Hand Rankings

OK, here they come, the best poker hands - highest ranking hands down to the lowest.

1. Royal Flush

10 J Q K A of the same suit.


Its unbeatable, the absoulute best hand possible. If you have this then no one else could possibly have it and you are guaranteed to win. All you have to hope for is that someone else has a good hand so that you demolish them when they call your bet.

2. Straight Flush

Running cards of the same suit.


The second best possible hand. Near unbeatable. Youd be very unlucky to have this and lose. Remember that the highest straight wins so if your cards make up to top end of the straight then you would have the nuts i.e you would be unbeatable. In this example, if you had the q then you would beat someone who had the 8.

3. Four of a kind

Four cards the same denomination self explanitory really. A very good hand.

4. Full House

A pair and a triple together.


The full house can be confusing becasue if more than one player has a full house then its the hand that has the highest triplets that will win. For example AA222 is beaten by 33322. If this happens then it sucks big time but normally, with a full house you will win. Reach for your chips.

5. Flush

Any five cards of the same suit.


A great hand.This could be made up of both your cards, one of your cards or there could even be a flush on the board. When more than one player has a flush the player with the highest card in hand (of that suit) wins.

6. Triplets

Three of a kind.

A great hand. A kicker can be relavent here becasue its possible for two players to have the same triplets if there is a pair on the board.

7. Two pair

Two pairs. A good hand.



Kicker applies if more than one player have the same two pair. Of course there could be two pair dealt in the communal cards so in this case the player with the highest card (kicker) wins.

8. A pair

One pair.

Could be made up of your pocket pair, or matching a pair on the board. Kicker applies if more than one player has it.

9. Kicker

No ones got anything so the player with the highest card in his hand wins.

Finally we have the split pot. Someimes it annoying becasue you expected to win, othertimes, its a relief becasue you didnt lose. There could be a straight on the board in which case all players in the hand split the pot equally. Many other split pot scenarios exist. Remember that communal cards can be kickers too.

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