Poker hands ranked, from best to worst
Every poker hand is five cards, and there are ten kinds of hand. A hand higher in the list always beats a hand lower in the list, whatever the cards. Here they are from strongest to weakest, with an example of each.
The ten hands
| # | Hand | Example | Chance with 7 cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flushA, K, Q, J and 10, all the same suit. The best hand there is. | A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠ | 0.0032 % |
| 2 | Straight flushFive cards in a row, all the same suit. | 9♥8♥7♥6♥5♥ | 0.028 % |
| 3 | Four of a kindFour cards of the same rank. | Q♣Q♦Q♥Q♠7♦ | 0.17 % |
| 4 | Full houseThree of a kind plus a pair. | K♠K♥K♦4♣4♠ | 2.6 % |
| 5 | FlushAny five cards of the same suit. | A♦J♦8♦6♦2♦ | 3.0 % |
| 6 | StraightFive cards in a row, in mixed suits. | 10♣9♦8♠7♥6♣ | 4.6 % |
| 7 | Three of a kindThree cards of the same rank. | 7♠7♥7♣K♦2♠ | 4.8 % |
| 8 | Two pairTwo different pairs. | J♥J♣5♦5♠A♣ | 23.5 % |
| 9 | One pairTwo cards of the same rank. | 10♥10♠K♣6♦3♥ | 43.8 % |
| 10 | High cardNone of the above. Your highest card plays. | A♣Q♦9♠6♥3♣ | 17.4 % |
“Chance with 7 cards” is how often your best five of seven cards (two hole cards and five on the board) makes that hand if you stay to the river.
An easy way to remember the order
The rarer a hand is, the higher it ranks. That’s why a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush. A useful order to learn by heart is the middle of the list: three of a kind, straight, flush, full house. Beginners mix those up the most.
When two players have the same hand
- Higher cards win. A pair of queens beats a pair of nines. A straight to the jack beats a straight to the nine.
- Full house: compare the three of a kind first, then the pair. 8♠8♥8♦2♣2♠ beats 7♠7♥7♣A♦A♠.
- Flush: compare the highest card, then the next, and so on.
- Kickers: with the same pair, two pair or three of a kind, the leftover cards decide, from the highest down. A-A-K-7-3 beats A-A-Q-J-10.
- Exactly equal: the pot is split. Suits never break a tie, and a sixth card never counts.
Aces high and low
The ace is the highest card, so A-K-Q-J-10 is the top straight. It can also play low in A-2-3-4-5, the lowest straight (nicknamed the wheel). Straights don’t wrap around the corner: Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
Questions people ask
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush (five cards of one suit) is rarer than a straight (five cards in a row), so it ranks higher.
Does a full house beat a flush?
Yes. A full house, three of a kind plus a pair, beats a flush.
Does three of a kind beat two pair?
Yes. Three of a kind beats two pair, and two pair beats one pair.
Is A-2-3-4-5 a straight?
Yes, it is the lowest straight. The ace can be high or low, but a straight cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not one.
Which suit is the best in poker?
None. In Texas Hold’em all suits are equal and they never break ties.