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Poker Hand Rankings |
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In Hold'em the Highest Ranking Hands Win |
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Cards are divided into four suits; Spades, Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts. Each suit is equal in value. There are 13 ranks in each suit. Cards are ranked by their number value. The Ace is the highest ranking card, followed by the King, Queen, Jack, and 10 through 2 (or duece), in descending order. The Ace can also be used as the lowest card in a straight (5-4-3-2-A). Although Hold'em, the most popular poker game, is played with seven cards, the best hand refers to the best five-card hand. |
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Hands are listed in order from lowest hand to highest hand. |
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Click on the hand to see an example |
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| The Hand |
Description |
Who Wins? |
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| No Pair or "High Card" |
Five unrelated cards |
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If no player has a pair, then the rank order of the unrelated cards determines the winning hand. The hand with the highest ranking cards wins. |
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| Pair |
Two cards of the same rank and three unrelated cards |
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The hand with the highest pair wins. If two players have the same pair, then the value of the three unrelated cards determines the winning hand. |
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| Two Pair |
Two cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank along with one unrelated card |
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The hand with the highest pair wins. If two players have the same high pair then the rank of the second pair determines the winning hand. If bothplayers hold the same two pairs then the value of the unrelated card determines the winning hand. If the hands are identical then the players split the pot. |
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| Three of a Kind also referred to as a "Set" or "Trips" |
Three cards of the same rank along with two unrelated cards |
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The hand with the highest ranking set wins. |
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| Straight |
Five cards in sequence that are not all of the same suit. |
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If two players hold a straight the highest card in the sequence determines the winning hand. |
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| Flush |
Any five cards of the same suit that are not all in sequence |
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If two players hold a flush, the rank order of the highest card or cards in the sequence determines the winning hand. |
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Full House or
"Full Boat" |
Three cards of one rank and a pair of another |
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The hand with the highest ranking three card set wins. The hand is not determined by the pair. |
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Four of a Kind,
or "quads" |
Four cards of the same rank and one unrelated card |
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The highest ranking four cards win |
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| Straight Flush |
Five cards of the same suit all in sequence |
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The highest card in the sequence determines the winning hand. |
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| Royal Straight Flush |
An Ace-high straight flush |
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The best possible hand in poker |
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On to Poker Terms >> |
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| << Back to the Classroom |
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