Poker Hands

Get a handle on your poker hands

It doesn’t matter what type of poker you play, you’ll need to know your poker hand rankings. Whether you are new to the game of poker or are in need of a quick refresher course, our valuable guide explains everything you need to know in easy to understand language. While you’ll certainly want to know these hands and probabilities by heart, you can always refer to our guide as you play.  There’s no better way to learn than by playing hands-on for free.

Five Card Poker Hand Values for High

Royal Flush:

A Royal Flush is the cream of the crop.  This winning hand includes an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit. This is the best poker hand you can have in high poker. The odds of getting this hand in 5-card high poker are 1 in 649,740.

If a tie takes place, two or more Royal Flushes split the pot.

Straight Flush:

Five cards in a row of the same suit make a straight flush.  The odds of getting a straight flush are 1 in 72,193.33.  There are 36 possible straight flush combinations.

If a tie occurs, the hand with the highest ranking card wins.

Four of a Kind:

A Four of a Kind contains four cards of the same rank and one additional card.  The odds of getting a Four of a Kind are 1 in 4,165.  When playing five-card poker games, there are 624 possible ways to get this hand.

If two or more players both have this hand, then the highest Four of a Kind wins.  In Texas Hold Em and other games that use community cards, the kicker (the highest 5th side card) will determine the winning hand in the event of a tie.

Full House:

A Full House features three of a kind along with a pair of matching rank cards.  The odds of being dealt a Full House are 1 in 694.16.

If a tie occurs, the hand that features the highest three matching cards will win. In Texas Hold Em and other games that use community cards, the hand with the highest pair will be declared the winner, if there is a tie.

Flush:

A flush contains five cards of identical suit. The odds of getting a Flush are 1 in 508.80.  There are 5,109 different ways to get a Flush.

If a tie occurs, the hand with the highest ranked card wins. The 2nd highest, 3rd highest, 4th highest, and 5th highest cards can be used to break ties if necessary.

Straight:

A straight is made up of five consecutive cards.  Players can use an Ace at either the top or bottom of the hand, if applicable.  The odds of being dealt a straight are 1 in 234.80. There are more than 10,000 straight combinations.

If a tie takes place, the straight with the highest-ranking top card will win.

Three of a Kind:

Three of a Kind features three cards of the same value and two additional side cards. The odds of being dealt Three of a Kind are 1 in 47.32. There are more than 54,912 different combinations.

If a tie occurs, the highest ranking Three of a Kind will win. In Texas Hold Em and other games that use community cards, the highest side card and, if needed, the second highest side card can be used as tiebreakers.

Two Pair:

Two Pair consists of two cards of the same rank, two other cards of a different matching rank, and a side card.  The odds of securing Two Pair are 1 in 21.  There are 123,552 different Two Pair combinations.

The highest pair wins, but the second highest pair will be the deciding factor in the event of a tie.  If both players have identical pairs, then the highest side card will determine the winner.

One Pair:

One Pair consists of two cards of the same rank and three side cards that are unrelated.

If there is a tie, then the highest pair will win.  If both players have the same pair, the highest side card will win.  If there is still a tie, the second and third highest card will break the tie.

High Card:

High Card applies when players cannot assemble any of the hands outlined above.  The highest card wins, but in the event of a tie the second-highest, third-highest, fourth-highest, and lowest card, as necessary, will determine the winner.

Five Card Poker Hand Values for Low Poker Hands

Suits and sequences don’t matter for low poker hands.  When evaluating a low poker hand, an Ace is the lowest card.  Straights and flushes do not break low poker hands.

Five High or Wheel:

Five High features a 5, 4, 3, 2, and A.  If a tie occurs, then all Five High hands share the pot.

Six High:

Six High features any five unpaired cards with a 6 as the highest card. 6, 4, 3, 2, A would defeat 6, 5, 4, 2, A. If there is still a tie, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th highest cards will determine the winner.

Seven High:

Seven High features any five unpaired cards with a 7 as the highest card.

If there is a tie, the hand with the lower second-highest ranking card wins.  If there is still a tie, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th highest cards will determine the winner.

Eight High:

Eight High features any five unpaired cards with an 8 as the highest card.  If there is a tie, the hand with the lower second-highest ranking card wins.  If there is still a tie, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th highest cards will determine the winner.