1. 5 Card Texas Hold'em Hands Chart
2. 5 Card Texas Hold'em Poker
3. Texas Hold Em Cards
4. 5 Card Texas Hold'em Rules
5. Texas Holdem 5 Card Draw

There are 10 different hands ranks in Texas Hold’em – from a Royal Flush to a Straight to a lousy High Card. Here’s a comprehensive list of all Texas Hold’em poker hand rankings:

You can also print and download the Official Texas Hold’em hand ranking as a PDF file.

Chart: Poker Hand Ranking

Texas hold em Poker can be a multi player card game, also referred to as Five Card Stud. On the web it can be played paid or free. On the web it’s one among the absolute most popular video games on face book and is being downloaded by people from all across the world. There are 10 possible 5 card poker hands: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. There are 1,326 possible 2 card starting hands in Texas Hold'em. The best starting hand is pocket aces, while the worst is seven-two offsuit.

Five Card Stud, the ancestor of all modern variants of poker, used to enjoy a great deal of popularity, but now Texas Hold’em has occupied its place in the hearts of millions of poker players worldwide. This does not mean that Five Card Stud no longer has any followers. One of the simplest variants of poker, and one that is many poker player's first introduction to the game of poker, is 5-Card Draw. More common in home games than it is in casinos, 5-card draw has.

Download

Download the poker hand ranking charts image or PDF:

• Official Poker Hand Rankings Image
• Print: Poker Hand Rankings PDF

Official Poker Hand Rankings

• Royal flush: A straight from a ten to an ace with all five cards in the same suit.
• Straight Flush: Any straight with all five cards in the same suit.
• Four of a Kind or Poker or Quads: Any four cards of the same rank. If two players share the same four of a kind (on the board), the larger fifth card (the “kicker”) decides who wins the pot.
• Full House or Boat: Three cards of the same rank along with two cards of the same rank. In short: trips and a pair.
• Flush: All five cards of the same suit (not necessarily consecutive). The highest card determines the rank of the flush.
• Straight: Five consecutive cards (not necessarily the same suit). Aces can count as either high or low cards, but not as both at once. Meaning, a straight cannot go “around the corner”.
• Trips: Three cards of the same value. If two players have the same trips the highest kicker decides who wins the pot.
• Two Pair: Any two cards of the same rank together with two other cards of the same rank.
• One Pair: Any two cards of the same rank.
• High Card: Any hand that is none of the above hands.

Best Online Poker Sites

If you want to start playing poker online, check our online poker sites comparison:

Poker Hand Rankings Explained

• If two players have a Straight or Straight Flush, the higher Straight or Straight Flush wins.
• If two players have a quads, the player with the highest quad wins. If they are identical, the highest kicker wins.
• If two players have a flush, the player with the highest card in the flush wins. If they are identical, the second highest card decides, then the third highest, and so on. The suit of the flush does not matter.
• If two players have a full house, the player with the higher trips wins. If they are identical, the player with the higher pair wins.
• If two players have two pairs, the player with the bigger pair wins. If they are identical, the player with the higher pair wins. If they are also identical, the player with the highest kicker wins.
• If two players have a pair, the player with the higher pair wins. If they are identical, the highest kicker wins, then the second highest, then the third highest.
• If two players have a high card, the highest card wins. If they are identical, the second highest card decides, etc.

How many Poker Hands are there?

There are only 10 distinct poker hand ranks, but if you randomly deal 5 cards from a deck of 52 cards there are exactly 2,598,960 possible card combinations.

Poker Hand Odds for 5-Card-Poker

The poker hand ranking charts are based on the probability for each distinct hand rank. More unlikely combinations are ranked higher. Those are the probabilities and odds for all 5-card poker hands:

Poker Hand Odds for Texas Hold’em

If you’re playing Texas Hold’em, you have 7 cards to chose your hand from. There are 133,784,560 to deal 7 random cards. This changes the odds and probabilities for all poker hands a bit. Those are the probabilities and odds for all Texas Hold’em Poker hands:

Technically it’s more likely that you’re dealt at least a pair in Texas Hold’em than holding only high card. But “High Card” still remains the lowest rank.

FAQ: Poker Hand Rankings

Does 2 pairs beat a straight?

When playing Texas Hold’em (or any other popular poker variant) 2 pairs are always ranked below a straight.

