HAND RANKS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE (EASY)



Poker hands are always compared using five cards. In games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, you may see seven cards total (your cards + the board), but your final hand is still the best five. Below is the hand order from best to worst, plus how to break ties.

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

Suits do not have a rank in standard poker. Spades is not “better” than hearts, etc.

Hand Order (Best → Worst)

Poker hand order — best to worst (with examples)
Chart of poker hand ranks from Royal Flush down to High Card.

Poker hands are always compared using five cards. In Hold’em and Omaha you may see seven cards total (your cards + the board), but your final hand is still the best five. Below is the full order and how ties are broken.

Note: Suits (♠ ♥ ♦ ♣) do not rank in standard poker. Spades is not “better” than hearts, etc.

  1. Royal Flush

    A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit. This is simply the highest straight flush.

    • If two players have a Royal Flush, the pot is split (suits don’t rank).

  2. Straight Flush

    Five in a row, same suit (e.g., 8♣-9♣-10♣-J♣-Q♣).

    • Higher top card wins (Q-high beats 9-high).
    • Aces can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), not both.

  3. Four of a Kind (Quads)

    Four cards of the same rank + one side card (kicker).

    • Compare the quads rank first; if equal, compare the kicker.
    • Example: 9-9-9-9-A beats 9-9-9-9-K.

  4. Full House

    Three of a kind + one pair.

    • Compare the trips first, then the pair.
    • Example: Q-Q-Q-7-7 beats J-J-J-A-A (queens full beats jacks full).

  5. Flush

    Five cards of the same suit, any ranks.

    • Compare the highest card, then next, through all five.
    • Suits don’t break ties; only the five ranks matter.

  6. Straight

    Five in a row, any suits.

    • Higher top card wins (10-high beats 9-high).
    • Aces can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5, “the wheel”).
    • No wrap-around (K-A-2-3-4 is not a straight).

  7. Three of a Kind (Trips/Set)

    Three cards of the same rank + two kickers.

    • Compare the trips rank, then the highest kicker, then the next.

  8. Two Pair

    Two different pairs + one kicker.

    • Compare the higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker.

  9. One Pair

    One pair + three kickers.

    • Compare the pair, then each kicker in order (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

  10. High Card

    No pair, no straight, no flush—just your five highest cards.

    • Compare the highest card, then the next, through all five.

Using the board (Hold’em): if both players’ best five cards are the same five from the board, the pot is a split.

Poker Hand Rankings – Best to Worst (Infographic)

An infographic illustrating all standard poker hand ranks from Royal Flush to High Card.
Poker Hand Rankings — Best to Worst

Straights


  • A can be high or low, but not both in one hand.
    • 10–J–Q–K–A (“Broadway”)
    • A–2–3–4–5 (“the wheel”)
  • If two players have straights, the one with the higher top card wins.
  • In Hold’em, if the board shows a straight and both players use the same five cards, it’s a split pot.


Straights

Flushes


  • Suits do not rank; spades ♠ does not beat hearts ♥ just because it is spades. (Same for ♦ and ♣.)
  • When both players have a flush, compare the top five cards in order, one by one.
  • If the best five cards are exactly the same for both players (common when using the board), it’s a split.


Flushes

Kickers: why they matter

A kicker is a side card that helps break ties when the main part of the hand is the same.

  • One pair: compare the pair first, then the three kickers in order.
  • Two pair: higher pair → lower pair → one kicker.
  • Trips: trips rank → two kickers.
  • Quads: quads rank → one kicker.
  • High card: compare all five cards in order.

If all five cards match, the pot is split.

Example (one pair)

Player A Q–Q–A–10–7
Player B Q–Q–A–9–9

Compare: pair (Q–Q) same → top kicker A (same) → second kicker 10 vs 9 → Player A wins.

Full House: how to compare

  • Always look at the trips first.
    8–8–8–A–A beats 7–7–7–K–K (because 8–8–8 > 7–7–7).
  • If the trips are the same (rare), compare the pair.
    Q–Q–Q–J–J loses to Q–Q–Q–K–K (same trips, but K–K > J–J).

Using the board (Hold’em)

  • In Texas Hold’em you make your hand from any 5 of the 7 cards (2 hole + 5 board).
  • If the board already makes the best five (e.g., a straight or two pair) and both players use the same five, it’s a split pot.
  • If both have a flush, compare the top five ranks in the flush to find the winner (A–J–9–6–2 beats A–10–9–6–2).

Omaha note (important)

  • You get 4 hole cards, but you must use exactly 2 of them + exactly 3 board cards.
  • You cannot play the board by itself.
  • For a flush, you must hold at least two cards of that suit in your hand.
  • Example: board has four spades, but you hold only one spade → no flush in Omaha.

Short Deck / 6+ Hold’em

Some rooms use a shortened deck (cards 2–5 removed). Hand order can change—often Flush beats Full House. Straights work a bit differently too (A can make A–6–7–8–9). Always check local rules before you play.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Thinking suits rank (they don’t in standard poker).
  • Calling a hand a “straight” when it wraps around K–A–2–3–4 (not allowed).
  • Forgetting that kickers decide many pots with one pair and high-card hands.
  • In Omaha, counting a flush with only one suited card in your hand (you need two).
  • Misreading the board: sometimes the board already gives both players the same best five cards (automatic split).
  • Confusing “set” and “trips”:
    • Set = you have a pocket pair and one of that rank hits the board (e.g., 7♦ 7♣ and the board shows one 7).
    • Trips = the board pairs and you match it with one card (e.g., board has two 7s and you hold one 7).

    Both are three of a kind; the naming is just table slang.

How to read a showdown (quick method)

  1. Straight Flush – higher top card wins.
  2. Four of a Kind – compare quads, then the kicker.
  3. Full House – compare trips, then the pair.
  4. Flush – compare the top five cards one by one.
  5. Straight – higher top card wins (A can be high or low).
  6. Three of a Kind – compare trips, then two kickers.
  7. Two Pair – higher pair → lower pair → one kicker.
  8. One Pair – pair first, then three kickers in order.
  9. High Card – compare all five cards, top down.

If the five best cards are exactly the same for both players, it’s a split pot.

Quick reference: how often hands happen (5-card odds, approx.)

  • High Card~50%
  • One Pair~42%
  • Two Pair~4.8%
  • Three of a Kind~2.1%
  • Straight~0.39%
  • Flush~0.20%
  • Full House~0.14%
  • Four of a Kind~0.024%
  • Straight Flush (incl. Royal)~0.0015%

In Hold’em you see seven cards, so stronger hands appear more often — but the order above is always the same.

Terms you’ll hear

Kicker
Side card used to break ties when the main hand part matches.
Broadway
The 10–J–Q–K–A straight.
The Wheel
The A–2–3–4–5 straight (A is low).
Trips / Set
Both are three of a kind. “Set” = pocket pair + one on board. “Trips” = board pairs + you hold one.
The Nuts
The best possible hand at that moment.
Chop / Split
Pot shared between players with the same best five cards.

Fast checklist before you show

  • Pick your best five cards.
  • If straight or flush, confirm the top card order.
  • For pairs/trips/two pair/quads, apply the kicker rules.
  • If your five match your opponent’s five, it’s a split.
  • In Omaha, confirm you used 2 from hand + 3 from board.