Poker Hand Rankings

The hands listed here are common across all types of poker.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is a run of consecutive cards of the same suit. A Royal Flush is a straight of the same suit from Ace, through to 10; this is the highest possible hand.

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the denomination, e.g. 4 Aces.

Full House

Three of a kind plus a pair. e.g. 3 Kings and 2 Tens.

Flush

Five cards of the same suit, they do not need to be consecutive. e.g. 2, 6, 8, 10, Ace of Clubs

Straight

Five consecutive cards, not of the same suit, e.g. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of any suit

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same denomination, e.g. 3 Queens.

Two Pairs

Two sets of two cards of the same denomination e.g. 2 Aces and 2 Sevens.

One Pair

One set of cards of the same denomination, e.g. one pair of sixes

High Card

When your hand does not consist of any of the above combinations, your poker hand is the five highest cards. The highest denomination is considered your 'high card'. E.g. 2, 4, 7, 9, 10 of any suit.

Points to consider

Your 'kicker' plays a vital role in the value of your hand. If you have a Flush with low value cards (e.g. 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 of hearts) and are up against a big raise, consider the opponent may also have a flush with higher cards (e.g. 6, 8, 10, K, A). Your kicker is an 8 while the opponent's is an Ace, so he will win the hand. This is also the case with a straight.

A hand made predominantly with community cards (cards in the centre that all players can use)
is considerably weaker than a hand which uses both your pocket cards. A common mistake is to over-calue 2 pair, which is only made from one of your cards. Your opponent also has at least a pair since they come from the community cards and this could have made them 3 of a kind or even a full house.

Chasing a straight or flush is probably one of the biggest mistakes new players make. They get too caught up in the luck element of the game, as you gain experience you'll understand what the odds are for that card you need being dealt and will start to count your 'outs' - how many cards in the deck can complete your hand.

The biggest mistake new players make is not remembering the Poker Hand ranking and uncovering what their hand is by asking the rest of the players. Poker Minder has a poker hand ranking chart which is available during a tournament, so if you need to refresh your memory, simply pick up the mobile phone, go to Options > Poker Hands and refresh your memory without disclosing your hand!

Get Poker Minder for your mobile phone now.