Guide
Poker hands
The hands, from lowest
A poker hand is five cards. Ranks go from 2 to 10, then J (jack), Q (queen), K (king) and A (ace), the highest card. Each hand beats every hand listed before it; faded cards are not part of the hand.
- High cardNone of the hands that follow: the highest-ranked card countsKJ852
- PairTwo cards of the same rank99K63
- Two pairTwo pairs of different ranksJJ44A
- Three of a kindThree cards of the same rank777Q2
- StraightFive cards of consecutive ranks, not all of the same suit98765
- FlushFive cards of the same suit, not in sequenceAJ862
- Full houseThree of a kind plus a pair10101044
- Four of a kindFour cards of the same rankQQQQ7
- Straight flushFive cards of consecutive ranks, all of the same suit98765
- Royal flushThe highest straight flush, 10 to AAKQJ10
Ties between hands of the same kind
When two hands make the same kind of hand, the ranks that form it are compared first:
- Pair, three of a kind, four of a kind: the higher rank wins. A pair of K beats a pair of 9.
- Two pair: the higher pair counts first, then the other. J J 4 4 beats 10 10 9 9.
- Full house: the three of a kind counts, then the pair. 10 10 10 4 4 beats 9 9 9 A A.
- Straight and straight flush: the top card of the sequence counts. A straight to the 9 beats a straight to the 8.
- Flush and high card: cards are compared one at a time, from highest to lowest. The first one that differs decides: A♥ J♥ 8♥ 6♥ 2♥ beats A♣ J♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣.
If the ranks of the hand are equal, the remaining cards, called kickers, decide, again from the highest: 9♥ 9♣ K♠ 6♦ 3♥ beats 9♠ 9♦ Q♥ J♣ 8♠, because the K beats the Q.
If all five cards have the same ranks, the hands tie and the pot is split. Suits never decide: in poker no suit ranks above another.
The ace in a straight
The A is the highest card, but in a straight it can also count as one:
- A 2 3 4 5 is the lowest straight. It counts as a straight to the 5, so it loses to 2 3 4 5 6.
- 10 J Q K A is the highest straight.
- A straight does not wrap around the A: Q K A 2 3 is not a straight.
The same goes for a straight flush: A♦ 2♦ 3♦ 4♦ 5♦ is the lowest straight flush. In every other hand the A always ranks above the K.