TL;DR The 10 poker hand rankings, strongest to weakest: 1. Royal Flush · 2. Straight Flush · 3. Four of a Kind · 4. Full House · 5. Flush · 6. Straight · 7. Three of a Kind · 8. Two Pair · 9. One Pair · 10. High Card. The same rankings apply to Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and most other standard poker variants. When two players have the same hand, the higher cards (kickers) break the tie.
The complete poker hand rankings
These are the standard hand rankings used in Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and most other widely played poker variants. They are ranked from strongest to weakest.
1. Royal Flush
A, K, Q, J, 10 — all the same suit.
The strongest possible hand in standard poker. There is exactly one royal flush per suit, so four royal flushes exist in a 52-card deck.
Example: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
Royal flushes are extraordinarily rare. The probability of being dealt a royal flush in five cards is roughly 1 in 649,740.
2. Straight Flush
Five consecutive cards, all the same suit, that are not a royal flush.
A straight flush is any straight where every card is the same suit. The lowest is 5-high (5-4-3-2-A); the highest is king-high (K-Q-J-10-9). An ace can be the high or low end of a straight, but it cannot "wrap around" (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight).
Example: 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ 4♥
Probability of being dealt a straight flush (excluding royal): about 1 in 72,193.
3. Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same rank, plus one other card.
Sometimes called "quads." The four matching cards make the hand; the fifth card (the kicker) only matters if two players both have the same four of a kind, which essentially never happens in Texas Hold'em.
Example: Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 5♦
Probability: about 1 in 4,165.
4. Full House
Three of one rank, plus two of another rank.
Spoken as "the bigger one over the smaller one" — for example, "kings over fives" or "kings full of fives" is K-K-K-5-5.
Example: K♥ K♦ K♣ 5♣ 5♠
When two players both have a full house, the player with the higher three of a kind wins. If both threes are tied (only possible in shared-board games like Hold'em), the higher pair breaks the tie.
Probability: about 1 in 694.
5. Flush
Five cards all of the same suit, not in sequence.
If the cards were in sequence, it would be a straight flush. Any other five-card combination of the same suit is a flush.
Example: A♥ J♥ 9♥ 6♥ 3♥
When two players both have a flush, the highest card in either flush wins — then the second highest, then the third, and so on. Suits do not break ties in standard poker.
Probability: about 1 in 508.
6. Straight
Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
The ace can be high (A-K-Q-J-10) or low (5-4-3-2-A). The lowest possible straight is the "wheel" — 5-4-3-2-A. The highest is "broadway" — A-K-Q-J-10. Aces cannot wrap around (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight).
Example: 9♣ 8♥ 7♦ 6♠ 5♥
When two straights tie, the higher top card wins.
Probability: about 1 in 254.
7. Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank plus two other unmatched cards.
Sometimes called "trips" (when one of your hole cards is matched on the board) or "a set" (when both your hole cards are matched).
Example: 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 4♣
When two players have three of a kind, the higher set wins. If they're the same, kickers break the tie.
Probability: about 1 in 47.
8. Two Pair
Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and one unmatched card.
Two pair is named by the bigger pair first — "kings and fives" or "kings up."
Example: K♥ K♣ 5♦ 5♠ 8♣
When two players have two pair, compare the higher pair first. If tied, compare the lower pair. If both pairs match (possible in shared-board games), the kicker breaks the tie.
Probability: about 1 in 21.
9. One Pair
Two cards of the same rank plus three unmatched cards.
The simplest made hand. Most pots in Texas Hold'em are won with one pair.
Example: A♠ A♦ J♥ 7♣ 3♠
When two players have one pair, the higher pair wins. If both pairs match, the highest kicker breaks the tie, then the second kicker, then the third.
Probability of being dealt a pair in five cards: about 1 in 2.4 (42% of the time).
10. High Card
No matched cards, no straight, no flush — just five mixed cards.
The hand is named by its highest card. "Ace high" beats "king high," and so on. Among players with the same high card, the second highest card breaks the tie.
Example: A♥ J♣ 9♦ 6♠ 3♣ → "Ace-high"
About 50% of all five-card hands are "high card" — no pair or better.
Quick reference: probability of each hand
How likely each hand is in a five-card draw from a standard 52-card deck:
| Hand | Probability | Approximate frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 0.000154% | 1 in 649,740 |
| Straight Flush | 0.00139% | 1 in 72,193 |
| Four of a Kind | 0.024% | 1 in 4,165 |
| Full House | 0.144% | 1 in 694 |
| Flush | 0.197% | 1 in 508 |
| Straight | 0.392% | 1 in 254 |
| Three of a Kind | 2.11% | 1 in 47 |
| Two Pair | 4.75% | 1 in 21 |
| One Pair | 42.3% | 1 in 2.4 |
| High Card | 50.1% | 1 in 2.0 |
These probabilities are for a single five-card hand. In Texas Hold'em, where you make the best five-card hand from your two hole cards plus five community cards (seven cards total), the probabilities of strong hands are higher because you have more cards to work with.
