Poker hands rank from royal flush (best) down to high card. The rarer the hand, the higher it ranks. These rankings are the same in Texas Hold’em, Omaha, five-card draw and most other poker games.
The 10 poker hands, best to worst
| Rank | Hand | Example | What it is | Odds of being dealt it in 5 cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | A, K, Q, J, 10 of one suit | 1 in 649,740 |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five in a row, one suit | 1 in 72,193 |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 4♦ | Four cards of one rank | 1 in 4,165 |
| 4 | Full house | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ K♠ | Three of a kind plus a pair | 1 in 694 |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦ | Five cards of one suit, not in a row | 1 in 509 |
| 6 | Straight | 10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ | Five in a row, mixed suits | 1 in 255 |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 5♠ 5♥ 5♣ K♦ 9♠ | Three cards of one rank | 1 in 47 |
| 8 | Two pair | J♣ J♥ 4♠ 4♦ A♣ | Two different pairs | 1 in 21 |
| 9 | One pair | 10♥ 10♠ K♣ 6♦ 3♠ | Two cards of one rank | 42.3% |
| 10 | High card | A♠ Q♦ 9♣ 6♥ 2♠ | None of the above | 50.1% |
Odds are for the 2,598,960 possible five-card hands from one 52-card deck.
How ties are broken
- Same hand type: the higher cards win. A pair of kings beats a pair of queens; a king-high straight beats a queen-high straight.
- Same pair or trips: compare the leftover cards (kickers), highest first.
- Full house: the three of a kind decides first, then the pair.
- Suits never break ties in standard poker. Identical hands split the pot.
Common questions
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush is rarer (about 1 in 509 versus 1 in 255), so it ranks higher.
Can an ace be low in a straight?
Yes. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight, sometimes called the wheel. An ace can’t wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
In Texas Hold’em, how many cards make a hand?
Five. You use the best five cards from your two hole cards and the five community cards.