Poker Hand Rankings
All 10 Texas Hold'em hands from strongest to weakest, with probabilities, tie-breaking rules, and answers to the questions everyone asks (yes, a flush beats a straight).
Five things that trip people up
- • Flush beats a Straight. The most-confused ranking. A flush is 5 same-suit cards; a straight is 5 connected cards. Flush is harder, so it wins.
- • Ace can be high or low. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight (the “wheel”). T-J-Q-K-A is the highest (“Broadway”).
- • Suits never break ties. Two flushes of equal high cards split the pot. Spades aren't worth more than hearts.
- • Kickers matter. AK on an A-7-2 board has top pair top kicker — beats any other pair of aces with a smaller kicker.
- • Full House = trips over pair. “Aces full of Twos” beats “Kings full of Queens” — compare the trips first.
Each hand explained
1. Royal Flush
649,739 : 1 odds · 0.000154% of all handsA Royal Flush is just the highest possible Straight Flush — A-K-Q-J-T all in one suit. There are exactly 4 of them in a deck (one per suit). Two players cannot make a Royal Flush at the same time in Texas Hold'em — if you have it, you've won.
2. Straight Flush
72,192 : 1 odds · 0.00139% of all handsFive connected cards in the same suit. The wheel (A-2-3-4-5) suited is the lowest Straight Flush; 9-T-J-Q-K suited is just below the Royal. When two players have Straight Flushes the higher top card wins.
3. Four of a Kind
4,164 : 1 odds · 0.024% of all handsAlso called 'quads'. Quad aces is the highest, quad twos the lowest. Two players with quads on the same board (rare) compare kickers; when both quads are different ranks, the higher rank wins regardless of kickers.
4. Full House
693 : 1 odds · 0.144% of all handsSpoken as 'X full of Y' where X is the trips and Y is the pair (e.g. 'Jacks full of Eights'). When comparing two Full Houses the trips rank first; if those tie, the pair rank breaks the tie.
5. Flush
507 : 1 odds · 0.197% of all handsFlushes beat straights — a common point of confusion. When two players hold a flush, compare the highest card; if those tie, the second-highest, and so on. Suits themselves never break ties in standard rules.
6. Straight
254 : 1 odds · 0.392% of all handsAce plays high or low — A-K-Q-J-T is Broadway (the highest straight); A-2-3-4-5 is the wheel (the lowest). The ace cannot wrap around (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight). Higher top card wins ties.
7. Three of a Kind
46 : 1 odds · 2.11% of all handsTwo flavors in Hold'em: a 'set' (you hold a pocket pair that hits a board card — disguised, very profitable) and 'trips' (you hold one card matching a board pair — strong but readable). Higher trips wins; if equal, kickers break the tie.
8. Two Pair
20 : 1 odds · 4.75% of all handsCompare the higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker. Two Pair is the most-dangerous made hand at low stakes — players overplay it and lose stacks to better holdings on connected boards.
9. One Pair
1.37 : 1 odds · 42.26% of all handsCompare pair rank first; if equal, three kickers break the tie in order. Most pots in Hold'em are won at showdown with one pair — knowing kicker strength matters more than people think.
10. High Card
0.99 : 1 odds · 50.12% of all handsSometimes called 'no pair'. Compare the highest card; if equal, the next-highest, and so on through all five cards. Surprisingly, high-card hands win plenty of pots when both players miss the board.
Frequently asked
Does a flush beat a straight in poker?+
Yes. A flush (5 cards same suit) beats a straight (5 connected cards mixed suits). The mnemonic: flush is harder to make — the probability of being dealt a flush by the river is about 0.2% vs 0.39% for a straight in 7-card Hold'em.
What beats a full house?+
Four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush all beat a full house. Within full houses, the higher trips win — Aces full of Twos beats Kings full of Queens.
Is A-2-3-4-5 a valid straight?+
Yes — this is called 'the wheel' or 'bicycle' and is the lowest straight (5-high). The ace plays as a 1. The ace can also play as the highest card in T-J-Q-K-A (Broadway). It cannot wrap around (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight).
