Poker hands from best to worst
In Texas Hold’em, Omaha and most other games, each player makes the best five-card hand they can. A higher category always beats a lower one: any flush beats any straight, and any full house beats any flush. The last column is how often you finish with that hand by the river, using your two hole cards and five board cards.
| Rank | Hand | Example | What it is | Chance by the river |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | Ace-high straight flush | 0.0032% |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five in a row, same suit | 0.028% |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 7♦ | Four cards of one rank | 0.168% |
| 4 | Full house | J♠ J♥ J♦ 4♣ 4♠ | Three of a kind plus a pair | 2.6% |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 2♦ | Five cards of one suit | 3.0% |
| 6 | Straight | 10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ | Five in a row, mixed suits | 4.6% |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠ | Three cards of one rank | 4.8% |
| 8 | Two pair | A♣ A♦ 9♠ 9♥ 5♣ | Two different pairs | 23.5% |
| 9 | One pair | K♥ K♣ 10♦ 6♠ 3♥ | Two cards of one rank | 43.8% |
| 10 | High card | A♠ Q♦ 9♣ 5♥ 3♠ | None of the above | 17.4% |
How ties are broken
When two players have the same category, compare the cards that make the hand first, then the kickers. A pair of kings beats a pair of queens. With the same pair, the highest unpaired card (the kicker) decides it. Two pair compares the top pair, then the second pair, then the kicker. A full house is decided by the three of a kind first: kings full of twos beats queens full of aces. Flushes and high-card hands compare card by card from the top. If the best five cards are identical, the pot is split. Suits never break ties.
Common questions
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush is rarer than a straight, so it ranks higher. A full house beats both.
Can an ace be low in a straight?
Yes. A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel) is the lowest straight. An ace can be high or low but cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
What is the best possible hand?
A royal flush: ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the same suit. You make one about once in every 31,000 seven-card hands.
Do you have to use both hole cards?
Not in Hold’em: you can use two, one or none of your hole cards. In Omaha you must use exactly two. Try both in our Hold’em odds calculator and Omaha odds calculator.
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