Poker Hands Ranked and Explained for Beginners

Ever fancied yourself as a poker shark? Then this guide to understanding poker hand ranking will answer all of your questions. We’ll explain different poker terms, such as “trips” and “quads,” in a simplified format. As a poker player, you can learn about poker hands and their rankings from best to worst.

What Poker Hands Beat What

If you are starting as a poker beginner, then what you need to understand is the poker hands ranking system. Below we’ll show you an image to help you understand each poker hand. We’ll also explain where it sits in the hierarchy of poker hands (best to worst).

Royal Flush

The Royal Flush is the king of all hands in poker and is unbeatable in any Texas Hold’em poker cash or tournament situation.

The Royal Flush in poker always consists of the A-K-Q-J-10 in numerical order. Your Royal Flush must be made up of all of the same suit (see image below). So that means all hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds.

If you are playing online poker, then some poker sites will pay an additional bounty if you hit a Royal Flush.

Odds of Getting a Royal Flush

Considering this is the rarest, the most coveted, and the strongest in the ranking of poker hands. No wonder it’s extremely hard to get. The probability of getting a Royal Flush in a standard 5-card poker game is 1:649,740. This means you have around a 0.000002% chance of being dealt this hand. This hand tops the list of winning poker hands in Texas Hold’em and marks a memorable moment on your poker journey.

What Poker Hands Does a Royal Flush Beat?

Ranking of poker hands in order of strength, one must put Royal Flush first. This is the holy grail of poker hands. It is an unbeatable poker hand. Another player cannot get this hand in Texas Hold’em, as the community cards dealt, only contain five cards.

Player A may hold AK of hearts, while Player B may hold AK Spades.

Dealing five community cards over three rounds on the flop (3 cards), the turn (1 card), and the river (1 card) makes it impossible for both players to get the Q-J-10 of the suit they need for a Royal Flush.

Straight Flush

The next best hand in Poker after a Royal Flush is a Straight Flush. Do not confuse this with a “straight,” which we cover further down the page.

A straight flush consists of a sequential set of numbers, such as A-2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6-7, or 9-10-J-Q-K.

Again like the Royal Flush, they all have to be in the same suit, so hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds.

Odds of Getting a Straight Flush

This strong poker hand, while not as rare as a Royal Flush, still holds a significant place in poker rankings.  The odds of flopping a Flush, part of the list of winning poker card variations, are 1:508.8 before the cards are dealt.

What Poker Hands Does a Straight Flush Beat?

This is a particularly strong poker hand and has a good number of outs.

As an example, if your hole cards (two initial cards dealt) are the 9 and 10 hearts and the flop shows 7 and 8 of hearts and a random card like the K of spades, you have a good hand depending on your position on the table.

A 6 or J of hearts would give you a straight flush
A 6 or J of any other suit would give you a straight
Any other heart would give you a flush
A King would give you the top pair (without other players’ hole cards considered)

All of these options and you still have the river to come if you continue to bet.

Four of a Kind

Four Of A Kind, which is also known as “Quads” in poker terminology, is a rare hand in poker.

So the top Four Of A Kind hand is A-A-A-A (four aces)

This hand is very strong because there are only 13 possible sets of four cards.

 

Odds of Getting Four-Of-A-Kind

Four-Of-A-Kind, one of the top poker hands for betting after the river, is also hard to get. The odds of getting it in a standard Texas Hold’em game are 1:4,165 before the cards are dealt. Therefore, your chances of forming a Four-of-a-Kind are 0.2401%. If you get a pocket pair, the odds of hitting a Four-of-a-Kind on the flop are 1:407.

What Poker Hands Does Four Of A Kind Beat?

As you can see in the table below, Four of a Kind beats every other hand except the Royal Flush and the Straight Flush.

Chances of hitting this hand which is among the strongest of winning poker hands ranked, will depend on your two hole cards.

If you have AA (also known as pocket rockets), you are in a good position before the flop (the first three community cards) is turned over.

If the flop contains A-9-J, you are in a very strong position.

You already have “trips,” made up of your two pocket aces and the ace that has been turned on the flop.

This gives you plenty of outs to get an even better hand with the turn and river to come.

If another A is turned, you hit Four Of A Kind.
If a 9 hits, you have a Full House A-A-A-9-9.
If a J hits, you have a Full House A-A-A-J-J.

Full House

A Full House is undoubtedly one of the strongest hands in Poker as the three previously mentioned hands are much rarer to hit. A Full House means you have to have 3 cards of one number and two cards of another number.

It is important to note that the three cards take seniority in this hand.

