Before you play a single hand, you need to know the poker hand rankings — the order that decides which five-card hand wins at showdown. This ranking is the same across almost every popular poker variant, including Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud, so once you've learned it, you've learned it for good. The list below runs from the strongest hand to the weakest.
Poker Hands Ranked (Strongest to Weakest)
| # | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ 7♠ |
| 4 | Full House | K♠ K♥ K♦ 9♣ 9♠ |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 3♦ |
| 6 | Straight | 10♠ 9♥ 8♦ 7♣ 6♠ |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ K♣ 4♠ |
| 8 | Two Pair | J♠ J♥ 5♦ 5♣ A♠ |
| 9 | One Pair | 10♠ 10♥ K♦ 7♣ 2♠ |
| 10 | High Card | A♠ J♥ 8♦ 6♣ 2♠ |
1. Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit. The best possible hand — unbeatable.
2. Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards, all of the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank. Also called 'quads'.
4. Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair. Also called a 'boat'.
5. Flush: Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
6. Straight: Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
7. Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Also called 'trips' or a 'set'.
8. Two Pair: Two different pairs.
9. One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
10. High Card: No combination — the highest single card plays. The weakest hand.
Ties, Kickers & How Close Hands Are Decided
What happens when two players have the same type of hand? The higher-ranking version wins — a pair of Aces beats a pair of Kings, and a King-high flush beats a Queen-high flush. When the main hand is identical, the kicker decides it: an unused side card that breaks the tie. For example, if two players both hold a pair of tens, the one with the higher next card (kicker) wins.
A few useful details:
- Suits don't break ties. In standard poker, no suit is ranked higher than another — if hands are truly identical, the pot is split.
- The wheel. The lowest straight is A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel"), where the Ace counts as low. The highest straight is 10-J-Q-K-A ("Broadway").
- Five cards only. Every hand is exactly five cards. In games like Texas Hold'em you make the best five-card hand from your two cards plus the five community cards.
Learning the Rankings
A simple way to remember the order: the rarer a hand is, the higher it ranks. Flushes and straights feel common but are actually harder to make than three of a kind — which is why they rank above it. Keep this chart handy while you play; within a few sessions the rankings will be second nature.
Once you know what beats what, the next step is understanding how a hand actually plays out. See our online poker hub for the rules, variants and where to play, and try video poker or Casino Hold'em for a house-banked way to practise the hand rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions – Poker Hand Rankings
What is the best hand in poker?
The Royal Flush — A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit — is the best possible hand in poker and cannot be beaten. It's also the rarest.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush (five cards of the same suit) ranks above a straight (five consecutive cards of mixed suits), because a flush is statistically harder to make.
Does a full house beat a flush?
Yes. A full house (three of a kind plus a pair) ranks above a flush. The order from there upward is: full house, four of a kind, straight flush, then royal flush.
What is a kicker in poker?
A kicker is an unused side card that breaks a tie when two players have the same main hand. For example, if both players hold a pair of Kings, the player with the higher next card (kicker) wins the pot.
Is Ace high or low in poker?
Both. The Ace is usually the highest card, but it can also count as low to make the smallest straight, A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel"). It's the only card that can be used at either end.
Do the hand rankings change between poker variants?
No — the standard hand rankings are the same across Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud and most other popular variants. Once you've learned them, they apply almost everywhere. (Some niche "lowball" games invert them, but those are the exception.)