Learn. Understand. Take your seat.
A poker hand contains five cards. In Texas Hold’em, choose the best five from your two private cards and the five shared cards on the board.
This chart uses standard poker hand rankings for Texas Hold’em. Other poker variants can use different rankings.
Each row is a separate example, not part of one shared deal.
| Rank | Hand | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | An ace-high straight flush |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five consecutive cards of one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ K♦ | Four cards of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ 5♠ 5♦ | Three of one rank and two of another |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 2♦ | Five cards of one suit, not consecutive |
| 6 | Straight | 9♣ 8♦ 7♥ 6♠ 5♣ | Five consecutive ranks, not all one suit |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♣ 7♦ 7♠ A♥ J♦ | Three cards of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | K♣ K♥ 4♦ 4♠ 9♥ | Two cards of one rank and two of another |
| 9 | One pair | 10♣ 10♦ A♠ 7♥ 3♣ | Two cards of the same rank |
| 10 | High card | A♣ J♥ 9♦ 6♠ 3♥ | None of the combinations above |
A royal flush is the highest possible straight flush. It is listed separately here because beginners commonly encounter its name.
First compare the hand category. When the categories match, compare the ranks that define the hand.
For straights and straight flushes, compare the highest card. An A-2-3-4-5 straight is five-high.
For a full house, compare the three matching cards first, then the pair. For four of a kind, compare the four matching cards, then the remaining card.
For three of a kind, compare the three matching cards, then the two remaining cards from highest to lowest.
For two pair, compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the remaining card.
For one pair, compare the pair, then the other three cards from highest to lowest.
For a flush or high-card hand, compare the highest card, then each next card until there is a difference.
Suits do not break showdown ties. When all five ranks are equal in strength, the eligible players share the pot. A sixth card cannot decide the winner.
You do not have to use both private cards. Sometimes the best hand uses one; sometimes the board itself is your best hand.
An ace is not always high. In A-2-3-4-5, it completes the lowest straight. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
A bigger unused card does not win a tie. First identify the best five cards. Anything outside them does not count.
Choose Player A, Player B or Split pot. Each question is a separate hand. Both players are still in the hand and eligible for the same pot. Read the explanation after each answer.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player A. Player A wins with a pair of kings: K-clubs, K-diamonds, J-hearts, 9-clubs and 8-diamonds. Player B has only ace-high. A higher unpaired card does not beat a pair.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player A. Both players have a pair of aces. Player A wins with A-diamonds, A-spades, K-clubs, 9-clubs and 6-hearts. The king kicker beats Player B's queen kicker.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Split pot. The five board cards form a royal flush for both players: A-spades, K-spades, Q-spades, J-spades and 10-spades. Neither player can improve it. Split the pot.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player B. Player A has a five-high straight: 5-hearts, 4-clubs, 3-diamonds, 2-spades and A-hearts. Player B wins with a six-high straight: 6-diamonds, 5-diamonds, 4-clubs, 3-diamonds and 2-spades. An ace used below a two counts low.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player B. Player B wins with a full house: 8-spades, 8-hearts, 8-diamonds, K-spades and K-hearts. Player A has an ace-high flush: A-spades, K-spades, J-spades, 8-spades and 4-spades. A full house beats a flush.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player A. Player A wins with K-clubs, K-diamonds, K-hearts, 7-hearts and 7-clubs: kings full of sevens. Player B has sevens full of kings. Compare the three-of-a-kind part first; the ace does not play.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Split pot. Both players use K-spades, Q-hearts, J-clubs, 10-diamonds and 9-spades for a king-high straight. Player B's three nines are a weaker alternative, not an improvement. Split the pot.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player A. Player A wins with A-hearts, K-hearts, 10-hearts, 8-hearts and 3-hearts. Player B's flush has a queen where Player A has a king. Both use one hole card; the jack of clubs cannot count toward a heart flush.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Player A. Player A wins with Q-clubs, Q-diamonds, 9-clubs, 9-diamonds and A-spades. Player B has queens and fives with a king. The top pair is tied, so compare the second pair: nines beat fives.
Board
Player A
Player B
Answer: Split pot. Both players use A-clubs, A-diamonds, K-clubs, K-diamonds and Q-spades: two pair with a queen kicker. Player A's jack is a sixth card and cannot break the tie. Split the pot.