Here are some examples:

A-A-A-K-K (The highest full-house)
2-2-2-3-3 (The lowest full-house)
K-K-K-5-5
9-9-9-8-8
J-J-J-A-A

In the image example below, we have K-K-K-5-5, known as “Kings over Fives.” The three cards are always quoted over the two cards, and this is also often referred to as “Kings Full of Fives.”

Odds of Getting A Full House

The odds of getting a Full House, a respected hand near the top of the winning hand’s poker chart, are set at 1:694.1, so you have about a 0.1441% chance of getting it.

What Poker Hands Does A Full House Beat?

You can see the hands below that a Full House would beat. The hands that it does not beat are rare to hit, so this is a strong hand.

If you are in position early in the pot by having a high pocket pair (AA, KK, QQ) then your chances of hitting a full house are good.

If you have a pocket pair like KK and the flop produces Q66 then you are in a strong position. You have a possible top pair and at minimum, you have two pairs with KK66 plus the Q kicker.

You now are in a position where you have three chances to hit your full house.

If the turn is a 6 then you have K-K-6-6-6 for a full house of “Sixes full of Kings”
If the turn is a K then you have K-K-K-6-6 for a full house of “Kings full of Sixes”
If the turn is a Q then you have two pairs of K-K-Q-Q with a six kicker.

With the river to come you have options to  make your full house stronger and an outside chance at “Four Of A Kind”

Flush

Considered a strong hand in Poker, the Flush requires you to have five cards all of the same suit. Your five cards (two hole cards and any three community cards) need to be all hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds to hit this hand..

In the image below, you can see that our Flush consists of K-J-9-7-3.

This is a very strong hand and the only way another Flush can beat us is if your competitor has the Ace of Spades as one of his/her pocket cards.

Odds Of Getting A Flush

The odds of flopping a Flush, part of the list of winning poker card variations, are 1:508.8 before the cards are dealt. Your probability of forming this hand is 0.20%. However, if you receive two suited cards, the odds improve because then you’ll have a 1:108 chance of hitting a flush on the flop.

What Poker Hands Does A Flush Beat?

You can see the hands below that a Flush would win against, and there are many ways to hit a flush. For a standard 13-card suit (13 Hearts as an example) there are 1,287 possible flush combinations, and of course, some of these would be straight flush hands.

Your best chance of getting a flush is if your two hole cards are the same suit and the higher the better, for example, AQ of hearts.

If your opponent has KJ of hearts then you are in a winning position. No matter what other cards are turned over during the flop, turn, and river phases, you will have the best flush draw because of your pocket ace.

Straight

As we said earlier, some beginners get a straight flush and a straight confused. Although they are the same, in that you need to have 5 cards in sequence, the Straight Flush is always a higher hand.

So looking at our hand below we have 5 cards in sequence with 8H-9S-10C-JD-QS

If an opponent had the 8H-9H-10H-JH-QH then they would have the same numbered sequence but would top your “Straight” with their “Straight Flush”

Odds Of Getting A Straight

A Straight is a moderately strong hand because you have a higher chance of getting one than the hands mentioned above. The odds of flopping a Straight are set at 1:254.8, meaning you have a 0.3925% chance of getting it. Your chances of hitting a straight on-the-flop increase to 1:77.5 if you are dealt two connected cards.

What Poker Hands Does A Straight Beat?

The Straight is still a good poker hand but you have to play a little tighter during the first round of betting, as there are still plenty of other options your opponent could hit.

Your possible Straight might be made up of two hole cards (10H-9C) and the flop comes out at AD-7C-8S.

If an opponent has pocket 7s, 8s or As then they are sitting on Three Of A Kind (Trips) and are now a clear favorite to win the hand.

If you turn a 6 or J on the turn or the river then you are back in pole position, but you need to take into account that your opponent, although unlikely, could hit Four Of A Kind or a Full House if the turn or river falls in their favor.

Your betting decision at this point is likely to be based on your table position. If you are in an early position then the decision to bet is tougher than it is if you are in a later position.

Three Of A Kind

Also known as “Trips,” Three of a Kind is solid in terms of poker ranking hands, and is significant as one of the more regular winning hands in poker.

However, sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between a set and trips, both of which are types of Three of a Kind hands. A set is when you are dealt a pair in your hand, such as 99, and you pair it with another 9 on the board.

On the other hand, trips are when there is a pair on the board, such as 8-8-5, and you hold one 8 to pair it with.

Also, in a Two Pairs vs Three Of A Kind showdown, it’s the latter that takes the win.

Odds Of Getting Three-of-a-Kind

The odds of hitting a Three-of-a-Kind before cards are dealt are 1:47.3, which means you have a 2.11% chance of being dealt this hand. Nevertheless, the chances of hitting Three-of-a-Kind on the flop are boosted to 1:7.5 if you get pocket pairs, such as K-K.

