Poker hand rankings
Ten hands, best at the top. Your hand is always the best five cards you can make from your two cards and the board. Keep this page open on a phone at the table and no one has to argue from memory.
Ace-high straight flush. The best hand there is, and it cannot be beaten.
Five cards in a row, all the same suit. Higher top card wins.
Four cards of the same rank. The fifth card is the kicker.
Three of one rank plus a pair. Compare the three first, then the pair.
Five cards of one suit, not in a row. Compare the highest card, then the next.
Five cards in a row, mixed suits. Ace can be high or low (A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest).
Three cards of the same rank. Also called trips or a set.
Two different pairs. Higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker.
Two cards of the same rank. The other three cards break ties, highest first.
Nothing else. The highest card plays, then the next, and so on.
Which hand wins? Ties and kickers
- Higher hand type always wins: any flush beats any straight.
- Same type: compare the cards that make it. Pair of kings beats pair of queens.
- Same pair: the kicker, your highest leftover card, decides. A-K vs A-Q on an A-7-4-2-9 board: both have a pair of aces, and the king beats the queen.
- Only five cards count. If the best five are on the board, everyone plays them and the pot is split.
- Suits never break a tie. Two flushes with the same cards split the pot.
- Odd chips from a split pot go to the player closest to the left of the dealer. Agree on it first.
How it works
Rarer hands rank higher. There are only four ways to make a royal flush out of 2.6 million possible five-card hands, while a pair shows up about 42% of the time. That is why a pair is the bottom of the pile and a flush is higher than a straight.
In Texas hold'em you use any five of the seven cards available. Other games differ (Omaha uses exactly two hole cards), but the ranking of the hands is the same.
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Common questions
What is the order of poker hands?
From best to worst: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush is harder to make than a straight, so it ranks higher. A full house beats a flush.
What is a kicker?
The highest card that is not part of your pair, trips or other made hand. It breaks ties between players with the same hand.
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