Poker Hands Ranking, Poker Sequence & Hierarchy
In poker, a sequence simply means having cards in a specific order, like 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in a row. This arrangement is called a poker sequence, and it matters when playing games like Texas Hold'em or Omaha.
The idea is to hold the cards that follow one another in rank, creating a sequence that could lead to a powerful hand. For instance, having a sequence might increase the chance of forming winning combinations. So, in poker, a sequence is about having cards lined up in a particular numerical order for strategic advantage.
Poker hands represent the potential combinations players can create using the cards in their hands and those on the table. Poker hand ranking establishes the hierarchy of these combinations by strength. It's like a pecking order for card combinations. For example, the 11 of hearts trumps the 2 of spades, and an ace of diamonds triumphs over an 8 of diamonds.
The ranking system guides who holds the upper hand, turning each round into strategic gameplay where the arrangement of cards determines the winner in the game of poker.
Poker sequence and hand rankings go hand-in-hand; the goal is to create the best. Poker is very different from other money-earning games like online rummy, teen-patti, etc. so you need to know a different set of rules to play the game.
There are different variations of the game in which Texas Hold’em Poker is the most popular one. However, there are different Poker rules in each variant, but one thing that is common in all poker variants is hand ranking.
In a poker game, hand rankings are the only way to decide the game winner.
List of Poker Hands:
To understand the hands in Poker and construct a good poker strategy for your game, it is necessary for the new players to first know the Poker rankings of the hands. So here is the Poker hand ranking listed below in the order of highest to lowest to help you out with the Poker hierarchy of the hands.
- Royal Flush: It is the highest hand ranking of Poker which consists of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suits.
- Straight Flush: It is the second highest hand ranking in the game of Poker which consists of five consecutive numerical number cards of the same suit.
- Four of a Kind: When the player has four cards of the same rank in the hand.
- Full House: When the player has a Three of a kind and One Pair in the same hand.
- Flush: When the player has 5 cards with the same suit in the hand.
- Straight: When the player has 5 cards in a straight numerical order in the hand.
- Three of a kind: When the player has three cards of the same rank in the hand.
- Two pair: When the player has two pairs of the same rank in the hand.
- One Pair: When the player has two cards of the same rank in the hand.
- High Card: When the player has the highest ranking card(s) in the hand.
Poker Hand Hierarchy: Where Does Each Poker Sequence Rank?
Poker hand rankings help you understand the relative strength of various playable hands and are crucial for making decisions while playing. It helps determine the poker game winner.
Here are the poker-hand rankings from highest to lowest:
1. Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is the best hand in poker. It is a sequence of the highest five cards, all of the same suit, in order of value from 10 to Ace.
For example, the sequence of the highest 5 cards of Diamond is a Royal Flush ( A♦ K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦ ).
What does Royal Flush beat?
Being the highest poker hand, the Royal Flush can beat all the other hands- Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair and High Card.
What beats a Royal Flush in poker?
A Royal Flush is the strongest poker hand. Thus, it can never be beaten.
2. Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is the second-highest hand in poker. It contains five cards of the same suit in sequence, excluding the sequence of all the highest-ranking cards.
For example: a hand with a sequence of Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, and Five of Hearts ( 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ ).
What does a Straight Flush beat?
A Straight Flush can beat Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair and High Card.
What beats a Straight Flush in poker?
A Royal Flush is the only hand that can beat a Straight Flush.
3. Four of a Kind
Four of a Kind is a hand that contains four cards of the same rank but different suits and one card of a different rank.
For example: a hand with Five of Spades, Five of Clubs, Five of Diamonds, Five of Hearts, and Nine of Hearts ( 5♣ 5♠ 5♦ 5♥ 9♥ ).
What does a Four of a Kind beat?
A Four of a Kind can beat a Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair, and High Card since these are all poker hands ranking below it.
What beats a Four of a Kind in poker?
Royal Flush and Straight Flush have higher rankings than Four of a Kind, and only they can beat it.
4. Full House
A hand that contains Three of a Kind ( three cards of the same rank ) and Two Pairs ( two cards of the same rank ) is a full house.
For example, Three of Clubs, Three of Spades, Three of Diamonds, Seven of Diamonds, and Seven of Hearts ( 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 7♦ 7♥ ) is a Full House.
What does a Full House beat?
A Full House can beat poker hands ranking below it such as Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair, and High Card.
What beats a Full House in poker?
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, and Four of a Kind are higher in rank and can beat a Full House.
