You must have seen poker in many movies. The game is definitely quite fun to play as well as even watch too. It is basically a card game that’s all about making the best hand possible. And also, understanding poker hand rankings is a fundamental aspect of the game. The Poker hands rankings go from high to low. Thus, determining the winner of each round or the entire game is as per your hand.
Therefore, in this guide, we’ll explore the various poker hands rankings. Thus it will help you know what beats what in the world of poker.
Let’s get in.
Poker Hands Ranking: What Beats What?
1. Royal Flush:
Among the highest poker hands rankings we have is the Royal Flush. It consists of the Ten, J for Jack, Q for Queen, K for King, and an Ace of the same suit. Though the combination to get is rare. Still, poker is unpredictable till the very end. Also, as the Royal Flush is an unbeatable hand in poker. Thus, if we play it right, once can win huge. But, if you will make it obvious, the opponents might fold their hand, without betting much.
2. Straight Flush:
The very next of the Royal Flush we have the Straight Flush. It’s similar to Royal Flush, but just the sequence is different. For example, 5-6-7-8-9 of hearts. The top card in the series of a straight flush is the one to take in consideration when you are competing against another sequence with the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind:
Four of a Kind includes four cards of the same rank, like four Kings. The fifth card called the kicker, doesn’t matter much but can be essential in case of a tie. Such as, when in the game two or more decks are used. At that time if players have the same four-of-a-kind cards. Then the fifth card is the decider. Therefore, whoever’s fifth card is the highest, that hand wins.
4. Full House:
A Full House is basically a combination of three and two cards. It means, there are 3 the same cards and a pair of two cards with another rank. For example, three Tens and two Sevens. Moreover, those are quite common than earlier ones.
5. Flush:
A Flush comprises five cards of the same suit, but not in a sequence. The order of the cards doesn’t matter. And this is what many times a winner in the game. It could be any cards with the same suit. And if two or more players get flush, then the high card wins.
6. Straight:
A Straight is a sequence of five cards of different suits, like 5-6-7-8-9. It’s ranked by the highest card in the sequence.
7. Three of a Kind:
Three of a Kind contains three cards of the same rank, like three Jacks. The other two cards don’t form a pair or a sequence.
8. Two Pair:
Two Pair involves two sets of pairs, like two Sevens and two Aces. The fifth card doesn’t have to match.
9. One Pair:
One Pair includes one set of two cards of the same rank, like two Queens. The other three cards don’t match or form a sequence.
10. High Card:
When no player has any of the above hands, the winning hand is determined by the highest card in the hand. If no player even has a pair, the high card wins. It happens quite rarely too. But of course, if you are just betting as per the high card, be cautious. As the probability of winning with a high card is quite low.
Understanding these poker hands rankings is essential, but remember that the context of the game, your opponents’ behaviour, and your betting strategy also play a crucial role in winning poker.
Ties in Poker:
If two players have hands of the same rank, the tie is usually broken by comparing the highest cards in the hand. But, if these are also the same, the next-highest cards are compared, and so on. Also, if all cards are identical, the pot is split between the tied players. But of course, the probability of all cards being the same does not happen that often.
Conclusion
Mastering poker hands rankings is a foundational step in becoming a successful poker player. Knowing what beats what allows you to make informed decisions during a game, whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or any other poker variant. In fact, any variation of poker you are playing, you must look into the rankings of each hand and understand it properly.
Thus, by combining your understanding of poker hands rankings with strategic thinking and reading your opponents, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a formidable poker player. And of course, you can build the strategies as per that. In fact, even for bluffing you will need to check if your hand is strong enough or not.
