Poker Hand Rankings: From High Card to Royal Flush

Before you can win a hand, you need to know which hand beats which. Texas Hold'em uses standard high-hand rankings. The ten hands below are listed from best to worst.

The Ten Hands

Rank	Hand	Example	Explanation
1	Royal Flush	A♥K♥Q♥J♥T♥	Five cards of the same suit running A-K-Q-J-T, in this case all hearts. This is the highest possible straight with all cards sharing one suit. No hand can beat it.
2	Straight Flush	7♣8♣9♣T♣J♣	Five cards of the same suit in consecutive order: 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, all clubs. When two players both have a straight flush, the one with the higher top card wins.
3	Four of a Kind	K♦K♠K♣K♥2♦	All four kings, one of each suit, plus an unrelated 2. Having every copy of the same rank is called quads. If two players both have quads, the higher rank wins; four aces beats four kings.
4	Full House	J♥J♠J♦9♠9♣	Three cards of one rank plus two of another: here three jacks and two nines. This is called "jacks full of nines," meaning three jacks with nines as the pair. Full houses are ranked by the three-of-a-kind part first, so three jacks and two nines beats three tens and two aces.
5	Flush	A♦7♦5♦4♦2♦	Five cards that share a suit but do not need to be in order: ace, 7, 5, 4, 2, all diamonds. Ranked by the highest card, so this ace-high flush beats a king-high flush. If the top card ties, compare the next card down.
6	Straight	5♥6♣7♠8♦9♥	Five consecutive ranks in any mix of suits: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. An ace can count as the lowest card (A-2-3-4-5) or the highest (A-K-Q-J-T), but it cannot appear in the middle. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight because that would require the sequence to wrap from high back to low.
7	Three of a Kind	8♥8♦8♠K♣3♦	Three cards of the same rank, in this case three eights, plus two unrelated cards (king and three) that do not form a pair. If those two extra cards did pair up, you would have a full house instead. Ranked by the three-of-a-kind rank, then the highest unrelated card.
8	Two Pair	A♥A♠7♥7♦K♣	Two separate pairs, a pair of aces and a pair of sevens, with one leftover card: the king. That leftover card is called the kicker and breaks ties when two players share the same two pairs. Ranked by the higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker.
9	One Pair	Q♠Q♦9♥5♣2♦	Two cards of the same rank, two queens here, with three unrelated cards alongside (9, 5, 2). Those three unrelated cards are the kickers. If two players both hold a pair of queens, whoever has the better kicker wins; Q-Q-9 beats Q-Q-8.
10	High Card	A♥J♦9♠6♣2♥	No pair, no flush, no straight: five unconnected cards across mixed suits. The best card is the ace, so this is called "ace-high." If two players both have high card, compare their best card first, then the second-best, and so on until one is higher.

Tie-Breakers

In Texas Hold'em you make the best five-card hand from your two hole cards and the five community cards. Ties are more common than you might expect:

Kicker is the unpaired card that breaks ties. If two players both hold a pair of aces, the player with the higher remaining cards wins.
Chops happen when both players make exactly the same best five-card hand. The pot is split evenly.

Playing the Board

You can use zero, one, or both hole cards to make your best hand. If the board runs out A♥K♥Q♥J♥T♥, every player plays the royal flush on the board and the pot is chopped regardless of hole cards.

Use the Texas Hold'em equity calculator to see exactly how often different hands win against each other.

FAQ

Does suit matter for ranking hands? Suits are equal in Texas Hold'em. A flush in spades and a flush in hearts of the same ranks tie and chop the pot. Suits are only used to determine whether a hand qualifies as a flush or straight flush, not to break ties between identical ranks.

Can an ace be low in a straight? Yes, but only in A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel). In this case the ace acts as a one. The wheel ranks as the lowest possible straight, below 2-3-4-5-6. An ace cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight.

What beats a full house? Four of a kind beats a full house. Above that, only a straight flush and royal flush are stronger.

If two players have a flush, who wins? The player with the highest card in their flush wins. If the highest card ties, compare the second-highest, and so on. If all five cards are identical in rank (using board cards), the pot is chopped.

What is the difference between a set and trips? Both are three of a kind, and they rank the same. A set means you hold a pocket pair and one matching card is on the board. Trips means the board has a pair and you hold one matching card. Sets are more disguised and generally more valuable.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong five cards. You always play your best five-card combination from any mix of your two hole cards and five community cards. Players sometimes misread their hand, especially with straights and flushes on the board. Take a moment to confirm your best five.

Thinking a suited hand is already a flush. Two suited hole cards give you a draw to a flush, not a flush. You need five cards of the same suit to make the hand.

Misjudging kickers. Beginner players frequently overlook kicker differences in one-pair and two-pair hands. Holding A-K versus an opponent's A-Q on an A-7-3 board: both have a pair of aces, but A-K wins with the king kicker.

Forgetting that full houses rank by three-of-a-kind first. Jacks full of twos beats tens full of aces because jacks outrank tens, regardless of the pair card.