Does 3 Aces beat a straight?

3 Aces are just trips (or three of a kind) in poker. When playing regular Texas Hold’em a straight is ranked above trips. There are however rule variations where trips can bet a straight, namely Short Deck Hold’em, a poker variant where all cards below 5 are removed.

Does 5 of a kind beat a royal flush?

In regular poker variants there are is no 5-of-kind rank. When playing with wildcards (joker) 5 of a kind are possible. In this case 5 of a kind are the highest possible poker hand and beat a royal flush.

Does a full house beat 3 aces?

Every full house always beats trips, no matter the rank of the trips. Even trip aces are always ranked below every possible full house.

Does Royal Straight beat flush?

A Royal Flush is the best possible poker hand and of course always beats any other flush.

Does straight beat a full house?

Every common poker variant, including Texas Hold’em, ranks a Full House above a straight. So no, a Straight never beats a Full House in Poker.

What beats a royal flush?

In all regular modern poker variations (including Texas Hold’em and Omaha) a Royal Flush is always the highest possible hand rank. A higher rank is only possible when playing with a Joker. In this case 5 of a kind (4 Aces plus Joker) beats a Royal Flush.

What can beat a flush in poker?

A Flush is a very strong hand in poker. The only hands that beat a Flush are Full House, Quads, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush.

How rare is a royal flush?

A Royal Flush is extremely rare. When playing Texas Hold’em you’ll only get one every 31,000 hands. And that assumes you never fold. The hand is so rare that most poker players can remember all Royal Flushes they have been dealt in their life time.

What are the odds of hitting a straight flush?

Straight Flushes are almost as rare as Royal Flushes. When playing Texas Hold’em you will hit a Straight Flush roughly every 3,600 hands (assuming you never fold any hand that can make a Straight Flush).

Can you have 3 pairs in poker?

There is no “3 pair” hand rank in poker. When playing Texas Hold’em it’s technically possible to have three pairs, but since a poker hand only consists of 5 cards only the 2 highest pairs are in play. For example, if you hold Q-J and the board reads Q-J-6-A-A you only have two pair: Aces and Queens.

Does Royal Flush have to be spades?

A Royal Flush can be any of the 4 suits, spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs. It’s just that usually a Royal Flush is depicted in spades or hearts. Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter which suit, a Royal Flush is always the best Texas Hold’em Poker Hand.

How many kickers can you have in poker?

A poker hand can consist of up to 5 kickers. A player with no pair only has kickers. A player with one pair has 3 kickers, a player with trips has 2 kickers, and a player with 2 pair or quads has 1 kicker.

Is Ace a 1 in poker?

When building a straight an Ace can be used as a virtual “1” in poker. Meaning, A-2-3-4-5 is a straight. There are also lowball poker variations where the Ace counts as the lowest card.

Is an Ace 2 3 4 5 a straight?

Yes, the ace can count as the lowest card in a straight and function as a “1” when combined with 2-3-4-5.

Is JQKA 2 a straight?

A straight cannot go “around the corner”, the Ace can only be either the highest or the lowest card, not a card in the middle. So no, J-Q-K-A-2 is no straight in poker.

Is Queen King Ace 2 3 a straight?

A straight cannot go “around the corner”, the Ace can only be either the highest or the lowest card, not a card in the middle. So no, Q-K-A-2-3 is no straight in poker.

Is there a kicker on a straight?

For a straight you need to use all 5 cards. There are no cards left for a kicker. The rank of the straight is determined by the highest card. E.g. an ace-high straight beats a queen-high straight.

What is a flush in poker?

A flush in poker is hand which consists of 5 cards of the same suit. The same color (red or black) is not enough. It has to 5 spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs.

What is the highest royal flush in poker?

There are no distinctions between the 4 possible Royal Flushes in poker. A Royal Flush in spades is as good as a Royal Flush in hearts, diamonds, or clubs.

What is the highest suit in Texas Hold’em poker?

Only in very rare occasions (for example when dealing for the button) the suits are ranked in poker. In this case the ranking is: 1. spades, 2. hearts, 3. diamonds, 4. clubs. Suits are otherwise generally not ranked in poker. A Flush in spades is as good as a flush in any other suit, only the ranks of the cards matter.

What is the lowest pair in a game of poker?

In poker the lowest possible pair is a pair of Deuces (twos).

