You canŌĆÖt win in poker if you donŌĆÖt know how hands are ranked, which is why IŌĆÖm here to help. As well as giving you a printable poker hands chart, IŌĆÖm going to explain how to use poker hand rankings to your advantage. So, if youŌĆÖre a fan of HoldŌĆÖem, Omaha, or any other variants and have dreams of winning a WSOP bracelet, this is where you need to start. Once youŌĆÖre finished reading, bookmark this poker hands cheat sheet so you can master the ranking of cards and become a better player. Quick Poker Hands Chart WeŌĆÖll delve into the specifics of each poker hand in the next section. Before that, letŌĆÖs take a birdŌĆÖs eye view of the best poker hands by rank. Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit. 2. Straight Flush Five cards in a row, all the same suit. 3. Four-of-a-kind (Quads) Four cards of the same rank plus one side card. Three of one rank and one pair of another. Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. Five cards in a row, mixed suits. 7. Three-of-a-kind (Trips/Set) Three cards of the same rank plus two kickers. Two different pairs plus a fifth card. One pair plus three other, unpaired cards. No made hand; the highest card wins. How Do You Make Poker Hands in Texas HoldŌĆÖem? Everyone receives two hole cards that they can combine with five community cards. These cards can be used by everyone to make a five-card poker hand. The community cards are dealt in three stages: ┬Ę┬ĀThe flop (three cards) ┬Ę┬ĀThe turn (one card) ┬Ę┬ĀThe river (one card) LetŌĆÖs say youŌĆÖre dealt A ŌÖ” K ŌÖ” and stay in the hand until the flop. The first three community cards are J ŌÖ” 6 ŌÖ” 7ŌÖĀ. At this point, youŌĆÖve got enough cards to make a five-card poker hand. However, as you can see from our hands ranking chart, you only have a ŌĆ£High Card.ŌĆØ You stick around to see the turn. The 2 ŌÖ” lands on the turn. Now, you can combine your hole cards (A ŌÖ” K ŌÖ” ) with J ŌÖ” 6 ŌÖ” 2 ŌÖ” . Using our poker hands chart, you can see that five suited cards make a flush. Making Five-Card Poker Hands in Other Variants The way you make hands in Omaha is similar, except you have four hole cards, and you must use two of them. In non-community card games, such as Draw and Stud, you make winning poker hands from the cards dealt to you specifically. Poker Hands Explained (Detailed Rankings) LetŌĆÖs take a look at the various poker card hands you can make and their associated odds. For context, the odds columns refer to the likelihood youŌĆÖll make that hand on the flop in Texas HoldŌĆÖem rather than other variants such as video poker and three-card poker. Basic Poker Strategy: Odds and Outs Knowing the rank of poker hands is important, but itŌĆÖs not enough to make you a winning player. ThatŌĆÖs why I like to consider the odds of each hand when IŌĆÖm making decisions. For example, we know from our poker hands cheat sheet that hitting a royal flush on the flop is incredibly unlikely (it happens 0.005% of the time). In contrast, youŌĆÖll make one pair approximately 1/3 of the time (29%) in HoldŌĆÖem. ThatŌĆÖs useful information because it tells us two things: 1.┬ĀOpponents donŌĆÖt flop good poker hands very often. 2.┬ĀWe wonŌĆÖt flop the best hands in poker very often. Based on these assumptions, we should be more willing to continue in a hand if we have a strong draw. Why? Because we donŌĆÖt have anything and, most likely, neither do our opponents. Moreover, if an opponent does have a hand, itŌĆÖs less likely to be among the best poker hands. Therefore, if we hit our draw or apply enough pressure on later streets to make weak hands fold, we could win the pot. Importance of Hand Rankings in Poker Strategy WeŌĆÖve already teased out some basic poker theory from our hand rankings chart. LetŌĆÖs build on this by putting together a strategy for playing Texas HoldŌĆÖem poker hands: Step 1. The Best Starting Hands in Poker Start as you mean to go. The better hole cards you start with, the more likely you are to make winning poker hands in HoldŌĆÖem and other variants. Strong vs. Weak Poker Hands Before we list the best starting hands in poker, letŌĆÖs define what we mean by good and bad cards. Good Starting Hands in Poker Good cards are closely related in value. An ace and a king are next to each other in terms of card values. Similarly, the 4 ŌÖ” and the J ŌÖ” are closely related because theyŌĆÖre both diamonds. Cards that are closely related give you a better chance of making ranked hands in poker. So, A-K gives you the chance to make strong pairs, sets, quads, and full houses. You can also make straights with A-K. 4 ŌÖ” J ŌÖ” isnŌĆÖt as closely related as it could be. However, because youŌĆÖve got two diamonds, a flush is possible. So, in