Poker Hand Rankings Chart: Hands From Best to Worst
See every poker hand ranked from royal flush to high card, with examples, tie rules, kickers and a simple chart for Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
Key Takeaways
- The standard order is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card.
- A flush beats a straight, while a full house beats a flush.
- Suits are equal in standard poker and never break a tie.
- Texas Hold'em uses the best five cards from seven available cards, while Omaha requires exactly two hole cards and three community cards.
- Check variant rules before playing short deck, video poker or other non-standard formats.
Poker hand rankings run from royal flush (best) to high card (worst): royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. The same order applies in Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi, Seven Card Stud and most traditional high-poker games, so a flush beats a straight, a full house beats a flush and four of a kind beats a full house. Hands are ranked by how rare they are in a 52-card deck, and when two players hold the same hand, the highest unmatched cards, called kickers, decide the pot.
Poker hand rankings chart
Standard poker ranks ten hands from royal flush to high card, and this chart is the part worth memorising.
| Rank | Poker hand | Example | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | Ace-high straight, all one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣ | Five consecutive cards, all one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | A♦ A♣ A♥ A♠ 8♣ | Four cards of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | K♣ K♥ K♠ 10♣ 10♠ | Three of one rank plus a pair |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦ | Five cards of one suit, not consecutive |
| 6 | Straight | 9♠ 8♦ 7♣ 6♥ 5♣ | Five consecutive cards, mixed suits allowed |
| 7 | Three of a kind | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 8♣ 3♠ | Three cards of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | J♠ J♦ 4♣ 4♥ A♣ | Two different pairs |
| 9 | One pair | 10♠ 10♣ A♦ 7♥ 3♣ | Two cards of the same rank |
| 10 | High card | A♣ J♦ 8♠ 5♥ 2♣ | No pair, straight, flush or better |
A royal flush is technically the highest possible straight flush, but it is normally shown separately on poker charts because it is the strongest hand you can make.
What does each poker hand look like?
Each of the ten poker hands is a specific five-card pattern of matching ranks, consecutive values or matching suits, listed below from strongest to weakest with its tiebreak rule.
1. Royal flush
A royal flush is 10, J, Q, K and A, all in the same suit.
There is no higher hand in standard poker, and if the five community cards themselves form a royal flush in Texas Hold'em, every remaining player has the same hand and the pot is split. Suits do not break the tie, so a royal flush in spades is equal to one in hearts.
2. Straight flush
A straight flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ 9♣. If two straight flushes are compared, the one with the higher top card wins. The ace can also be used low in A-2-3-4-5, making a five-high straight flush, but it cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
3. Four of a kind
Four of a kind, sometimes called quads, is four cards of the same rank.
For example:
A♦ A♣ A♥ A♠ 8♣
Higher quads beat lower quads. If both players are using the same four cards from the board, the fifth card, known as the kicker, decides the winner.
4. Full house
A full house combines three of a kind with a pair.
For example:
K♣ K♥ K♠ 10♣ 10♠
When two full houses meet, compare the three-card part first. Kings full of tens beats queens full of aces because the kings are the higher three of a kind.
Only if the trips are identical do you move on to the pair.
5. Flush
A flush is five cards of the same suit that do not form a straight.
For example:
A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦
If two players have a flush, compare the highest card. If that ties, compare the second-highest card, then the third, and so on until the tie is broken.
Again, suits are equal. Clubs never beat diamonds simply because of the suit.
Some short-deck poker formats, which play with a reduced deck, rank a flush above a full house, so check the rules if you are not playing standard Hold'em, Omaha or Stud.
6. Straight
A straight is five cards in consecutive rank order, with suits irrelevant.
For example:
9♠ 8♦ 7♣ 6♥ 5♣
The highest card determines the strength of the straight.
Aces work at either end of a straight:
- Form 10-J-Q-K-A for an ace-high straight, the strongest straight.
- Form A-2-3-4-5 for a five-high straight, the weakest straight.
An ace cannot sit in the middle or wrap around.
7. Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank make three of a kind.
For example:
Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 8♣ 3♠
If two players have trips of different ranks, the higher trips win. If the three matching cards are on the board and shared, the highest unmatched fourth and fifth cards, the kickers, can decide the pot.
Players distinguish between two kinds of three of a kind, and both rank the same. A set is a pocket pair in your hole cards that hits the third matching card on the board, while trips is one hole card paired with two matching board cards.
