Poker hand rankings chart
| Rank | Hand | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | ace-high straight in one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | five consecutive cards in one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 4♦ | four cards of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | 8♠ 8♦ 8♣ K♥ K♠ | three of a kind plus a pair |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 2♦ | five cards of one suit, not in sequence |
| 6 | Straight | 10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ | five consecutive cards, mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ A♣ 2♠ | three cards of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | J♣ J♦ 4♠ 4♥ 9♣ | two different pairs |
| 9 | One pair | 10♥ 10♠ A♦ 6♣ 3♥ | two cards of the same rank |
| 10 | High card | A♠ Q♦ 9♣ 5♥ 3♠ | no combination; the highest card plays |
Probability of each hand
Probabilities for a five-card hand dealt from a 52-card deck:
| Hand | Number of combinations | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 4 | 0.00015% |
| Straight flush (excluding royal) | 36 | 0.0014% |
| Four of a kind | 624 | 0.024% |
| Full house | 3,744 | 0.14% |
| Flush | 5,108 | 0.20% |
| Straight | 10,200 | 0.39% |
| Three of a kind | 54,912 | 2.11% |
| Two pair | 123,552 | 4.75% |
| One pair | 1,098,240 | 42.3% |
| High card | 1,302,540 | 50.1% |
In Texas Hold'em you choose the best five out of seven cards, so strong hands appear more often than in five-card poker, but the ranking order is the same.
How ties are broken
When two players have the same category, the higher cards decide:
- Pairs, trips, quads — the higher rank wins (a pair of kings beats a pair of queens).
- Kicker — if the pairs are equal, the highest side card wins: A-A-K beats A-A-Q.
- Two pair — compare the higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker.
- Flush — compare the highest card, then the next, and so on.
- Straight — the higher top card wins; A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel") is the lowest straight.
- Full house — the three of a kind decides first.
- Suits never break ties in standard poker; equal hands split the pot.
Common questions about hands
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does a flush beat a straight? | yes |
| Does a full house beat a flush? | yes |
| Do two pairs beat three of a kind? | no, three of a kind is higher |
| Can an ace be low? | yes, in the straight A-2-3-4-5 |
| Is K-A-2-3-4 a straight? | no, straights don't "wrap around" |
Best starting hands in Texas Hold'em
Your two hole cards are not a finished hand, but some start much stronger than others:
| Group | Hands | Why they are strong |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K suited | win often even without improvement |
| Strong | J-J, 10-10, A-Q, A-K offsuit | good high-card strength |
| Playable | suited connectors (9-8s), small pairs | can make straights, flushes, sets |
| Weak | unsuited, unconnected low cards (7-2o) | rarely make the best hand |
Poker hands in casino poker
In casino games such as Caribbean Stud or Three Card Poker you play against the dealer, but the hand order is similar. Three Card Poker is an exception: with only three cards, a straight ranks above a flush because it is rarer. Always check the paytable of the specific game. Rules of the game itself are in our poker guide.
Poker at Mostbet
Casino poker variants are available in the Casino and Live casino sections at Mostbet, some with demo mode. New players can use the promo code NEW3000. Knowing the hand rankings by heart is the first step — the second is managing your budget.
How to remember the rankings
A simple rule: the harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks. Group the hands to memorise them faster:
- Sequence and suit together — royal flush, straight flush.
- Groups of the same rank — four of a kind, full house.
- Suit or sequence alone — flush, then straight.
- Smaller groups — three of a kind, two pair, one pair.
- Nothing — high card.
Many beginners mix up the flush and the straight; remember that a flush is rarer (0.20% vs 0.39% in five cards), so it ranks higher.
Examples of close decisions
| Hand A | Hand B | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| K K 9 9 3 | K K 9 9 2 | A — the kicker 3 beats 2 |
| 7 7 7 2 2 | 6 6 6 A A | A — the three sevens decide |
| A K 9 6 4 (flush) | A K 9 6 3 (flush) | A — the fifth card decides |
| 5 4 3 2 A | 6 5 4 3 2 | B — the wheel is the lowest straight |
| A A Q J 10 on a shared board | the same five cards | split pot |
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest hand in poker?
The royal flush: A, K, Q, J and 10 of the same suit.
What beats a full house?
Four of a kind, a straight flush and a royal flush.
Which is higher, a straight or a flush?
A flush beats a straight.
What is a kicker in poker?
The highest unpaired side card used to break a tie between hands of the same category.
Do suits matter in poker hand rankings?
No. In standard poker all suits are equal; identical hands split the pot.
What is the worst starting hand in Texas Hold'em?
7-2 offsuit is usually considered the weakest starting hand.