Poker Hand Rankings
A poker hand consists of five playing cards. Poker hands fall into one of several categories, such as flush, straight, or two pair. The player whose hand is in the higher category wins. If two players have hands in the same category, the tie is broken usually by who has higher cards. Below is a table of the hand categories, highest to lowest.
|
Category |
Example |
Tiebreaker |
| Straight Flush |  Jack-high straight flush |
A Straight Flush consists of 5 cards in numerical sequence, all of the same suit. The higher straight flush wins. AKQJT is the highest straight flush, and is also called a royal flush. 5432A is the lowest straight flush. |
| 4 of a kind |  Quad fives, king kicker |
The higher 4-of-a-kind wins. If two players have the same 4-of-a-kind, then the highest kicker (the 5th card) wins. 4-of-a-kind is also known as quads. |
| Full House |  Queens full of nines |
A full house consists of a 3-of-a-kind and a pair. The higher 3-of-a-kind wins. If two players have the same 3-of-a-kind (using community cards), then the highest pair wins. Full House is also known as a boat. |
| Flush |  Ace high flush |
A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit. The higher flush wins. The highest card from each hand is compared, then the second highest, and so on. |
| Straight |  King-high straight |
A Straight consists of five cards in numerical sequence. The higher straight wins. AKQJT is the highest straight; 5432A is the lowest straight (5432A is also called a wheel). |
| 3 of a kind |  Trip sevens, jack kicker |
The higher 3-of-a-kind wins. If two hands have the same 3-of-a-kind (using community cards), then the 2 kickers (unpaired cards) are used to break the tie. 3-of-a-kind is also known as trips. If you have a pocket pair in Texas Hold’em, and you form trips with a third card on the board, you have a set. |
| Two Pair |  Aces over sixes, king kicker |
The hand with the higher top pair wins. If the top pairs are equal, then the bottom pairs are used to break the tie. If those are also equal, then the kicker (unpaired card) is used to break the tie. |
| Pair |  Pair of kings, ace kicker |
The hand with the higher pair wins. If the pairs are equal, then the kickers are used to break the tie, first by comparing the highest kicker, then the 2nd highest kicker, and finally the lowest kicker. |
| High Card |  Queen high |
If a hand does not fit in any other category, it is judged by high cards. Two hands are compared by taking the highest cards and comparing them. If those are equal, then the 2nd highest card from both hands are compared, and so on. |
Source: pokertips.org