Guide · Texas Hold'em
Poker hands ranked, from best to worst
In Texas Hold'em the best 5-card hand wins. These are the 10 possible hands, strongest to weakest, with an example of each. Dimmed cards are not part of the hand: they only break ties.
4 min read · Updated on
In short
From best to worst: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card. The harder a hand is to make, the more it is worth. That is why a flush beats a straight and a full house beats both.
- 01
Royal flush
A, K, Q, J and 10 of the same suit.
The best possible hand. Nothing beats it.
- 02
Straight flush
5 cards in a row, all of the same suit.
If two players have one, the higher top card wins.
- 03
Four of a kind
4 cards of the same rank.
The fifth card only matters as a tiebreaker (the kicker).
- 04
Full house
Three of a kind plus a pair.
Between two full houses, the higher three of a kind wins.
- 05
Flush
5 cards of the same suit, in any order.
Between two flushes, the one with the highest card wins, then the next highest, and so on.
- 06
Straight
5 cards in a row, any suits.
The ace can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), but it cannot wrap around.
- 07
Three of a kind
3 cards of the same rank.
If two players share the same three of a kind, the other two cards break the tie.
- 08
Two pair
Two different pairs.
Compare the higher pair first, then the second pair, then the fifth card.
- 09
One pair
2 cards of the same rank.
With the same pair, the best side card (the kicker) wins.
- 10
High card
Nothing made: your highest card plays.
If tied, compare the second highest, then the third, and so on.
How often each hand happens
We counted all 133,784,560 possible 7-card combinations (your 2 hole cards plus the 5 on the board) and checked the best hand in each one. This is what you finish with if you see the river in Texas Hold'em:
| Hand | Probability | One in… |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.003% | 30,940 hands |
| Straight flush | 0.028% | 3,591 hands |
| Four of a kind | 0.17% | 595 hands |
| Full house | 2.6% | 39 hands |
| Flush | 3.0% | 33 hands |
| Straight | 4.6% | 22 hands |
| Three of a kind | 4.8% | 21 hands |
| Two pair | 23.5% | 4 hands |
| One pair | 43.8% | 2 hands |
| High card | 17.4% | 6 hands |
The rules people argue about
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush ranks above a straight, and a full house beats both. The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks: with 7 cards a straight comes up 4.6% of the time and a flush 3.0%.
How many cards make a poker hand?
Five. You play the best 5 cards out of your 2 hole cards and the 5 on the board. You can use both of your cards, one of them, or none at all.
Do suits break ties in Texas Hold'em?
No. No suit is worth more than another. If two players have the same five cards by rank, the pot is split.
What is a kicker?
The side card that goes with your hand and breaks ties. If both players have a pair of aces, the one with the higher side card wins.
Is the ace high or low?
Both. It is the highest card, but it can also be low in the A-2-3-4-5 straight, which is the lowest straight (the "wheel").
What beats a full house?
Only three hands: four of a kind, a straight flush and a royal flush.
What is a royal flush and how likely is it?
The best hand in poker: A, K, Q, J and 10 of the same suit. It shows up once in about 30,940 Texas Hold'em hands (0.003%) and nothing beats it.
What is the best starting hand?
Pocket aces. They win about 85% of the time against a random hand. Here is the full ranking of starting hands.
Now you know them. Time to practice.
Play real hands against the app's opponents and learn when to bet with each one. Free, and no real money.