the right contexts, this could be described as a good starting hand. Weak Starting Hands in Poker A weak starting hand contains two cards that are unconnected in terms of numerical value and suits. The weakest starting hand in poker is 7-2 offsuit, e.g. 7 ŌÖź 2ŌÖĀ. These two cards are as unconnected as they could possibly be. Because of this, itŌĆÖs hard to make winning poker hands with 7-2 offsuit. The Best Starting Hands in Texas HoldŌĆÖem. Here are the best starting hands in poker broken down into categories: ┬Ę┬Ā Pocket Pairs: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, T-T. ┬Ę┬Ā Ace-High Hands: A-K (suited and unsuited), A-Q (suited and unsuited), A-J (suited and unsuited), A-T (suited). ┬Ę┬Ā King-High Hands: K-Q (suited and unsuited), K-J (suited) ┬Ę┬Ā Suited Connectors: Q-J, J-T, T-9, 8-9, 7-6. ┬Ę┬Ā Connectors: Q-J, J-T, T-9. All of the above are good poker hands, but that doesnŌĆÖt mean you should play them blindly. Context matters. For example, suited connectors are great if youŌĆÖre in a late position and there are multiple people in hand because the pot odds are in your favor. However, if youŌĆÖre first to act on an aggressive table, suited connectors are a fold. Therefore, you should assess the gameŌĆÖs dynamics and use our poker hands cheat sheet to decide if your cards are good enough to play. Step 2. Know Your Odds: The Rule of 4 & 2 The art of making winning poker hands is knowing how likely they are to hit on the flop, turn, and river. IŌĆÖve already given you the odds of making poker hands on the flop in HoldŌĆÖem, so letŌĆÖs talk about the turn and river. The easiest way to calculate your chances of making ranked hands in poker is the Rule of 4 & 2. HereŌĆÖs an example of the Rule of 4 & 2 in action: ┬Ę┬ĀYour hole cards = A ŌÖ” K ŌÖ” ┬Ę┬ĀFlop: J ŌÖ” 6 ŌÖ” 7ŌÖĀ ┬Ę┬ĀYour outs (cards that can make a flush) = 9 diamonds ┬Ę┬ĀYour odds of hitting a flush on the turn or river = 9 x 4 = 36% ┬Ę┬ĀYour odds of hitting a flush on the river = 9 x 2 = 18% These quick calculations can tell you whether itŌĆÖs worth continuing in a hand based on the amount of money in the pot and what you might theoretically win. A high percentage chance + a big potential payoff can be reasons to continue. Step 3. Use the Poker Hands Ranking Chart Against Your Opponents Knowing the likelihood of making poker hands can help you make successful bluffs. For example, letŌĆÖs say there are four hearts on the board, and your opponent checks on the river. You might not have a heart in your hand, but you donŌĆÖt think they have either. This could be a great spot to bluff because theyŌĆÖll assume youŌĆÖve got a flush and fold. Common Misconceptions About Poker Hands One of the biggest issues new players face when theyŌĆÖre learning how to play poker is tie-breakers. For example, two players can have a flush in Texas HoldŌĆÖem, so a winner has to be determined using the highest card. Here are two hands of equal rank. See if you can pick the winning player: ┬Ę┬ĀPlayer 1 Hand: 5 ŌÖ” 6 ŌÖ” ┬Ę┬ĀPlayer 2 Hand: A ŌÖ” 2 ŌÖ” ┬Ę┬ĀBoard: 3 ŌÖ” J ŌÖ” T ŌÖ” 8ŌÖĀ AŌÖĀ Winner = Player 2 is the winner because their highest card is an ace. That means they have an ace-high flush, which is better than Player 1ŌĆÖs six-high flush. This method for dealing with tie-breakers is known as a kicker card. If two hands have the same rank at a showdown, a playerŌĆÖs highest card (the kicker) is used to determine a winner. Printable Poker Hands Cheat Sheet You can download our handy poker hands cheat sheet right here. This PDF contains a breakdown of the poker hands order and what each one looks like. ThereŌĆÖs nothing in the rules of poker that says you canŌĆÖt have a hand rankings chart while you play. So, I encourage you to download the Play WSOP poker hands chart and print it out or add it to your mobile for easy reference each time you ante up. Advanced Poker Tips and Tricks The art of hand reading is based on three main variables: ┬Ę┬ĀYour cards ┬Ę┬ĀThe community cards ┬Ę┬ĀYour opponentŌĆÖs actions and tendencies LetŌĆÖs say youŌĆÖre holding KŌÖĀ QŌÖĀ, and the board is JŌÖĀ TŌÖĀ 5 ŌÖ” 2ŌÖŻ. You know your opponent is loose and aggressive, which means they play a wide range of poker hands. Your opponent makes a big bet on the turn. Using the three variables above, we could make a case for calling or raising. Firstly, your cards give you straight, flush, and straight flush draws. Secondly, we know this opponent plays a lot of hands, which means theyŌĆÖre likely to be bluffing or have a weak hand. Raising in this spot would force them to fold bluffs and a lot of weak hands. Alternatively, if you call, you could make a lot of good poker hands on the river and potentially win a showdown.