8. Two pair
Two pair is two different pairs plus a fifth card.
For example:
J♠ J♦ 4♣ 4♥ A♣
Compare the highest pair first. Jacks and fours beat tens and nines.
If the highest pair ties, compare the lower pair. If both pairs are the same, the kicker decides it.
9. One pair
One pair means two cards of the same rank, plus three unmatched cards.
For example:
10♠ 10♣ A♦ 7♥ 3♣
Higher pairs beat lower pairs. When the pair is identical, compare kickers from highest to lowest.
This is where beginners often misread a board. In Texas Hold'em, your final hand is always the best five-card combination available to you, not simply your two hole cards plus whatever is on the table.
10. High card
If you cannot make a pair or anything stronger, the highest cards decide the hand.
For example:
A♣ J♦ 8♠ 5♥ 2♣
That is ace-high.
If two players both have ace-high, compare the second card. Keep moving down until one hand is higher or all five cards match.
How do poker ties work?
Poker settles ties by comparing the ranks of the made hand first and then the kickers, never the suits. Use this order:
| Hand | First tiebreaker | Next tiebreaker |
|---|---|---|
| Straight / straight flush | Highest card in the straight | Pot splits if identical |
| Four of a kind | Rank of the four cards | Kicker |
| Full house | Rank of the trips | Rank of the pair |
| Flush | Highest card | Next-highest cards in order |
| Three of a kind | Rank of the trips | Kickers |
| Two pair | Higher pair | Lower pair, then kicker |
| One pair | Rank of the pair | Kickers in order |
| High card | Highest card | Next-highest cards in order |
If the best five cards are identical, the pot is split.
Which five cards make your poker hand?
In Texas Hold'em, your final hand is the strongest five-card combination from seven cards by the river: two private hole cards and five shared community cards.
You can build it in three ways:
- Combine both hole cards with three community cards.
- Combine one hole card with four community cards.
- Play the board, using all five community cards and no hole cards.
If the board is A-K-Q-J-10 and nobody can improve it, everyone still in the hand has the same straight.
Omaha works differently. You must use exactly two hole cards and exactly three community cards, which is why a hand that looks obvious in Hold'em can be completely different in Omaha.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes, a flush beats a straight, and the order of the four middle hands in standard poker is full house > flush > straight > three of a kind. People forget this ranking most often, and once you remember those four in order, the middle of the chart becomes much easier.
Are poker hand rankings the same at online casinos?
Yes for standard high-poker variants, but the game itself matters. Casino poker games, video poker and short-deck variants can have different paytables or ranking quirks even when the familiar five-card hands appear, so check the rules displayed inside the exact game before staking money. Video poker paytables are also expressed as return percentages, which our guide to RTP and slot volatility explained covers.
Where can you play poker online?
You can play poker at online casinos, and our best crypto casinos ranking lists sites to compare. Choose the operator after you know the rules of the exact game. Our BitStarz review covers one example from our Global catalogue that includes poker among a much broader casino library. Our casino reviews let you filter operators by game type, and our casino comparison tool sets game selection beside payments, bonuses and withdrawal speed.
A hand ranking chart tells you which hand wins at showdown. It does not tell you whether a hand is worth calling, raising or folding: a pair can be an excellent hand in one situation and an obvious fold in another, because position, stack size, betting action and the board still matter. Learn the rankings first, and strategy comes after. For other card games, see our guides to blackjack rules and baccarat rules.
If poker or any other casino game stops feeling like entertainment, set spending limits and use the support services available in your country, listed in our responsible gambling guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest hand in poker?
A royal flush, which is 10, J, Q, K and A all in the same suit, is the highest hand in standard poker.
Do suits break ties in poker?
No, suits are equal in standard poker, and if the best five cards are identical the pot is split.
How many cards do you use in Texas Hold'em?
You use the best five of the seven available cards, which can include both, one or none of your hole cards. In Omaha you must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards.
Diego Morales
Global casino reviewer
Diego pays attention to the stuff players actually notice right away. How fast can you sign up? How easy is it to deposit, especially with crypto? Where are the hidden traps in the bonus offers? And does support actually help when something goes wrong, or do they just send generic replies? He turns complicated bonus rules and legal terms into plain English, so you know what you're agreeing to. He also has a sharp checklist for spotting the usual withdrawal problems like endless verification requests, unclear limits, and rules that aren't properly explained.
Share this article
