Hand Rankings

Compare hands from royal flush to high card, with kicker and best-five examples.

Hand rankings in order

  1. Royal Flush: A-K-Q-J-T of the same suit. The strongest possible poker hand.
  2. Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit, excluding the royal flush.
  3. Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, often called quads.
  4. Full House: Three of one rank plus a pair of another rank.
  5. Flush: Five cards of the same suit, regardless of rank order.
  6. Straight: Five consecutive cards of mixed suits. The ace can play high or low.
  7. Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Pocket pair plus board is a set; one in hand plus two on board is trips.
  8. Two Pair: Two different pairs. Compare the higher pair first.
  9. One Pair: Two cards of the same rank. The most common made hand.
  10. High Card: No made combination. The highest card determines the winner.

How does the kicker break a one-pair tie?

On K♣ 9♦ 7♠ 4♥ 2♣, A♠ K♦ and Q♠ K♥ both make one pair of kings. The ace beats the queen as the highest kicker in the best five cards. Identical best-five hands split the pot.