How do you win bad beat jackpots in poker?

To win a bad beat jackpot in poker you need to lose with a very strong hand, usually a strong Full House (Aces Full). It’s also necessary that both, the winning hand losing player, user both of their hole cards. E.g. losing with quads on the board does not count.

What are the odds of hitting a bad beat jackpot in poker?

The odds of hitting a bad beat jackpot in poker depend on the rules for the jackpot. If you have to lose with Aces Full or better your odds of hitting the bad beat jackpot are 1:58,948. If you have to lose with quads or better your odds are 1:624,609 (assuming a 10 player table where nobody ever folds).

What is a bad beat in poker?

If you lose with a very strong hand against an even stronger hand this is called a “bad beat”. It is also a bad beat if you lose an all-in while being far ahead and you opponent wins by catching some miracle cards.

How many 5 stud poker hands are there?

5 Card Stud is one of the oldest poker variants where each player is dealt 5 cards. There are exactly 2,598,960 different 5 stud poker hands possible.

How many poker hands are there?

There are only 10 distinct poker hand ranks, but if you randomly deal 5 cards from a deck of 52 cards there are exactly 2,598,960 possible card combinations. If you’re playing Texas Hold’em, you have 7 cards to chose your hand from. There are 133,784,560 to deal 7 random cards.

What happens if two hands tie in poker?

It’s possible (and not too uncommon) for two players to have the same hand in poker. In this case the pot is split and both players receive half the pot.

What happens if two people have a royal flush?

When playing Texas Hold’em it’s almost impossible for two players to have a Royal Flush. For that to happen the 5 community cards need to form a Royal Flush. In that case all players in the hand win and split the pot.

What happens if two poker hands are the same?

If two players have the same hand, the pot is split and both players win half of it. This can happen for example if both players have the same cards (e.g. Ace-King) and nobody makes a Flush.

How do you hit a royal flush on video poker?

In Video Poker you can win the jackpot when you hit a Royal Flush. To maximize your chances you should always keep all suited cards 10 or above (if you have at least 2) and discard the rest. You will see a Royal Flush roughly once every 40,000 spins.

What are the odds of hitting a royal flush on a video poker machine?

The odds of hitting a royal flush directly are only 1 in 649,739. But since you can draw one time your odds increase. If you play perfectly your odds of hitting a royal flush are roughly 1 in 40,000.

Occasionally, someone will ask me if Poker and Texas Hold’em are the same thing. I’ve been a professional poker player for years and am happy to explain the differences between various card games.

What is the difference between Poker and Texas Hold’em? Poker and Texas Hold’em are not the same thing. Texas Hold’em is a community card game, one of the thre variations of poker. Other variants include Stud and Draw Poker. All poker games are played by two or more players who compete to try and make the best hand by using a defined hand ranking system.

Now that you know how Texas Hold’em is just one of many poker games, let’s discuss a few of its variations. Think of this as a crash course on everything poker.

The Variations of Poker

There are three main types of poker variants:

1. Community Card Games
2. Draw Poker Games
3. Stud Poker Games

While growing up, I learned to play draw and stud poker. In fact, anyone over the age of 40 probably did so as well. However, community card games are by far the most popular poker games today.

While there are key differences between each poker variation, there are also numerous commonalities.

What All Poker Games Have in Common

Each game within a variant will almost always have the same basic rules. All poker variations have:

• An “Ante” (Pronounced An-Tee) which is the minimum amount of money that each player much wager to play in the game. These are forced bets before the game begins. In some games, every player pays the same ante while in other games only a set number of players pay the ante or “blind.”
• Betting rounds where players can bet, check, call, or raise.
• The same hand ranking system including high card, pairs, two-pairs, trips, straights, flushes, full-houses, four-of-a-kind, straight flushes, and the extremely rare royal flush.
• Competition with at least two players being needed to play. There is no solo poker.

While the hand rankings tend to be the same, the way the game plays can vary wildly from one variant to another. Here are the three common variations with examples of popular games.

1. Community Card Poker Games

In a community card poker game, every player is dealt a defined number of “hole” cards that belong them alone. Each player then matches their hole cards with the “community cards” in order to make a 5-card poker hand.