What Poker Hands Does Three Of A Kind Beat?

Although Three of a Kind is not the highest on the list of winning poker hands, it still beats Two Pairs, One Pair, and the High Card.

When it comes to ranking a Three of a Kind hand over the next, suits are irrelevant, and you only look at denomination or rank. Therefore, you rank it by the card number of the triplet, and then you look at the highest-ranking kicker. Finally, you consider the lowest-ranking kicker.

If you have 6-6-6-Q-4, it ranks higher than 3-3-3-K-2, which, in turn, beats 3-3-3-J-7.

Two Pairs

Two pairs are precisely what you think, two pairs of cards, each with a different rank or denomination. For example, 7-7-5-5-3 would be Two Pairs.

Nevertheless, if you are dealt A-K and there are A-K-3 on the board, you will still have Two Pairs because you will pair your K with the K on the board and your A with the A on the board.

It’s worth noting that this is the most common winning hand in Texas Hold’em.

Odds Of Getting Two Pairs

Since Two Pairs are easier to get, the odds are capped at 1:21, and the probability comes to 4.7539%. You have 123,552 ways to make a Two-pair hand in a standard 52-card deck.

What Poker Hands Do Two Pairs Beat?

If you look at Two Pairs in the Texas Hold’em poker hands ranking system, it undoubtedly beats One Pair.  Additionally, if two players have Two Pairs, the one with the better high pair has the winning poker hand in Texas  Hold’em.

Rank every Two Pair by first looking at the denomination of the highest-ranking pair, then the lowest-ranking pair. Finally, observe the kicker.

If you get 10-10-2-2-K, it ranks higher than 5-5-4-4-10, and 5-5-4-4-10 beats 5-5-3-3-Q.

Two Pair hands differing only by suit are perceived as equal. The best Two Pair hand you can get consists of Aces and Kings with a Queen kicker (A-A-K-K-Q)

One Pair

One Pair is the hand that consists of two cards of equal denomination, such as Q-Q or 10-10, meaning you have a pair of ladies or a pair of tens.

However, there are also other pairs. For instance, if you are dealt K-Q and the flop is K-J-3, you also have one pair, since you will pair your K with the K on the board.

Odds Of Getting One Pair

The odds of getting One Pair in poker are high at 1:2.4. The probability comes out to 42.27%, and you have 1,098,420 ways to make a One Pair hand in a standard deck. Conversely, you have a 32.43% chance of scoring a One-pair hand on the flop if you are dealt an unpaired hand, such as J-9.

What Poker Hands Does One Pair Beat?

One Pair ranks above High Card and below Two Pair in the winning hands poker chart. When we compare a One Pair hand to another one, we first look at the rank of the pair, then at the rank of the highest kicker. Then, we observe the second-highest-ranking kicker and, finally, the rank of the lowest-ranking kicker.

For example, 9-9-Q-J-5 beats 6-6-K-7-4, and 6-6-K-7-4 ranks higher than 6-6-Q-J-2. This is because the first pair of sixes has the king kicker.

Once again, hand rank or denomination is more important than a suit when comparing hands. If we have two One Pair hands that differ by suit only, they are considered of equal rank.

High Card

The High Card also called no par or nothing, is the weakest in the hierarchy of winning poker hands. It is considered the worst possible hand in Texas Hold’em poker hands ranking because it consists of no pair or other hand type. High Card ranks below One Pair and doesn’t belong to any category.

However, in what poker hands beat what scenarios, it still plays an important role. In this case, the hand’s strength is determined by the highest card. For instance, if you get A-K-3-7-2, The ace is the highest card.

So if player A had the hand below A-7-5-3-2 but player B had A-8-5-3-2 then player B would win courtesy of his 8

Odds Of Getting A High Card

The odds of getting a high card/no pair in a poker game are the highest, set at 1:995. The probability of you being dealt a High Card pre-flop in Texas Hold’em is 50.1177%, based on your 5 randomly drawn cards from a standard 52-deck.

What Poker Hands Does A High Card Beat?

As mentioned earlier, every High Card hand has a spot in the hierarchy of poker hands. That spot is based according to the denomination of its highest-ranking card, followed by the second-ranking card, the third, and so on.

If a player is dealt K-5-6-3-2, that player’s hand ranks higher than Q-J-6-5-3 because the high king beats the high queen. Conversely, Q-J-6-5-3 ranks higher than Q-J-5-4-3 because high 6 beats high 5 after the Q-J cancel each other out.

As evident, hand rank or denomination is essential in this situation, while the suit isn’t. If there are the same High Card hands but with different suits, they are considered equal. In this case, kickers (the 6 and 5 examples) will resolve the situation of who the winner is.