How tiebreakers work
When two or more players have the same hand category, the tie is broken by the cards in the hand.
Same category, different ranks
The higher rank wins. K-K-K-K beats Q-Q-Q-Q. A-K-Q-J-10 (broadway straight) beats 9-8-7-6-5.
Same category, same rank, different kickers
A "kicker" is a card in your hand that isn't part of the pair, three of a kind, etc. — but is still part of the five-card hand used to compare.
Example: Two players both have a pair of aces.
- Player A: A♠ A♦ K♣ 5♥ 2♣
- Player B: A♥ A♣ Q♠ J♦ 9♣
Player A wins because their highest kicker (K) is higher than Player B's highest kicker (Q).
Identical hands
If two players have exactly the same five-card hand (rank-for-rank, ignoring suits), the pot is split. Suits do not break ties in standard poker.
Hold'em-specific reminder In Texas Hold'em, your "hand" is the best five cards out of your two hole cards plus the five community cards. Sometimes the best hand uses both your hole cards. Sometimes it uses only one. Sometimes the best five-card hand uses none of your hole cards — in which case all remaining players "play the board" and split the pot.
Hands that confuse new players
A few cases that come up regularly in home games.
Is A-2-3-4-5 a straight?
Yes. This is the "wheel" or "bicycle" — the lowest possible straight. The ace plays low. The hand is a 5-high straight.
Does Q-K-A-2-3 count as a straight?
No. Aces cannot wrap around. A straight needs five consecutive ranks; the ace can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), but not both at once.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush (1 in 508) is rarer than a straight (1 in 254), so it ranks higher.
Does three of a kind beat two pair?
Yes. Three of a kind (1 in 47) is rarer than two pair (1 in 21), so it ranks higher.
Does a full house beat a flush?
Yes. A full house (1 in 694) is rarer than a flush (1 in 508), so it ranks higher.
What's the best starting hand in Texas Hold'em?
Two aces ("pocket rockets") is the strongest starting hand pre-flop. The next strongest are pocket kings, pocket queens, and ace-king (especially suited).
Printable cheat sheet
If you're new to poker or have new players at your home game, a printable hand-rankings cheat sheet at the table prevents most rules disputes. The full ordering, top to bottom:
- Royal Flush — A, K, Q, J, 10 same suit
- Straight Flush — Five consecutive same-suit cards
- Four of a Kind — Four cards of the same rank
- Full House — Three of a kind + a pair
- Flush — Five same-suit cards
- Straight — Five consecutive cards
- Three of a Kind — Three cards of the same rank
- Two Pair — Two pairs
- One Pair — One pair
- High Card — None of the above
Print this ordering at the size of an index card and put one at each end of the table. New players reference it once or twice and after that they know.
Frequently asked questions
What is the strongest hand in poker?
A royal flush — A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit — is the strongest possible hand in standard poker. The probability of being dealt one in a five-card hand is roughly 1 in 649,740.
What is the weakest hand in poker?
A "high card" hand with seven-five-four-three-two of mixed suits (often called "seven-high") is the weakest five-card hand possible. About half of all five-card hands are high-card hands — they have no pair, straight, flush, or any other made hand.
Does a flush beat a full house?
No. A full house beats a flush. A full house (three of a kind + a pair) is rarer than a flush (five same-suit cards), so it ranks higher.
Does a straight beat three of a kind?
Yes. A straight beats three of a kind. A straight (five consecutive cards) is rarer than three of a kind, so it ranks higher.
What is a "kicker" in poker?
A kicker is the highest non-paired card in your hand, used to break ties when two players have the same hand category. For example, if both players have a pair of aces, the player whose highest non-ace card is higher wins.
Does suit matter in poker?
In standard poker, no — suits do not rank. Hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades are equal. If two players have identical hands (same ranks, different suits), the pot is split. Some home variants have suit ranking rules; they're non-standard.
What's the difference between Texas Hold'em hand rankings and other poker hand rankings?
The hand rankings are the same. Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and most other standard variants use the exact same 10 hand rankings. The differences between games are the dealing rules and how many cards each player uses, not which hands beat which.
Why does a flush beat a straight?
Because a flush is mathematically rarer. In a five-card deal, the chance of a flush is about 1 in 508; the chance of a straight is about 1 in 254. Rarer hands rank higher in poker.
Summary
The 10 poker hand rankings are the foundation of every standard poker game. They apply identically to Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and most other variants. The rarer the hand, the higher it ranks.
The shortest version, top to bottom:
Royal Flush > Straight Flush > Four of a Kind > Full House > Flush > Straight > Three of a Kind > Two Pair > One Pair > High Card.
When two players have the same hand category, the higher cards break the tie. Suits never break ties. Aces play either high or low for straights, but they don't wrap around.
If you're hosting a home game with mixed-experience players, print the hand rankings on an index card and put one at each end of the table. The first time a new player has to ask "wait, does a flush beat a straight?" — that's when you'll be glad it's there.