If two players have the same hand, what determines the winner?+
Kickers — the unused side cards. For pairs and three-of-a-kind, the next-highest cards in your 5-card hand break ties in order. For straights and flushes, the highest top card wins. For full houses, the higher trips wins, then the pair. Suits never break ties in standard Texas Hold'em.
What's the difference between a set and trips?+
Both are three-of-a-kind. A set means you hold a pocket pair (e.g. 8♠8♥) and the board produces a third (8♦). Trips means you hold one card and the board provides a pair (you have 8♠4♣, board is 8♥8♦5♠). Sets are more disguised and tend to win bigger pots.
Are suits ranked in poker?+
Not in standard Texas Hold'em or Omaha. Two flushes of equal high cards split the pot — the suits themselves don't break the tie. Some niche games and tournament rules use spades > hearts > diamonds > clubs for special cases, but it's not a general rule.
Take it further
Guide
The complete poker hand rankings guide
The list above is the answer. Below is everything else: how tie-breakers actually work, the matchups that confuse beginners, edge cases (Ace-low straight, suited tie rule), and quick answers to every "does X beat Y?" question new players ask.
The order in 10 seconds
Strongest to weakest, this is the only list you need to memorize:
- 1. Royal Flush — A-K-Q-J-10 same suit
- 2. Straight Flush — 5 sequential same suit
- 3. Four of a Kind (Quads)
- 4. Full House — 3 + 2
- 5. Flush — 5 same suit
- 6. Straight — 5 sequential, mixed suits
- 7. Three of a Kind (Trips/Set)
- 8. Two Pair
- 9. One Pair
- 10. High Card
Memory trick: the rarer the hand, the higher it ranks. Royal Flush is 1 in 649,740. High Card is roughly 50%. Probability inverse = ranking.
How tie-breakers actually work
When two players have the same hand category, you compare the cards. Poker hands are always exactly 5 cards— so there's always a comparison method:
| Hand | Tie-breaker order |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | Highest top card. A-K-Q-J-10 (Royal) > K-Q-J-10-9 > ... |
| Four of a Kind | Higher quad rank, then kicker |
| Full House | Higher trip rank, then higher pair rank |
| Flush | Highest card, then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th |
| Straight | Highest top card. Ace can be high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-A) |
| Three of a Kind | Higher trip rank, then 2 kickers in order |
| Two Pair | Higher of the 2 pairs, then lower pair, then kicker |
| One Pair | Pair rank, then 3 kickers in order |
| High Card | All 5 cards compared in order, highest first |
The kicker rule is what trips up new players. If you both have a pair of 9s, the next-highest card decides. AA-99 with a King kicker beats AA-99 with a Jack kicker.
Common confusion: which hand actually beats which?
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush is rarer (~0.20% of random 5-card hands) than a straight (~0.39%), so the flush ranks higher. If you have 5 hearts and your opponent has 5-6-7-8-9 mixed suits, you win.
Does a full house beat a flush?
Yes. Full house (3 of a kind + pair) is rarer than a flush, so it wins. KKK-77 beats any flush.
Does three of a kind beat two pair?
Yes. Three of a kind (trips/set) is rarer than two pair. AAA-K-2 beats KK-77-J.
Does a straight beat three of a kind?
Yes. Straight (5 sequential cards) is rarer than three of a kind. 5-6-7-8-9 mixed suits beats AAA-K-2.
Highest two pair vs lowest two pair
When both players have two pair, the higher of the two pairs decides. KK-22 beats QQ-JJ. If the higher pairs match, the lower pair decides. KK-99 beats KK-77. If both pairs match, the kicker (5th card) decides.
Edge cases that confuse new players
Ace-low straight (the wheel)
The Ace can be the LOW card in a 5-4-3-2-A straight (called "the wheel"). When this happens, the straight is treated as a 5-high straight — meaning it loses to any 6-high or better straight. This is the only situation where the Ace is treated as a 1.
