Poker hand rankings are among the very first things to understand when learning how to play poker. Any poker aspirant should learn the ranking of poker hands from the strongest to the weakest.
In their excitement, most players get confused about which hand beats another. For instance, is a flush higher than a straight, or does a flush beat three of a kind? Most new players soon realise they’re unfamiliar with the poker hand hierarchy and make poor decisions.
It’s imperative to have a complete insight into poker hand rankings. This article is your one-stop comprehensive resource, helping you navigate poker hand rankings and laying a strong foundation for your next play.
Understanding the Deck
This section will cover the card deck and its relevance in poker.
How Many Cards Are in a Regular Deck?
In total, 52 cards in a standard pack are used while playing poker. These cards are divided into four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades. Each suit has 13 multiple numbers ranging from 2 through 10, followed by face cards—Jack, Queen, and King—with the highest being the Ace. Poker is played using a single deck, whereas some games, like Blackjack, use multiple decks.
Jokers-Do They Get Included?
No, Jokers aren’t included in the regular poker deck.
Understanding Card Values
This section will explain the card values and their significance in poker.
Are All Suits Equal in Poker?
Yes, in poker, all suits hold the same value. Unlike some other card games, poker doesn’t create a hierarchy among the suits. However, each suit works to create specific hands, like a straight flush.
Aces mix things up a little because they can be either high or low. An Ace can take high spots in a straight, such as 10-J-Q-K-A, or it can take the low position in a straight – A-2-3-4-5.
Overview of Poker Hands Ranked in Order
This section looks at various poker hands ranked in order from the best to the worst.
Royal Flush
The royal flush is said to be the best possible hand one can get in poker. It includes an ace, a king, a queen, a jack and 10, with all cards of the same suit. It represents the apex of the poker hands and can never be beaten by another hand.
Straight Flush
The next hand, after the royal flush, is the straight flush. It’s made up of five cards in consecutive order and of the same suit. Although a straight flush isn’t as rare as the royal flush, it’s still a powerful hand in poker.
Four-of-a-Kind
Four of a kind may also be called quads, consisting of four cards of the same rank and the next best hand you can get.
Full House
A full house in poker consists of three cards of the same rank and a pair.
Flush
A flush consists of five cards of the same suit. The value of a flush is determined by the value of the highest card in the hand.
Straight
A straight in poker contains five cards in consecutive order. The suit here is irrelevant unless it’s a straight flush. In that case, the suit indicates a higher value.
Three-of-a-Kind
As the name implies, this hand consists of three cards with the same values. The higher the numeric value of the three-of-a-kind, the stronger the hand.
Two Pair
Two pair simply means a hand consists of two different pairs plus one other unpaired card. The upper pair determines the stronger hand in a tie.
One Pair
One pair consists of a pair of matching values plus three unrelated cards. In case of a tie, the highest pair wins when competing.
High Card
If any of the above doesn’t apply, the highest individual card in a hand determines its ranking. The best high card in poker is considered to be the Ace.
How to Win a Poker Hand
New players entering poker often find themselves struggling with the best versions of poker hands. This section will provide an overview and help new players. To succeed in poker, the primary focus is to build the strongest five-card hand at a showdown.
Some players can win without opening their hands and getting their opponents to fold before the river, but that’s reserved for another article. This one is all about learning hand rankings. Once you’ve mastered the art of playing poker, you can rely on safe wallets to secure your earnings.
Learn and Memorise Hand Rankings
Understanding hand rankings is essential and provides the keys to success in the complex world of poker. Understanding the ins and outs of hand rankings equips players with a strong foundation for building effective strategies and gameplay techniques that may lead to victory.
However, when aspiring poker aficionados set out to practice the art of mastering the game, it all boils down to memorisation and study for those essential hands. This moulds players, regardless of whether they’re playing any of the several unique varieties of poker, from Texas Hold ’em to the wild Omaha to the relatively obscure Badugi poker or even the classic seven-card stud.
This article aims to teach players how to use their hands to their advantage. Not knowing your hand’s value is like going blind to war.
Once one has the hierarchy of hand rankings memorised, players can make better decisions and analyse the games strategically. These basic ideas will make the premises for intelligent reasoning and critical thinking around the table and help towards success and gaining an edge in the game.
While there are variants like Chinese poker, video poker, short deck poker, razz and many more in the poker realm, that’s a discussion for another article. Each of these has its challenges, contributing to making poker even more exciting.
The Significance of Rankings
The hand rankings of poker reflect the probability of the poker hands in a game. For example, coveted hands, such as the Royal Flush, are rare; one must contain their excitement when they come across such a hand.
A straight flush occurs much more frequently than a Royal Flush, followed by four of a kind, and so on. Something that needs to be grasped well is that a full house comprising a three-of-a-kind and a pair ranks above a flush. One must not confuse a flush with a Royal Flush, as one may get confident and lose the game.
Suit Poker Rankings – Their Implications and Exceptions
In most cases, all suits are equal in poker, and the outcome will mainly depend on the numerical values and combination of cards rather than the suits themselves. Suits matter in some hands, like a Flush. However, in Badugi poker, while all suits are considered equal, a different set of rules applies since the players are out to make the lowest possible four-card hand with the stipulation that each card is of a different suit. This is a departure for suits from regular poker games.
Know Your Hands, Play with Confidence
Understanding poker hand rankings is paramount to any player aspiring to master the game. Players who know the rankings and relative strength of different hands will be able to strategise their decisions based on the cards in their hand.
The next time you’re going to play poker, make sure the hand rankings from this article are memorised. And yes, don’t forget the difference between the Royal Flush and a Flush-one of the most common rookie mistakes.