Common Community Card Poker Games

• Texas Hold’em – Each player is dealt two hole cards and then there is a “pre-flop” betting round following a defined order of play. Three community cards, called the “flop, are then dealt and there is a 2nd betting round. After the flop, comes the turn where a single community card is dealt followed by the third betting round. Finally, the last community card called the “river” is dealt and the fourth and final betting round occurs. If action is closed on the river, then the players with hole cards still in play “showdown” their hands in a defined order and determine the winner.
• Omaha – Omaha plays exactly like Hold’em except that each player receives 4 hole cards and exactly two of those hole cards must be used to determine his or her best 5-card hand. For example, if there are 4 Hearts on the board, a player must still have two hearts in their hand in order to make a flush.
• Pineapple – Pineapple is a game with many variations. Each player is dealt three hole cards, one of which can be discarded at a particular point in the hand, depending on the variation. Most commonly, the discard happens pre-flop. No matter on what street the discard occurs, the hand otherwise plays just like Texas Hold’em.
• Courchevel – This game plays just like Omaha except that each player gets five hole cards and one of the flop cards is dealt before the first betting round occurs.

2. Draw Poker Games

In draw poker games the players do not share any cards but are rather are dealt a complete hand before the first betting round. Typically, each player is allowed to trade in and “draw” between one and four cards new cards from the deck. There is now another betting round based on the new hands and showdown occurs.

Common Draw Poker Games

• Five-Card Draw – In five-card draw, each player is dealt five cards. Typically, each player can trade is between one and three cards after the initial betting round. However, some local rules allow for four cards to be traded if the player has an Ace.
• Seven-Card Draw – Plays exactly like five-card draw, except each player is dealt seven cards at the start of the game.
• Double-Draw – Double-Draw plays exactly like regular draw poker there are two draw phases instead of just one, which adds an extra betting round to the game. There is also triple-draw poker as well.

3. Stud Poker Games

In stud poker games, the players are dealt a set number of cards. Only the cards initially dealt can be used to play the game. There are no community cards and no cards are drawn. Typically, each player is dealt a set number of down cards and then a defined number of face-up cards. Usually, the last card dealt is again face down.

5 Card Texas Hold'em Hands Chart

Common Stud Poker Games

• Seven-Card Stud – Seven-card Stud was the most popular game in the world before Texas Hold’em took that title in the early part of the 21st century. At the start of the game, each player is dealt two cards face down and one card up. After the initial deal, the first betting round occurs. There is then one betting round after each additional card is dealt face up. The final card is dealt face down. There are five betting rounds possible with each player ending up with three cards down and four face-up.
• Razz – Commonly known as “seven card stud low”, Razz is a game where you try to make the lowest hand possible in poker. The wheel is the most powerful hand in Razz followed be 6, 4, 3, 2, A and 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, so on and so forth. Except for the different hand ranking criteria, Razz plays exactly like seven-card-stud.
• Five-Card Stud – This game was most popular in the 18th century and involves each player is dealt one card down and one card face up. The player with the lowest card must pay a “bring in” bet in order to continue in the game. Then, there is a betting round. The player with the best hand showing always goes first. In total, there are four face-up cards with a betting round after the cards are dealt.
• Mississippi Stud – Mississippi stud plays exactly like seven-card stud except that there is no betting round between fourth and fifth streets. Also, the final card is dealt up. This game has the same feel as Texas Hold’em except there are no community cards.

Final Thoughts

So now you know that Texas Hold’em and poker are not the same thing and that Hold’em is just one game in a multitude of poker games. If you are interesting in learning Texas Hold’em strategy, be sure to check out my comprehensive tutorial.

5 Card Texas Hold'em Poker

Related Questions

Texas Hold Em Cards

What is HORSE? HORSE is a mixed poker game where each of five different poker games is played in turn. Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Stud, and Eight-or-betting.

5 Card Texas Hold'em Rules

Can you bet after the river in Texas Hold’em? Yes, you can bet after the river card is dealt in Texas Hold’em. There are four betting rounds total: One after the hole cards are dealt, one after the flop is dealt, one after the turn is dealt, and one after the river is dealt.

Texas Holdem 5 Card Draw

Is Ace high or low in poker? In most poker games the Ace can be high or low. An Ace can be either the highest card that can make a straight, Ten-Jack-Queen-King-Ace (called broadway) or the lowest card that can make a straight, Ace-Two-Three-Four-Five (called the wheel).