Hand Rankings

Welcome to Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of poker in the world. Before diving into strategy, let's make sure you understand how the game works and what makes one hand beat another.

How a Hand of Texas Hold'em Works

Every hand follows the same structure:

1. The Deal -- Each player receives two private cards (called hole cards) face down. Only you can see your cards.
2. Preflop Betting -- A round of betting happens based on the strength of your hole cards. Two players post forced bets called the small blind and big blind to get action started.
3. The Flop -- Three community cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. Everyone can use these cards. Another round of betting follows.
4. The Turn -- A fourth community card is dealt. Another round of betting.
5. The River -- A fifth and final community card is dealt. One last round of betting.
6. The Showdown -- If two or more players remain, they reveal their cards. The player who can make the best five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards wins the pot.

That's the whole game flow. Simple to learn, endlessly deep to master.

The 10 Hand Rankings

Here are the ten possible hand categories, ranked from strongest to weakest. Your goal is always to make the best possible five-card hand.

1. Royal Flush

A, K, Q, J, T all of the same suit.

The absolute best hand in poker. Example: A-K-Q-J-T of hearts. It's a specific case of a straight flush -- the highest one possible. You'll rarely see one, but when you do, you win.

2. Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Example: 9-8-7-6-5 of spades. Any five in a row of one suit. A Royal Flush is just the ace-high version of this.

3. Four of a Kind (Quads)

Four cards of the same rank.

Example: K-K-K-K-7. Four Kings with any fifth card. Extremely strong and very rare.

4. Full House (Boat)

Three of a kind plus a pair.

Example: J-J-J-8-8 ("Jacks full of Eights"). When two players both have a full house, the higher three-of-a-kind wins. If the trips are the same, the higher pair wins.

5. Flush

Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.

Example: A-J-8-4-2 all of spades. When two players have flushes, the one with the highest card wins. If those match, compare the second-highest, and so on.

6. Straight

Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.

Example: 9-8-7-6-5 in different suits. The ace can play high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-A, called a "wheel"), but it cannot wrap around (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight).

7. Three of a Kind (Trips / Set)

Three cards of the same rank.

Example: Q-Q-Q-9-4. When you hold a pocket pair and one matches the board, it's called a set. When two cards are on the board and one matches your hand, it's called trips. Sets are generally stronger because they're better disguised.

8. Two Pair

Two different pairs.

Example: A-A-7-7-K. The higher pair is compared first. If both players have the same top pair, the second pair decides. If both pairs match, the kicker (fifth card) breaks the tie.

9. One Pair

Two cards of the same rank.

Example: K-K-Q-9-4. A very common hand. The rank of the pair matters most, then the kickers.

10. High Card

None of the above -- your best card plays.

Example: A-J-8-5-3 with no pair, no straight, no flush. When no one makes any hand, the highest card wins. If those are equal, go to the second-highest, and so on.

Memory Tips

• "Royal beats Straight Flush beats Quads" -- the top three are rare and powerful. You almost never fold them.
• Full House beats Flush beats Straight -- this is the one people mix up most. A full house is stronger than a flush!
• Trips beats Two Pair beats One Pair beats High Card -- the bottom four are what you'll see most often.
• A quick mnemonic: Royal, Straight Flush, Four, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. Notice the three F's in the middle -- Full House > Flush.

Up Next

Once these rankings are second nature, everything else builds on top. The two practice drills in this level will help you identify hands quickly and compare two hands against each other. Let's get started!