It’s worth noting that High Card rarely wins at a showdown, except when someone makes a brilliant bluff.

What Are The Rounds of Betting In a Poker Game?

In Texas Hold’em there are four main rounds of betting. You have the pre-flop betting which is based on the two hole cards you have. Then after the flop (first three community cards), there is another round of betting. The turn (fourth community card) follows, and another betting round takes place. Finally, the river (fifth community card) appears, leading to the final round of betting until one player folds or both players go all in and reveal their cards.

Pre-Flop

Pre Flop betting is based on the first two cards you receive which are dealt face down. You would look at your cards and decide whether they are good enough to place an initial bet.

Examples would be if you had a high pair like K-K or two cards like A-Q suited.

When you hear the term “Suited” it means a player has two cards of the same suit as their hole cards.

A 7S-2D off-suited (7 of Spades and 2 of Diamonds) is a bad pre-flop hand because it gives you very few options.

Another poor hand would be JC-5H, as it offers little chance for a straight draw, and your JC is likely to be outkicked by an A, K, or Q.

The Flop

Flop betting takes place after the first three community cards are dealt. Remember, in poker, you need to make the best five-card hand possible.

In the screenshot below we have a five-card hand of QC-JS-9C-9H-6H. This means we have just a pair of nines with a queen kicker.

Once the dealer has dealt these community cards betting starts with the first player seated to the left of the dealer.

The Turn

So the turn is the fourth community card and this means that you now have six cards in play. You now have to make your best five-card hand before the river.

We already had the cards QC JS 9C 9H 6H and now the turn has produced a queen of diamonds.

We now have QD QC JS 9C 9H 6H, which is two pairs (Queens Over Nines) with the next highest card being the jack of spades.

The River

The river is the fifth and final community card to be dealt before a final round of betting takes place. This card can change the direction of the game dramatically if it matches with the hole cards.

In our example, we would want to see a queen or a nine to give us a Full House. In the example below, the river was the six of clubs.

Hold on a minute, we now have three pairs. What does that mean?

In Poker, you can only use five cards from seven. So if you have three pairs, you would only take the two highest pairs. In our example that would be (Queens over Nines).

What Are The Odds Of Receiving A Pair Of Aces (Bullets) Pre-Flop?

The probability of receiving two aces as your hole cards is 0.00453% or, in real odds, 220/1.

So if you are fortunate enough to draw pocket aces then you are in a strong position. If we take this further and look at the probability of drawing any of pockets aces, kings, or queens, then your chances improve to 0.0136% or just short of 73/1.

Let’s say you are lucky enough to be dealt the pocket aces, what are your chances of drawing three of a kind? The probability is 11.8% or 8.5 in decimal odds and 15/2 in fractional odds.

Let’s look at the odds of getting certain pocket cards before the flop.

Why Are Pocket Aces The Best Pre-Flop Cards in The Hierarchy of Poker Hands?

Receiving pocket aces (A-A) pre-flop is probably the best-starting hand you can get. However, a poker player does not guarantee victory even with an 85% chance of winning against any random two-card hand.

Take a look at the comparison table below, this shows the chances of an overcard hitting the board when receiving a pocket pair.

Where Can You Learn to Play Poker?

There are plenty of resources on the web that can help you learn poker. However, if you want to master it, the best way is to learn from poker pros. You’ll learn everything from poker hand ranking and what poker hands beat what. You will also learn various strategies and odds applicable to different poker-playing situations.

Nowadays, many poker pros are on Twitch, streaming their cash games and tournament sessions. You can watch everything in real time, see their style of play, and be able to pick up some tricks. Some of the best poker streamers worth following are Lex Veldhuis (RaSZi), Benjamin Spragg (Spraggy), and Jamie Staples (PokerStaples)

What Is the Best Site to Practice Poker and Learn Poker Hands?

In the sea of websites and apps, CoinPoker stands out as the most comprehensive site to play and learn poker. It is the world’s largest cryptocurrency poker platform, where you can play the games in USDT, and there is also the site’s native currency CHP, used for rake and rakeback exclusively.

Since CoinPoker runs on blockchain technology, it is completely safe, and you can play poker and deposit anonymously. You’ll find a variety of games there, including PLO, NLH, and PLO5. They also have cash action games, MTTs (Multi Table Tournaments), and Sit & Go tournaments.

Conclusion

The title Poker Hands Explained sums up the gist of this article. Here, we have covered everything you need to know about poker as a beginner. We examined different poker hands and their rankings, explained the odds of getting each of them, and analyzed the betting rounds.

If you want to learn more and eventually master the game of poker, you can check out the resources below. You can familiarize yourself with various poker strategies, terminology, types of games, and how to beat opponents.

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