Poker Hands 

The General Laws Of Poker Hands and Holdem Poker Hands.

This section covers the pack of cards; the rank of Poker hands; the shuffle, cut, and deal;

 1.  Players.

Poker may be played by two to ten players. In every form of poker each plays for himself.

2.  Object of the game.

 The object of poker is to win the pot, either by having the best poker hand at the showdown or end of the deal (as explained below) or by making a bet that no other player meets. Poker hands are the combinations of five cards selected from the cards you have been dealt and the cards on the table, depending on the variation of the poker game you are playing.

3.   Poker Hand Ranking of cards

(a) Ace (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2; Ace (low) only in the sequence 5-4-3-2-Ace.

(b) Optional. The ace may rank low in low poker (lowball) or in high-low poker hands. When the ace is by agreement designated as low:
(1) In low poker, the ace is always low, so that A-A is a lower pair than 2-2.
(2) In high-low poker, the holder must designate the relative rank of the ace at the time that he shows his hand in the show down, e.g., by saying "aces high" (in which case A-A beats K-K
for high) or "aces low" (in which case A-A beats 2-2 for low but loses to 2-2 for high).

(c) In any pot to be won by the high hand, the ranking follows subsection (a) of this law, so that for example between two little dogs, 7-6-4-3-2 beats 7-5-4-3-2.

4.    The pack.

 (a) The poker pack consists of 52 cards, divided in four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs
In each suit there are thirteen cards: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

(b) Joker. The joker may be added to the pack as a wild card.  Not normally used with Holdem Poker Hands

(c) Wild cards. The joker or any other card or class of cards may be designated as wild by any of the following methods.
The method must be selected in advance by the players in the game.
(1) The wild card may be designated by its holder to represent any other card that its holder does not have.
(2) The joker (in this case called the bug) may be designated by its holder to represent a fifth ace or any card needed to complete a poker hand comprising of a straight, a flush, or any special hand such as a dog, cat,etc.
(3) Any wild card may represent any other card, whether or not the holder of the wild card also has the card designated.
[This permits double- or even triple-ace-high flushes, etc.]  A wild card,  properly designated, ranks exactly  the same  as a natural card.

5.   Seating,

(a) Players take seats at random unless any player demands, before the game begins, that the seats of the respective players be determined as provided in the next paragraph.

(b) When any player demands a reseating, the banker has first choice of seats. The first dealer  either may take the seat to left of the banker or may participate with the other players in having his position determined by chance. The dealer then shuffles the pack, has the cards cut by the player to his right, and deals the poker hands one card face up to each player in rotation beginning with the player at his left. The player thus dealt the highest-ranking card sits at the right of the banker, the player with the next-highest card at the right of that player, and so on. If two players are dealt cards of the same rank, the card dealt first ranks higher than the other.

(c) After the start of the game no player may demand a reseating unless at least one hour has elapsed since the last reseating. A player entering the game after it begins must take any vacant seat. A player replacing another player must take the seat vacated by that player. Two players may exchange seats, after any showdown and before the next deal begins, provided no other player objects.
(d) When there is no banker, the dealer has first choice of seats.

6.  The shuffle and cut.

 Any player on demand may shuffle the pack before the deal. The pack should be shuffled three times in all, by one or more players. The dealer has the right to shuffle last and should shuffle the pack at least once.

(b) The dealer offers the shuffled pack to his right-hand opponent, who may cut it or not as he pleases. If this player does not cut, any other player may cut. If more than one player demands the right to cut, the one nearest the dealer's right hand shall cut. Except in case of an irregularity necessitating a new cut, the pack is cut only once.

(c) The player who cuts divides the pack into two or three portions, none of which shall contain fewer than five cards, and completes  the cut by placing the packet that was originally bottom-most on top. If a card is exposed in cutting, the pack must be shuffled by the dealer and cut again..

7.   The deal,

 (a) At the start of the game any player shuffles a pack and deals the cards face up, one at a time to each player in rotation beginning with the player at his left, until a jack is turned up. The player to whom the jack falls is the first dealer. Thereafter, the turn to deal passes from each player to the player at his left. A player may not voluntarily pass his turn to deal.

(b) The dealer distributes the poker hands  from the top of the pack, one card at a time to each player in clockwise rotation, beginning with the player at his left and ending with himself.

  The odds of poker hands are 38 to 9 or to 1 against filling a four flush;   39 to 8 or almost 5 to 1 against filling a double-ended straight;   43  to 4 or  to  1  against filling an inside or one-ended straight;    43 to 4 or to 1 against filling a full house when drawing to two pair... more on Poker Hand Odds

What constitutes a Winning Poker Hand , a fair hand, a bad hand.
All these are relative values and will vary in accordance with the game you are playing. It is absolutely necessary knowledge that you must take into any game with you....

Remember the main objective of poker is to win the pot, either by having the Best Poker Hand at the game end or by betting and forcing your opponents to fold their hand before the showdown.