Poker Hand Rankings

Poker hands rank, from highest to lowest:

(a) Straight flush-five cards of the same suit in sequence. The highest straight flush is A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit, called a royal flush. The lowest straight flush is 5, 4, 3, 2, A of the same suit. As between two straight flushes, the one headed by the highest card wins. [When any card of the pack is designated as wild-see 3 (c)-a straight flush loses to five of a kind, which is the highest possible hand.

(b) Four of a kind-four cards of the same rank. This hand loses to a straight flush but beats any other hand. As between two hands each containing four of a kind, the four higher-ranking cards win. [When there are several wild cards, it is possible for two players to hold four of a kind of the same rank. In this case, the winning hand is the one with the higher-ranking fifth card.

(c) Full house-three cards of one rank and two cards of an other rank. As between two full houses, the one with the higher-ranking three of a kind is the winner. [When there are several wild cards, two players may have full houses in which the three-of-a-kind holdings are of the same rank; the higher of the pairs
then determines the winning hand.

(d) Flush-five cards of the same suit. As between two flushes, the one containing the highest card wins. If the highest cards are of the same rank, the higher of the next-highest cards determines the winning hand, and so on; so that   Club A K 4 3 2 beats Heart A  Q J 10 8, and  Spade J 9 8 6 4 beats  Heart  J 9 8 6 3.

(e) Straight-five cards, in two or more suits, ranking consecu
tively; as 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. The ace is high in the straight A, K, Q, J,  10 and low in the straight 5, 4, 3, 2, A. As between two straights,   the  one  containing the highest card wins,  so  that 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 beats 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

(f) Three of a kind-three cards of the same rank. As between two hands each containing three of a kind, the one with the higher-ranking three of a kind wins.  [When there are several wild cards, there may be two hands containing identical threes of a kind. In such cases, the highest-ranking unmatched card determines the winner. If these cards are of the same rank, the higher-ranking fifth card in each hand determines the winner.

(g) Two pairs-two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, with an unmatched fifth card. As between two hands each containing two pairs, the one with the highest pair wins. If the higher pairs are of the same rank, the one with the higher-ranking second pair wins. If these pairs too are of the same rank, the hand containing the higher of the unmatched cards is the winner.

(h) One pair-two cards of the same rank, with three unmatched cards. Of two one-pair hands, the one containing the higher pair wins. As between two hands containing pairs of the same rank, the highest unmatched card determines the winner; if these are the same, the higher of the second-highest unmatched cards, and if these are the same, the higher of the lowest unmatched cards. For example, 8, 8, 9, 5, 3 beats 8, 8, 9, 5, 2.

(i) No pair. This loses to any hand having a pair or any higher-ranking combination. As between two no-pair hands, the one containing the highest card wins; if these two cards are tied, the next-highest card decides, and so on, so that A, 8, 7, 4, 3 loses to A, 9, 7, 4, 3 but wins from A, 8, 7, 4, 2.
Two hands that are identical, card for card, are tied, since the suits have no relative rank in poker.

For rankings specific to holdem poker go to the following page for details on Texas Hold'em Poker Hands