POKER, a thrilling blend of skill, strategy, and luck, has been a favorite game of many for centuries. Central to it are “hands” or card combinations that determine each round’s outcome. Understanding hands and their rankings is crucial to mastering the game. Read on to learn about the hierarchy of poker hands, their meanings, and the probabilities of getting each hand.
- High Card
The High Card hand is at the bottom of the poker hand hierarchy. If no player has a pair or other high-ranking hand, the one with the highest card wins. The order of cards, from lowest to highest, is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. The Ace can also be used as a low card in a straight. The odds of getting a High Card hand are almost 2:1. If you have none of the other hands on this list, your highest card is compared with your opponent’s. In the event that they’re the same, your second-highest cards are compared, and so on. A memorable High Card moment occurred in the 1989 World Series of Poker when Phil Hellmuth won the Main Event with a High Card hand. His Ace was enough to beat his opponent’s King and earn him the championship.
- Pair
A Pair consists of two cards of the same rank and three unrelated cards. If two players have a pair, the player with the higher pair wins. If both pairs are the same, the highest of the three unrelated cards, or “kickers,” determines the winner. This hand is quite common, with a probability of 1 out of 1.37 times. That means you can easily get this hand.
In the 2003 World Series of Poker, Chris Moneymaker bluffed his opponent, Sam Farha, with just a Pair of Nines. Farha folded a Pair of Tens, and Moneymaker won the tournament, proving that even a low-ranking hand can win with the right strategy.
- Two Pair
A Two Pair hand contains two different pairs and one unrelated card. The player with the highest pair wins if two players have two pairs. The second pair or kicker decides the winner if the highest pairs are the same. The odds of getting this hand are 1 out of 20 times. At the 2006 World Series of Poker, Jamie Gold showed a Two Pair to beat his opponent’s pair. This hand was a turning point in the tournament and helped Gold win the Main Event.
- Three of a Kind
Three of a Kind, aka “a set” or “trips,” consists of three cards of the same rank and two unrelated cards. The player with the higher ranking set wins if two players have Three of a Kind. The odds of getting Three of a Kind are 1 out of 46.3 times. In the 2010 World Series of Poker, player Matthew Jarvis’ Three of a Kind beat another player’s Two Pair. This hand played a crucial role in Jarvis’ journey to the Main Event’s final table.
- Straight
This one has five consecutive cards of any suit. In case of a tie, the player with the highest-ranking card at the top of the sequence wins. The Ace can be at the beginning of the sequence (A-2-3-4-5) or at the end (10-J-Q-K-A). The odds of getting a Straight are 1 out of 254 times. During the 2012 World Series of Poker, a memorable Straight moment occurred when Gaelle Baumann was left with a Straight on the river to beat her opponent’s Three of a Kind. This hand helped Baumann nab 10th place in the Main Event.
- Flush
A Flush is a hand where all five cards are of the same suit but not in sequence. If two players have a Flush, the player with the highest card wins. If the highest cards are the same, the second, third, fourth, and fifth-highest cards are considered in order. The odds of getting a Flush are 1 in 508. In a 2015 European Poker Tour event, Rainer Kempe beat his opponent’s Straight with a Flush. Thanks to this hand, Kempe ultimately won the tournament and a significant cash prize.
- Full House
A Full House consists of a pair and three of a kind. In a showdown, the player with the higher three of a kind wins. If these are the same, the pair determines the winner. The odds of getting this hand are 1 out of 693 times. One of the most famous Full House hands in poker history happened in the action-packed flick Casino Royale, where James Bond shows a Full House with Aces full of Sixes to win over the villain’s Flush.
- Four of a Kind
Four of a Kind, aka “quads,” consists of four cards of the same rank and one unrelated card. The one with the higher ranking quads wins if two players have Four of a Kind. The odds of getting Four of a Kind are 1 out of 4,165 times. In the 2009 World Series of Poker, Aaron Overton revealed his Four of a Kind on the river to beat another player’s Full House. The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight of such a high-ranking hand.
- Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is a hand that is both a Straight and a Flush. It consists of five cards in sequence, all of which are from the same suit. If two players have a Straight Flush, the one with the highest card in the sequence. The odds of getting a Straight Flush are 1 out of 72,192 times.
- Royal Flush
Atop the poker hand hierarchy is the Royal Flush. It’s a type of Straight Flush that consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, all of the same suit. It’s the highest possible hand in a poker game, which means it can’t be beaten. The Royal Flush is the rarest and strongest hand in poker, with odds of 1 in 649,740. During the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, Ray Romano was at the table when Justin Phillips used a Royal Flush to beat another player’s Straight Flush. The odds of a thing like that happening are astronomical, making it a truly memorable moment.