Position is power in poker because youŌĆÖve got more information. The general rule is this: play a tight range from early positions and a wider range from later positions. For example, AŌÖĀ TŌÖŻ is a strong hand if youŌĆÖre on the button, but I wouldnŌĆÖt want to play it from first position on a nine-handed table. The chances that someone will have a strong hand and raise in this situation are too great. WhatŌĆÖs more, itŌĆÖs easier for someone to take advantage of me on later streets if the board is full of low cards. The point to take from this is that the value of poker hands comes from their relative strength compared to other hands, as well as your position at the table. Good poker hands can be weak in certain positions, and weak ones can be strong in the right position. Always Remember the Value of Hands in Poker Knowing how poker hands are ranked can give you a huge strategic advantage. From winning showdowns with the best poker hands to successfully bluffing opponents, your knowledge of card rankings matters. All the information you need to master the art of poker hands is on this page, so bookmark it or print our cheat sheet until youŌĆÖve memorized the rankings. After that, you can use our poker strategy articles to improve your chances of becoming a WSOP champion. Prefer learning visually? Watch the video below to learn the poker hand rankings: Poker Hands FAQ Section Poker hands are ranked as follows, from strongest to weakest: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. Memorizing this order helps you instantly know which hand wins at showdown. A Royal Flush is the highest possible poker hand, consisting of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of the same suit. ItŌĆÖs extremely rareŌĆöodds of being dealt a Royal Flush are about 1 in 650,000 in five-card poker games. If two players have the same ranked hand, the winner is determined by the highest card not involved in the tie, known as the “kicker.” If all five cards are identical in value, the pot is split. No. In most poker variants, all suits are equal and do not affect the outcome of a hand. Only the value and combination of cards matter. The lowest hand is “High Card,” where no pairs or combinations are made. The weakest five-card high hand is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 of mixed suits. There are 2,598,960 possible five-card combinations in a standard 52-card deck. This vast number underscores the rarity of top-ranked hands. Each hand beats all hands ranked below it. For example, a Flush beats a Straight, but loses to a Full House. Always refer to the official ranking chart to know which hands win. No. Even if youŌĆÖre dealt more cards (like in Texas HoldŌĆÖem or Omaha), only the best five-card combination is used to determine your final hand. A kicker is a side card that isnŌĆÖt directly part of a made hand (like one pair or three-of-a-kind) but is used to break ties between otherwise equal hands. For example, if two players have one pair of Kings, the one with the higher kicker wins. Each player is dealt two private cards (ŌĆ£hole cardsŌĆØ), and five community cards are dealt face up. Players make the best five-card hand using any combination of their hole cards and the community cards. Both are three-of-a-kind. A “set” is made when you have a pocket pair and hit the third card on the board. “Trips” is when you pair one of your hole cards with two matching cards on the board. Sets are generally harder for opponents to spot. Yes. If two or more players have hands of identical value and kickers, the pot is split equally among them. Pocket Aces (AŌÖĀ AŌÖ”) is the strongest starting hand. Other premium hands include pocket Kings, pocket Queens, and Ace-King suited. Understanding the odds of making certain hands helps guide your decisions on whether to call, raise, or fold. For example, the odds of flopping a flush with suited cards are much lower than hitting one pair. A frequent misconception is that suits are ranked or that three pairs can be made – neither is true. Only the best five-card hand counts, and suits are always equal in standard poker. About the author About the author Daniel Smyth is a poker expert who has been in the game for more than 15 years. After learning poker at university, Daniel went on to work at WPT Magazine. While working at the magazine, he was also playing Sit & Gos semi-professionally as part of Team Moshman. Daniel eventually took over WPT Magazine’s strategy section where he collaborated with professional players to create monthly articles. Once his tenure with WPT Magazine was over, Daniel became a freelancer for many of the industry’s leading publications. Today, he still produces content for a wide variety of clients and continues to play poker online. Which of these hands is stronger? Three of a Kind What hand do you have? Lowest-ranking winning hand in Texas HoldŌĆÖem? Three of a Kind Which hand ranks just below a Straight Flush? Which of these is not a valid poker hand name? Three of a Kind What hand do you have? Three of a Kind Which of these hands is stronger? Three of a Kind WhatŌĆÖs the best possible hand in poker? Depends on suits Correct ranking? (strongest ŌåÆ weakest) Flush Straight Two Pair High Card Full House Flush Straight Two Pair Straight Flush Full House Two Pair Four of a Kind Straight Flush Two Pair A Straight beats a Flush A Royal Flush is the highest possible Straight Flush Only with Hearts If two players have the same Four of a Kind, the kicker decides the winner Only in heads-up Two Pairs always beat Three of a Kind Only if both pairs are Aces Only in split pots In Texas HoldŌĆÖem, you must use both hole cards to form your hand Only if both pairs are Aces Only in heads-up Match ŌĆ£FlushŌĆØ to the correct image Match ŌĆ£StraightŌĆØ to the correct image Match ŌĆ£Straight FlushŌĆØ to the correct image Match ŌĆ£Full HouseŌĆØ to the correct image You know your hands inside out. Work on reading opponents and bet sizing to dominate