Poker hand rankings
Poker hands rank from royal flush down to high card. A flush beats a straight because it is rarer: 3.0% of seven-card hands against 4.6%. One pair is the most common made hand at 43.8%, and a royal flush arrives once in 30,940 hands.
- 1
Royal flush
Ten to ace, all of one suit. The best possible hand, and it cannot be beaten or tied by anything except another royal flush.
0.0032%1 in 30,940 - 2
Straight flush
Five cards in sequence, all the same suit. Ranked by the highest card, so nine-high beats eight-high.
0.028%1 in 3,590 - 3
Four of a kind
All four cards of one rank. The fifth card is a kicker and only matters when two players hold the same quads, which needs the quads to be on the board.
0.168%1 in 594 - 4
Full house
Three of one rank and two of another. Compared on the three first, jacks full of fours beats tens full of aces.
2.60%1 in 37.5 - 5
Flush
Five cards of one suit, not in sequence. Compared card by card from the top, so the ace-high flush wins.
3.03%1 in 32.1 - 6
Straight
Five cards in sequence, mixed suits. The ace plays high or low, so A-2-3-4-5 is a straight, the weakest one, called the wheel.
4.62%1 in 20.6 - 7
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank plus two unrelated cards. Made with a pocket pair it is called a set, and it is far better disguised than the same hand made with one hole card.
4.83%1 in 19.7 - 8
Two pair
Two cards of one rank and two of another. Compared on the higher pair first, then the lower, then the kicker.
23.5%1 in 4.3 - 9
One pair
Two cards of the same rank. The most common made hand, and the one that wins the most pots at a full table.
43.8%1 in 2.3 - 10
High card
No pair, no straight, no flush. Compared card by card from the top. Ace-high wins more pots than beginners expect, because everyone else missed too.
17.4%1 in 5.7
How often each hand is made
Probability of holding each hand as your best five cards by the river, from seven cards.
| Hand | Probability | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.0032% | 1 in 30,940 |
| Straight flush | 0.028% | 1 in 3,590 |
| Four of a kind | 0.168% | 1 in 594 |
| Full house | 2.60% | 1 in 37.5 |
| Flush | 3.03% | 1 in 32.1 |
| Straight | 4.62% | 1 in 20.6 |
| Three of a kind | 4.83% | 1 in 19.7 |
| Two pair | 23.5% | 1 in 4.3 |
| One pair | 43.8% | 1 in 2.3 |
| High card | 17.4% | 1 in 5.7 |
Hand ranking questions
What beats what in poker?
From strongest to weakest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. A flush always beats a straight, and a full house always beats both.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes, always. A flush is made about 3.0% of the time by the river against 4.6% for a straight, and the rarer hand wins.
Is an ace high or low in a straight?
Both. A-K-Q-J-T is the highest straight and A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest, known as the wheel. The ace cannot bridge the two, Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
What happens when two players have the same hand?
The kickers decide. With one pair, the next three highest cards are compared in order. If all five cards are equal, the pot is split, which most often happens when the board itself is the best five-card hand.
How likely am I to make each hand?
By the river, with seven cards to choose from: one pair 43.8%, two pair 23.5%, high card 17.4%, three of a kind 4.8%, straight 4.6%, flush 3.0%, full house 2.6%, quads 0.17%, straight flush 0.028%, royal flush 0.0032%.
Do suits ever break a tie?
Not in Texas hold’em. All four suits are equal, so two identical hands split the pot regardless of suit.
Keep going
- Next stepWhich two cards to start withKnowing a flush beats a straight settles the showdown. Which of the 169 starting hands you play, and from which seat, settles almost everything before it.
- How to play pokerThe rules
- Odds calculatorAny hand
- Pot oddsWhen to call
- Preflop chartsBy position
- Guides and glossaryLearn the terms
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