Poker hand rankings: from royal flush to high card
Every poker game — Hold'em, Omaha, Spin & Go, tournaments — uses the same ten hand ranks. Learn them once and you will always know who wins the pot.
The ten hands, best to worst
| # | Hand | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | A to 10 of one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | five in a row, one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 4♦ | four cards of one rank |
| 4 | Full house | J♠ J♦ J♣ 6♥ 6♠ | three of a kind + a pair |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 4♦ 2♦ | five of one suit |
| 6 | Straight | 10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ | five in a row, any suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠ | three cards of one rank |
| 8 | Two pair | A♠ A♣ 9♦ 9♥ 5♠ | two different pairs |
| 9 | One pair | K♥ K♦ 10♠ 6♣ 3♦ | two cards of one rank |
| 10 | High card | A♣ Q♦ 8♠ 5♥ 3♣ | nothing — the highest card plays |
How likely is each hand?
Chance of making the hand with seven cards (two hole cards + five on the board, as in Hold'em):
| Hand | Probability | About |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.003% | 1 in 31,000 |
| Straight flush | 0.03% | 1 in 3,600 |
| Four of a kind | 0.17% | 1 in 595 |
| Full house | 2.6% | 1 in 38 |
| Flush | 3.0% | 1 in 33 |
| Straight | 4.6% | 1 in 22 |
| Three of a kind | 4.8% | 1 in 21 |
| Two pair | 23.5% | 1 in 4 |
| One pair | 43.8% | 1 in 2.3 |
| High card | 17.4% | 1 in 6 |
The rarer the hand, the higher it ranks.
Tie-breakers: kickers
When two players have the same rank, the higher cards decide:
- Pairs: the higher pair wins; with the same pair, the highest side card ("kicker") wins. A-A-K beats A-A-Q.
- Two pair: compare the top pair first, then the second pair, then the kicker.
- Flushes and high card: compare card by card from the top.
- Straights: the higher top card wins. A-2-3-4-5 ("the wheel") is the lowest straight.
- Suits never break ties — equal hands split the pot.
Common mix-ups
- A flush beats a straight.
- A full house beats a flush.
- Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight — straights don't wrap around.
- In Hold'em you use the best five of seven cards; in Omaha exactly two from your hand.
Now put it into practice: read the Hold'em rules or jump straight in.
Hold'em and Omaha are running right now — sit down in one click.
Open the cash tables →FAQ
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush is rarer than a straight, so it ranks higher.
What beats a full house?
Four of a kind, a straight flush and a royal flush.
Is ace high or low?
Both: ace is the highest card, but it can also be the low end of the straight A-2-3-4-5.
Do suits matter in poker?
No. Suits never break ties; equal hands split the pot.
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