Poker Hand Rankings — Strongest to Weakest

The table below shows the 10 poker hands ordered from strongest (1) to weakest (10). Click "Details" on any row to open a full guide with probabilities, strategy and FAQ.

The ranking table decides the winner when two hands sit in different categories. But most showdowns end with both players in the same category — that is where tie-breakers take over.

When the kicker matters. A kicker is the highest card in your hand that is not part of the combination itself. If you both hold a pair of aces, the higher side card wins. A♠-K♦ against A♥-Q♣ on A-7-4-2-9: both have aces, your king beats the queen. Kickers only apply while your best five cards are not yet complete — so a straight, flush or full house never uses one.

Same pair. With identical pairs you compare kickers one at a time: highest, then second, then third. If all three match, the pot is split.

Same two pair. Compare the top pair first, then the bottom pair, and only then the fifth-card kicker. Aces and deuces beat kings and queens — the higher pair decides first.

Same straight or same flush. A straight is judged only by its highest card; two straights ending on the same card split the pot. A flush is compared card by card from the top: A-J-8-5-3 beats A-J-8-4-2. The suit itself never breaks a tie.

When the board plays. If the five community cards make a stronger hand than any combination using your hole cards — a board of 10-J-Q-K-A, for example — everyone plays the same hand and the pot is split between all remaining players. You always pick the best five cards out of seven, even when none of them are the two you were dealt.

One rule to remember: a poker hand is always exactly five cards. There is no sixth kicker, and it is never counted.

Poker hand order: Royal Flush > Straight Flush > Four of a Kind > Full House > Flush > Straight > Three of a Kind > Two Pair > One Pair > High Card.

The rule: the rarer the hand, the stronger it is. A Royal Flush hits about once in 649,740 deals; High Card happens in roughly half of all hands. That is why a Royal Flush beats everything.

Card order: A > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2. All four suits (spades / hearts / diamonds / clubs) are equal — no suit is "stronger" than another in poker.

Split Pot: if two players hold the exact same hand (for example two straights 8-9-10-J-Q), the pot is split evenly.

When you play online, the app identifies your hand automatically and shows it at the bottom. Live, you identify it yourself. The trick: always look at the best 5 cards you can build from 7 (2 hole + 5 community).

Example: you hold A♥-K♥, the board is J♥-9♥-3♥-8♣-2♦. Possible hands: a Flush (5 hearts), Ace-High, no pair. Best: Nut Flush (Ace high).

Before you start playing, it is also worth learning the full poker rules and the Texas Hold\'em guide. For worked showdown examples, read poker hands explained; for direct matchups, use the hand comparison table. Knowing whether calling is worthwhile is a separate question — see expected value.