

Essentially three of a kind coupled with a pair, a full house is a very strong hand with odds of 697/1. If two players possess a full house, the highest triplet wins the pot, regardless of the rank of the pair.

Four-of-a-Kind

We’re entering into rare territory now. Four-of-a-kind is pretty self-explanatory but highly unlikely to be drawn (once in 4,167 times). Should two players have four of a kind (I wonder how many times in history this has actually happened), then, of course, the higher quadruplet takes the pot.

Straight Flush

The hand to beat all others. A straight flush is a straight made up of cards all of the same suit. You’re very unlikely to ever see one of these occur in real life (1 in 64,767 chance), but if you see two in one round then the higher wins. The increasingly rarified Royal Flush is made up of 10 through ace of one suit, so if you find yourself with this hand, you can happily push your chips into the center of the table. You’ll probably only see hands like this in the movies, though.

Hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of the possible poker hands and their rankings. Knowing the game, how and when to bet or bluff, and the likelihood of outcomes stand you in good stead to enjoy playing poker, and perhaps winning a pot or two.