As any seasoned poker player knows, understanding hand rankings is essential to winning at Texas Hold’em. Here we have a helpful image displaying the rankings in order of strength, along with popular nicknames for each hand. Let’s take a closer look.
The Royal Flush
At the top of the rankings sits the illustrious Royal Flush. This hand consists of a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace, all of the same suit. It’s the rarest and strongest hand in poker, guaranteed to make you a winner every time.
Straight Flush
Next up is the Straight Flush. This hand has five cards of the same suit in sequential order. If two players have a straight flush, the highest card in the sequence wins.
Four of a Kind
Four of a Kind is a hand with four cards of the same rank, such as four aces. The fifth card doesn’t matter, but in the event of a tie, the player with the highest set of four wins.
Full House
A Full House is a hand with three cards of one rank and two of another, such as three queens and two kings. If two players have a full house, the one with the higher ranking trio wins.
Flush
A Flush consists of any five cards of the same suit, in no particular order. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest card wins.
Straight
A Straight is a hand with five cards in sequential order, regardless of suit. The highest straight possible is the aforementioned royal flush. In case of a tie, the winner is the player holding the highest card in the straight.
Three of a Kind
Three of a Kind is a hand with three cards of the same rank and two unrelated cards. In case of a tie, the player with the highest ranked three cards wins.
Two Pair
Two Pair is a hand with two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and one unrelated card. The hand with the highest pair wins, and if both players have the same high pair, the winner is the one with the highest second pair. If there is still a tie, the fifth card comes into play.
One Pair
A One Pair hand consists of two cards of the same rank and three unrelated cards. In the event of a tie, the highest ranked pair wins. If both players have the same pair, the remaining three cards come into play in order to determine the winner.
High Card
If nobody has any of the above hands, the hand with the highest ranking card wins. For example, if one player has an ace and king, and the other player has a queen and jack, the ace and king hand triumphs.
That concludes our rundown of hand rankings in Texas Hold’em. As always, practice and experience are the keys to mastering this game. So get out there and start playing!
