THE PLAYFORCHIPS GUIDE
Poker hand rankings
Ten familiar names, one clear order. In Texas Hold’em, your best five-card combination decides the winner when a hand reaches showdown.
You can use both of your private cards, one of them, or neither. The cards in the middle belong to everyone still in the hand. These rankings go from strongest to weakest.
- 01
Royal flush
A, K, Q, J, 10 in the same suit. The highest possible straight flush.
- 02
Straight flush
Five consecutive ranks in one suit. The higher top card wins between straight flushes.
- 03
Four of a kind
Four cards of one rank. Compare the four matching cards first, then the fifth card.
- 04
Full house
Three cards of one rank plus a pair. Compare the three matching cards first, then the pair.
- 05
Flush
Five cards in one suit, without consecutive ranks. Compare the highest card, then each next card.
- 06
Straight
Five consecutive ranks, with more than one suit. The highest card decides its strength.
- 07
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank, with two other ranks. Compare the trips, then the remaining cards.
- 08
Two pair
Two different pairs. Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the fifth card.
- 09
One pair
Two cards of one rank. Compare the pair first, then the three remaining cards in descending order.
- 10
High card
None of the combinations above. Compare the highest card, then the next highest until a difference appears.
What happens when two players have the same type of hand?
Compare the ranks that make the combination first. A pair of queens beats a pair of jacks, even if the player holding jacks also has an ace. If the pairs match, compare the remaining cards, called kickers, from highest to lowest.
A kicker decides it
With a board of Q♠ 8♥ 8♦ 4♣ 2♠, a player holding A♦ K♣ makes 8–8–A–K–Q. A player holding A♣ J♣ makes 8–8–A–Q–J. Both have a pair of eights and an ace kicker, but the king gives the first player the stronger five-card hand.
When the best five cards have identical ranks, the players tie and split the pot they are eligible to win. Suits do not break ties: a heart is not stronger than a spade.
Can an ace be low?
Yes, in the straight A–2–3–4–5. This is a five-high straight, sometimes called a wheel. An ace can also be high in 10–J–Q–K–A. It cannot wrap around: Q–K–A–2–3 is not a straight.
Can everyone use the board?
Yes. If the board is A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠, every player still in the hand has a royal flush. Private cards cannot improve it. That pot is shared.
Only the best five cards matter. A sixth card cannot break a tie, and having three pairs does not create a new hand category.
Keep learning
Texas Hold’em rules
Follow a hand from the first blind to the final showdown.
Read the guideBlackjack rules
Know when an ace is 1 or 11, how splits work, and what each win pays.
Read the guideTexas Hold’em questions
Ten beginner answers: using your cards, betting, kickers, all-ins, and split pots.
Read the guideBlackjack questions
Ten beginner answers: card values, soft hands, doubles, splits, pushes, and payouts.
Read the guideBlackjack basic strategy
Decision charts for hard hands, soft hands, and pairs, with worked examples.
Read the guideAdvanced Texas Hold’em
Position, ranges, pot odds, effective stacks, and the reasons behind a bet.
Read the guide