Poker Hands in Order: Full Ranking and Examples

Mastering the poker hands in order is essential for anyone looking to succeed at Texas Hold’em or any other variation. In this guide, we’ll walk through the complete poker hand ranking, including card examples and strategy tips. Understanding texas holdem hands ranking is a must for every serious poker player. This guide will help you understand all poker hands in order so you can play with confidence.

This poker hands list will help you understand every combination ranked from lowest to highest.

In Texas Hold’em, players aim to form the best five-card combination using two hole cards and five community cards. Understanding poker cards ranking helps players make better decisions during betting rounds. This article outlines all possible hands from highest to lowest.

Best Poker Hands in Order

Here is the official poker hand hierarchy from weakest to strongest. You’ll learn what beats what in poker and how to rank poker hands in real gameplay situations.

Hand	Example Cards	Final 5-Card Hand
High Card	on the board
Pair	on the board
Two Pair	on the board
Three of a Kind	on the board
Straight	on the board
Flush	on the board
Full House	on the board
Four of a Kind	on the board
Straight Flush	on the board
Royal Flush	on the board

By mastering these winning poker hands in order, you’ll gain the confidence to play at any level, knowing exactly how each hand ranks and what to expect in competitive Texas Hold’em games.

High Card

The high card is the lowest-ranked poker hand. It occurs when no combination (like a pair or better) is made. The strength of this hand depends entirely on the highest card a player holds. Cards are ranked from the lowest to the highest , making the Ace the strongest possible high card.

Despite being the weakest hand, it can still win if no opponent has a better one. When comparing high card hands, the highest card is evaluated first. If those are equal, the next highest (called a kicker) is used — and so on down the line. Typically, a hand with a high card Ace or King or has the best chance of winning with this hand.

For example, a hand with no combinations but with a high card beats a similar hand where the highest card is . However, both would lose to any pair, even a pair of .

The high card rule is also known as the “kicker rule.” It applies not just to high card hands, but also in other combinations where not all five cards are part of the main hand — such as One Pair or Three of a Kind.

One Pair

One Pair is formed when you hold two cards of the same rank. In this example, a pair of Aces is considered. Just like with high cards, the strength of the pair matters — a pair of is the strongest, while a pair of is the weakest.

If both players have a pair, the one with the higher pair wins the pot. But if both players have the same pair, the winner is determined by the kickers — the highest extra cards that complete the five-card hand. If the top kicker is equal, the next one is compared, and so on.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win the hand with a pair of Aces, which beats the opponent’s pair of Queens. In poker, the higher the pair, the stronger the hand.

Two Pair

Two Pair means you have two cards of the same rank, plus two more cards of another matching rank. For example, a hand with and forms Two Pair. This hand is sometimes called a “double pair” or “two-pair hand.”

When both players have Two Pair, the one with the higher top pair wins. If the top pairs are equal, the second pair is compared. If both pairs are the same, the kicker (the fifth card) determines the winner.

Important: There is no such thing as Three Pair in poker. Even if you technically hold three pairs, only the two highest ones count — the fifth card becomes the kicker, making up the final five-card hand.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win with two pair — Sevens and Sixes — which are stronger than your opponent’s Sixes and Fives. The top pair comparison decides the outcome here.

Three of a Kind (Trips / Set)

Three of a Kind is a poker hand made up of three cards of the same rank — for example, . It’s a fairly strong combination, often good enough for aggressive betting, especially in Texas Hold’em.

If you start with a pocket pair and then hit the third matching card on the board (like holding and the flop is ), it’s called a set. If one of the three matching cards is already on the board and you only hold one of them (like having with a board of ), it’s referred to as trips.

While both are technically the same hand, sets are often more disguised and harder for opponents to spot — which makes them more valuable strategically. Sets can also turn into Full House combinations if the board pairs.

When comparing two sets or trips, the hand with the higher three-of-a-kind wins. If both players have the same triplet (which is rare), the kicker is used to decide the winner.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win with a set of Aces ( ), beating your opponent’s set of Queens. Aces are higher than Queens — just like beats .

Straight

A Straight is made of five cards in sequential order, but with different suits — for example: . This is the first poker combination that requires all five cards to work together in a specific sequence.

If two players make a Straight, the winner is the one whose Straight ends with the higher card. For example, a Straight that ends with a will beat one that ends with a .

The Ace can be used either as the highest card (in ) or the lowest (in ), which is often called the “wheel” or “baby straight.”

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

Although both players made a Straight, your Straight ends with a , beating your opponent’s . Straights are always compared by the highest card in the sequence.

Flush

A Flush is a five-card poker hand where all cards are of the same suit, regardless of their rank order. For example: .

When two players have a Flush, the one with the highest-ranking card wins. If the top card is the same, the next highest card is compared — and so on until a difference is found. Suits themselves are never used to break ties.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win with an Ace-high Flush — — which beats your opponent’s King-high Flush. In poker, when comparing Flushes, the highest card always matters most.

Full House

A Full House is a five-card hand made up of a Three of a Kind and a Pair — for example, . It’s a strong combination that often wins big pots in No-Limit Hold’em.

When two players have a Full House, the one with the higher three-of-a-kind wins. If the triplets are equal, the strength of the pair becomes the deciding factor.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

Both players hit a Full House based on the same triplet — three Twos — but your pair of beats your opponent’s . If players had different triplets, the one with the higher three-of-a-kind would win immediately — for example, beats .

Four of a Kind (Quads)

Four of a Kind, also called quads, is a hand made up of four cards of the same rank — for example: . It’s one of the strongest poker hands and rarely occurs.

If both players have Four of a Kind (which is extremely rare), the fifth card — the kicker — determines the winner. For instance, if the board shows and one player has , while the other holds , the first player wins with the higher kicker: .

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win the pot by making Four of a Kind — — which beats your opponent’s Full House of Queens full of Eights.

Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is an extremely strong poker hand that consists of five cards in sequence, all of the same suit — for example: . It ranks just below the Royal Flush.

If two players make a Straight Flush, the one with the highest card at the end of the sequence wins. For instance, a Straight Flush ending in beats one ending in .

The Ace can either start a Straight Flush (as in ) or complete it (as in ), which becomes the unbeatable Royal Flush.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win with a Straight Flush ending in , while your opponent’s Straight Flush ends in . In poker, the higher the ending card in a Straight Flush, the stronger the hand.

Royal Flush

The Royal Flush is the rarest and most powerful hand in poker. It consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten — all of the same suit. In essence, it’s a Straight Flush that ends with an Ace.

Only four Royal Flush combinations are possible in the entire deck (one per suit). You’ll likely never see two Royal Flushes in the same hand, making it a guaranteed winner when it hits.

The only exception would be if a Royal Flush appears fully on the board — in that case, all players still in the hand split the pot equally.

Example Hand:
Your hand:
Opponent’s hand:
Board:

You win with the unbeatable Royal Flush: . Nothing in poker ranks higher.

“For more on poker hand rankings, visit Wikipedia.”

All Poker Hands in Order – Visual Chart

Poker Hands in Order Chart for Quick Reference

If you’re just starting out in online poker, memorizing the hand rankings can be tricky at first. To make it easier, we’ve prepared a visual chart with all poker hands in order, arranged from the weakest to the strongest. You can set it as your desktop background or print it out and keep it nearby during your games.

Having this cheat sheet at your fingertips helps reduce mistakes and builds confidence when you’re still learning how the poker combinations work in real-time play.

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FAQ: Poker Combinations Explained