Playing the board
In Texas Hold'em, if the 5 community cards form a stronger hand than your 2-card combo can improve, the board IS your hand. Example: board is A-K-Q-J-10 of mixed suits — that's a straight; if you can't use your hole cards to make anything stronger, you both have the board straight and you split the pot. (Note: this rule does NOT apply in Omaha — see below.)
Suit ranks (do they exist?)
In standard Texas Hold'em and Omaha, all four suits are equal. Two flushes with the same high cards split the pot — the suits don't break ties. Some tournament dealer-button assignment rules use spades > hearts > diamonds > clubs, but that's for procedural purposes only, not hand evaluation.
Common showdown scenarios — who wins?
P2 has Two Pair (Queens and 7s), but Kings beat Queens.
Both have Full House: 9s full of 5s. The 9th hole card is irrelevant — the 5-card hand is identical.
Both make Broadway straight (A-K-Q-J-T). Hole cards don't matter; both play the board's straight.
P1 makes K-Q-J-T-9; P2 also has the 8 straight (Q-J-T-9-8). K-high beats Q-high straight.
Both have trips A. Compare kickers: K + J vs K + 7 → P1 wins on the J kicker.
Are rankings the same in Omaha and Pineapple?
Yes — the 10-hand ranking order is identical across all major variants. Royal Flush wins everywhere, High Card loses everywhere, the tie-breaker rules are the same.
What CHANGES in different variants is which 5 cards you can use:
- → Texas Hold'em: any 5 from your 2 hole + 5 board (you can use 0, 1, or 2 hole cards).
- → Omaha (PLO): EXACTLY 2 hole + EXACTLY 3 board. You CAN'T play the board in Omaha.
- → 3-Card Hold'em / Pineapple: any 5 from your 3 hole + 5 board (similar to Hold'em but with one extra card).
- → Stud / Razz: different rules — Razz uses the LOWEST 5-card hand to win. Different ranking system entirely.
For Hold'em, Pineapple, and Omaha, this rankings list is the rulebook. Bookmark it.
FAQ — does X beat Y?
Does a flush beat a full house?›
No. A full house beats a flush. Memory rule: 3+2 (full house) > 5 same suit (flush). The full house has the trip combination which is rarer than 5 same-suit cards.
Does a straight beat a flush?›
No. A flush beats a straight. Same suit (rarer) wins over consecutive ranks (more common).
Does Ace-King beat Ace-Queen?›
Yes if you both make the same hand category. If you both pair the A on the board, your K-kicker beats their Q-kicker. If neither pairs, you both have an Ace high but your K beats their Q as the second card.
Two players have a flush — who wins?›
Highest card in the flush. Ace-high flush > King-high flush. If high cards tie, compare second-highest, then third, etc. Suits never break the tie.
Both players make a straight — who wins?›
Highest top card. A-K-Q-J-10 > K-Q-J-10-9 > 6-5-4-3-2 > 5-4-3-2-A (the wheel). Note the wheel (Ace-low) is the LOWEST possible straight.
Can you make a straight with A-2-3-4-5?›
Yes. The Ace plays low to make a 5-high straight (the wheel). It's a real straight that beats any 4-high or worse hand. But it loses to any 6-high or better straight, including the regular A-K-Q-J-10 straight.
What if I have AAA-K and they have AAA-Q?›
You win with the K kicker. Three of a kind is the same category, so kickers decide. K > Q.
What's the rarest possible hand?›
Royal Flush. Probability: 1 in 649,740 random 5-card draws. About 0.000154%.
Can two players both have a Royal Flush in Hold'em?›
No, mathematically impossible. Each suit has exactly one Royal Flush combination, so two players would need to use cards from different suits — but a Royal Flush requires all 5 cards in the SAME suit. Both players would need to share at least 3 board cards in one suit, which is the only Royal Flush available, so they'd split it as a board play.
Is Razz the opposite ranking?›
Yes — in Razz (a poker variant), the LOWEST 5-card hand wins. The wheel (A-2-3-4-5) is the BEST hand in Razz. We're describing standard Hold'em / Omaha / Stud-Hi rankings here.