You’re in a hand. The last card—the river—has just been dealt. You look down at your two cards and see a pair of Kings. You look at the community cards and see a pair of 8s. You have two pair!
You bet, your opponent calls, and they turn over… a pair of Aces.
Who wins? Does your two pair beat their one pair? (Yes.) What if they also had two pair? What if the board has a flush?
If you’re new to the game, this moment is the single most confusing part of poker. Before you can bluff, before you can bet, before you can do anything, you must learn the “alphabet” of the game.
This is that alphabet.
Welcome to your simple, no-nonsense beginner’s guide to poker hand rankings. This is a foundational part of all poker rules. We’ll list every poker hand from best to worst. By the end of this 5-minute read, you’ll never be confused at a showdown again.
The Official Poker Hand Rankings (Best to Worst)
This is the definitive list, starting from the absolute “nuts” (the best possible hand) all the way down to the worst.
In most poker games, like Texas Hold’em, your goal is to make the best possible five-card hand using any combination of your two private “hole cards” and the five community cards on the board.
Here they are, from #1 to #10.
1. Royal Flush
- What it is: The highest possible hand in poker. It consists of the $A-K-Q-J-T$, all in the same suit.
- Example: $A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ T♠$
- The Lowdown: This is the unicorn of poker. It’s unbeatable. If you have a Royal Flush, the only thing you have to worry about is how to get the most chips from your opponents.
2. Straight Flush
- What it is: Five cards in sequential order (a “straight”) that are also all in the same suit (a “flush”).
- Example: $9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥$
- Tie-breaker: If two players have a Straight Flush (an incredibly rare event), the one with the highest-ranking card wins. A $T-9-8-7-6$ Straight Flush beats an $8-7-6-5-4$ Straight Flush.
3. Four of a Kind (Quads)
- What it is: Four cards of the same rank.
- Example: $K♣ K♠ K♥ K♦ 7♠$
- Tie-breaker: The highest-ranking “quads” win. $A-A-A-A$ beats $K-K-K-K$. If the quads are the same (e.g., $K-K-K-K$ is on the community board), the fifth card, or “kicker,” plays (more on this below).
4. Full House (A “Boat”)
- What it is: A combination of Three of a Kind and a Pair.
- Example: $J♠ J♥ J♣ 8♦ 8♣$ (This is read as “Jacks full of Eights.”)
- Tie-breaker: This is a key one! The hand with the highest-ranking Three of a Kind wins.
- $J-J-J-8-8$ beats $T-T-T-A-A$
- If the Three of a Kind is the same, the highest Pair wins. $J-J-J-A-A$ beats $J-J-J-K-K$.
5. Flush
- What it is: Any five cards of the same suit. The cards do not have to be in order.
- Example: $K♦ Q♦ 9♦ 4♦ 2♦$
- Tie-breaker: The player with the highest single card in their flush wins. An Ace-high flush beats a King-high flush. If the highest cards are the same, the second-highest card is compared, then the third, and so on.
6. Straight
- What it is: Five cards in sequential order, but not of the same suit.
- Example: $T♠ 9♥ 8♦ 7♣ 6♥$
- Tie-breaker: The highest card in the straight wins. A $T-9-8-7-6$ (a “Ten-high straight”) beats a $9-8-7-6-5$ (a “Nine-high straight”).
- Special Note: The Ace is flexible. It can be high ($A-K-Q-J-T$) or low ($A-2-3-4-5$), but it cannot “wrap around” (e.g., $Q-K-A-2-3$ is not a straight).
7. Three of a Kind (Trips or a Set)
- What it is: Three cards of the same rank.
- Example: $7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♠ 2♣$
- Tie-breaker: The highest-ranking Three of a Kind wins ($7-7-7$ beats $6-6-6$). If the “trips” are the same, the highest kicker plays, then the second kicker.
8. Two Pair
- What it is: Two cards of one rank, plus two cards of another rank.
- Example: $A♦ A♠ J♣ J♥ 7♦$ (This is “Aces and Jacks.”)
- Tie-breaker: This is another common point of confusion for beginners.
- First, the highest pair wins. $A-A-J-J$ beats $K-K-Q-Q$.
- If the top pairs are the same, the second pair wins. $A-A-J-J$ beats $A-A-T-T$.
- If both pairs are identical, the fifth card (kicker) wins. $A-A-J-J-K$ beats $A-A-J-J-Q$.
9. One Pair
- What it is: Two cards of the same rank.
- Example: $K♥ K♠ Q♦ 8♣ 4♠$
- Tie-breaker: The highest pair wins ($K-K$ beats $Q-Q$). If both players have the same pair (e.g., both have $K-K$), the kickers decide the pot. A $K-K-A-Q-8$ hand beats a $K-K-A-J-T$ hand.
10. High Card
- What it is: If you have none of the hands above, your hand is valued by its single highest-ranking card.
- Example: $A♥ Q♦ 9♣ 5♠ 2♦$ (This is “Ace-high.”)
- Tie-breaker: The highest card wins. Ace beats King. If the high cards are the same, the second-highest card plays, then the third, and so on.
A Quick, Important Note: What is a “Kicker”?
This is one of the most important poker rules. You’ve seen the word “kicker” mentioned a few times.
A poker hand is always made of five cards.
The “kicker” is the highest unpaired card in your hand that is used to break ties between hands of the same rank.
Let’s use the most common example:
- Player 1: $A♠ K♥$
- Player 2: $A♦ Q♣$
- Community Board: $A♣ 8♥ 7♠ 4♦ 2♦$
Both players have One Pair of Aces. So, who wins?
To find out, we look at the kickers.
- Player 1’s best 5-card hand: $A♠ A♣ K♥ 8♥ 7♠$ (Pair of Aces, King kicker)
- Player 2’s best 5-card hand: $A♦ A♣ Q♣ 8♥ 7♠$ (Pair of Aces, Queen kicker)
Since King is higher than Queen, Player 1 wins the pot.
Conclusion: Now You’re Ready to Play
That’s it! It might seem like a lot to memorize, but after you play a few hands, it will become second nature. This list of poker hand rankings is the solid foundation you need for your entire poker journey.
Your Actionable Takeaway: Keep this page open—or even print out the list—for your next game. When you’re in a hand, just focus on identifying what your best five-card hand is. The more you see, the faster you’ll learn.
Now that you know the what of poker hands, it’s time to learn the how of playing them. Check out more of our poker tutorials and strategy guides right here on pokertactic.com!