5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit, irrespective of their order, are a Flush. If more than one player on the table has a Flush, the player with the highest-valued card wins the pot.
For example, Four of Spades, Eight of Spades, Six of Spades, Seven of Spades, and Two of Spades ( 4♠ ️ 8♠ ️ 6♠ ️ 7♠ ️ 2♠ ️) is a Flush.
What does a Flush beat?
A Flush can beat a Straight and all other poker hands ranking below it such as Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair and High Card
What beats a Flush in poker?
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, and Full House are higher in rank and can beat the Flush.
6. Straight
A Straight is a poker hand that consists of five cards of sequential rank, not all of the same suit. Each Straight is ranked by the highest-ranking card. In this case, an Ace can rank both lower than two and higher than a King, but not in a single hand.
For example: Ten of Heart, Nine of Diamond, Eight of Clubs, Seven of Spade, and Six of Heart ( 10♥️, 9♦️, 8♣️, 7♠️, 6♥️ )
What does a Straight beat?
A Straight beats Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair, and High Card.
What beats a Straight?
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, and Flush can beat Straight.
7. Three of a Kind
Three of a Kind is a poker hand that has three cards of the same rank but of different suits. It ranks below a Straight but above Two Pairs.
For example: Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs, and Queen of Spade ( Q♦️, Q♣️, Q♠️ )
What beats a Three of a Kind?
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, and Straight can beat Three of a Kind.
What does a Three-of-a-kind beat?
Three of a Kind can beat Two Pair, Pair, and High Card.
8. Two Pair
Two Pair is a poker hand that has two cards of the same rank and another set of two cards of the same rank. Essentially, it is a set of Two Pairs.
For example, Two Pairs can be Two of Spades and Two of Hearts ( 2♠️, 2♥️ ) and Queen of Diamond and Queen of Clubs ( Q♦️, Q♣️ ).
What does a Two Pair beat?
Two Pair can beat a Pair and a High Card. Two Pair is the third-lowest poker-hand ranking.
What beats a Two Pair?
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, and Three of a Kind beat Two Pair.
9. Pair
A Pair in poker is two cards of the same rank and of different suits. Players can make a Pair with one hand in their hand and the other card from the table. The rank of the Pair also plays a role.
For example, a Pair with Five of Spades and Five of Diamonds (5♠️, 5♦️) trumps a Pair with Two of Hearts and Two of Diamonds (2♥️, 2♦).
What does a Pair beat?
A Pair is the second-lowest poker hand. So a Pair beats a High Card.
What beats a Pair?
A Pair being the second lowest poker hand can be beaten by Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, and Two Pair.
10. High Card
A High Card is simply the single highest-ranking card that a player holds. This is the lowest-ranking poker hand. When all players have a High Card as their poker hand, then the highest-ranking card amongst them all wins.
For example, if Player A has K♦️ and Player B has A♥️, who do you think won the round? Yes, it's Player A.
What does a High Card beat?
A High Card is the lowest possible poker hand; therefore, it does not beat other hand rankings. However, the value of one High Card can beat the other.
What beats a High Card?
A High Card is the lowest poker hand. So, all the other poker hands from Royal Flush to Pair can beat a High Card.
Best Hole Cards in Poker
In Poker, it is a must to understand the strength of your hole cards at the pre-flop stage and use them accordingly as the game proceeds. If you get some of the best Poker hands in real money Poker, then it will surely make your day. Play your best game in online cash games of Poker with these hole cards:
- Pocket Aces: Pocket Aces carry a high value in the game of Poker. They are also known as Bullets, and rightly, they can make your wallet loaded if you play the hand smartly.
- Pocket Kings: This pre-flop hand consists of two Kings and is supposed to be the second best pre-flop hand after Pocket Aces. They are also called Cowboys.
- Pocket Queens: After the Pocket Kings, the Pocket Queens are the best hole cards to have in the game of Poker. It consists of two Queens and are also known as the Ladies.
- Ace-King Suited: Another great set of hole cards, they are also regarded as one of the best non-pair hands in Poker. In the Poker dictionary, they are also called the Big Slick.
- Pocket Jacks: This is also a very useful pre-flop hand to play with in the game of Poker. Also called the Hooks, it is up to the player to use them wisely to get some fishes or to be fed by the sharks.
Poker Hands Probability
Poker hands probability refers to the likelihood of obtaining a specific hand in a game of poker, players need to understand the mathematics behind poker to make informed decisions. The probability of drawing a particular hand is calculated by dividing the number of ways that hand can be drawn (frequency) by the total number of possible 5-card hands (sample space).
Players can use the knowledge of poker hands probability to make strategic decisions. For instance, if a player knows the probability of drawing a Flush is higher than that of drawing a Straight, they can adjust their strategy accordingly. Players can calculate the odds of completing their desired hand and compare it to the current pot odds to determine whether it's worth continuing with the hand.
Calculation of Probability:
The probability (P) of a particular hand is calculated as follows:
P = Number of ways to draw the hand/ Total number of 5-card hands
For example, drawing a Royal Flush involves 4 different ways (one for each suit), so the probability is 4/2,598,960 = 649,740.
Poker Hands Odds Table
| Hands | Probability | Odds Against |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 0.000154% | 649,739 : 1 |
| Straight Flush | 0.00139% | 72,192.33 : 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 0.02401% | 4,165 : 1 |
| Full House | 0.1441% | 694.1667 : 1 |
| Flush | 0.1965% | 508.8019 : 1 |
| Straight | 0.3925% | 254.8 : 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 2.1128% | 46.32955 : 1 |
| Two Pair | 4.7539% | 20.03535 : 1 |
| Pair | 42.2569% | 1.366477 : 1 |
| High Card | 50.1177% | 0.9953015 : 1 |
| Total | 100% | 0:1 |
Poker Hand Absolute Value vs. Relative Value of Poker Hands
The absolute hand value refers to the inherent strength or ranking of a poker hand, irrespective of the specific circumstances of the game. It is a measure of how strong a hand is on its own, based on the standard hand rankings in poker. For instance, a Royal Flush has a higher absolute value than a Pair.
On the other hand, the relative hand value considers the strength of a hand in the context of the specific situation or circumstances of the current game. It takes into account factors such as the community cards, opponents' actions, betting patterns, and the overall dynamics of the game. A hand that might be strong in one situation could be relatively weak in another, depending on these contextual factors.
Example:
Let's consider a scenario where a player is holding a pair of Kings (K ♠ ️ K♥) as their hole cards in Texas Hold'em.
The community cards are: K♠ Q♠ J🔸 T♣ 2♠
In terms of absolute hand value, a pair of Kings is relatively strong, and it ranks higher than many other possible hands. But in case your opponent has A♠ or 9♣, then their sequence would be Flush or Straight and therefore will beat your hand of a Pair of Kings.
Ties and Kickers
In poker, ties can occur when two or more players have hands of equal rank. When this happens, tiebreakers, often involving kicker cards, come into play to determine the winner of the pot. The kicker is the highest-ranking card that doesn't contribute to the main hand's rank. Kickers do not count in high ranking sequences such as Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Straight, Full House and Flush.
Here is a scenario explaining ties and the role of kickers in tiebreakers:
Scenario 1:
Player A has A♥ 5♠
Player B has K♦ J♦
Community cards are Q♥ Q♦ Q♠ Q♣ 4♦
Player A’s hand: Q♥ Q♦ Q♠ Q♣ A♥
Player B’s hand: Q♥ Q♦ Q♠ Q♣ K♦
Therefore, in this scenario, player A wins as A♥ kicker plays after the four queens
Scenario 2:
Player A has A♣ 2♦
Player B has A♦ 7♠
Community cards are A♥ 9♥ 9♣ J♦ 4♣
Player A’s hand: A♣ A♥ 9♥ 9♣ J♦
Player B’s hand: A♦ A♥ 9♥ 9♣ J♦
Therefore, the pot will be split, since neither the 7♠ nor the 2♦ are played and both players have the same hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 Which poker sequence is bigger?
The highest poker sequence is the Royal Flush. It is a sequence of the highest five cards of the same suit. For example: ( A♦ K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦ ).
Q2 What is the hand rule in poker?
Q3 What are the poker hands ranked in order?
The order of poker rankings is from the highest to the lowest: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card.
Q4 What is a poker hand game?
In poker, players are dealt cards from a standard 52-card deck, and each player aims to have the best 5-card hand at the table. The hands of all the participants are compared to decide the winner of the pot.
Q5 Is there any hand that can defeat The Royal Flush?
No. There is no higher ranking hand than the Royal Flush.
Conclusion
In poker, the way your cards line up can make you a winner. Whether you are just starting out or have been playing poker for years, it is crucial to know the hierarchy of sequences to make informed decisions on the poker table. Remembering all the sequences and knowing which hand is stronger than the other is important to navigating the game with confidence.
