Best Poker Hands In Order

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Poker is the greatest card game in the world. There are 52 cards in a standard deck of cards. That means there are thousands of possible hands you can make. Each hand has a certain value. The object is to get a higher value hand than your opponent. If you are able to do that, you win the hand, unless they bluff you out of the pot. Of course, you can’t control the cards that are dealt to you.

Below you will find a list of poker hands in order from highest to lowest to help you get started, as well as the top starting hands for Texas Hold'em. Click the button on the right to get a cheat sheet that displays the traditional poker hand rankings, which are used in the most popular variants of poker. Best Poker Hands Order When playing poker it’s important to understand the different hands so that you know if you’re in a good position to bet, bluff, check or fold. A poker hand consists of 5 cards and these fall into 10 different categories that beat each other in a game.

For this guide, we are going to focus on the world’s most popular game, Texas hold’em. There are many other forms of poker and the hand values differ from game to game, but since most of you play hold’em, we’ll stick with that game for now.

The is the best possible hand you can get in standard five-card Poker is called a royal. Poker Hands Order (Premium Hands) Determining the winning poker hands depends on the strength of each hand. Every poker hand is assessed a value. The following poker hand ranking values are in order of strongest to weakest. The winning hand is the player with the strongest hand. Royal Flush: Getting a.

Texas hold’em is an exciting poker game. It’s the game played at the world’s most famous poker tournament – the World Series of Poker Main Event. Hold’em is a simple game to learn how to play but difficult game to master. You have to continually practice and gain experience before you can expect to see positive results. That’s what makes Texas hold’em so exciting though. The game offers the perfect mix of strategy and luck.

Here’s how you play the game. You start by receiving two cards face down. You determine, based on the strength of those two cards, if you want to remain in the hand by calling the initial bet, raising, or folding because the cards are weak. We call this “pre-flop action”. If you remain in the hand through this first round of betting, you will then see the “flop”. This is where three community cards are put on the table face-up.

All community cards are available for each player in the hand to use. The object is to make the best possible five cad poker hand from the seven total cards that will be available. Right now, we’ve mentioned just five total cards. The flop is the second round of betting. If there are at least two players remaining after the flop, the next community card will be placed on the table.

This card is called the “turn” or “4th street”. Another round of betting takes place. If at least two players are still in the hand, the final community card is placed on the table. This card is called the “river” or “fifth street”. The river is the card that often makes or breaks your hand. Sometimes you will catch a card on the river that makes your hand superior to your opponent’s hand and sometimes your opponent will do the same thing to you. It’s always frustrating when you end up on the wrong end of the river stick. That’s called a “bad beat”.

More often than not, however, the player with the best hand before the river will still have the best hand after the river. The river is the last round of betting. If a player places a bet on the river and receives a call or neither player elects to bet the river, the winning hand comes down to the player with the best five card poker hand. How do you know if your hand is the best? This guide will answer that question.

Poker Hands Order (Premium Hands)

Determining the winning poker hands depends on the strength of each hand. Every poker hand is assessed a value. The following poker hand ranking values are in order of strongest to weakest. The winning hand is the player with the strongest hand.

Royal Flush: Getting a royal flush isn’t easy. In fact, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get one any time soon. But, if you do, you have the absolute best poker hand possible. A royal flush is when you hold the 10, J, Q, K, and A all of the exact same suit. It’s rare to get a royal flush so if you get one, your opponents are unlikely to put you on that hand.

Straight Flush: Getting a straight flush also isn’t easy, but slightly less difficult than a royal flush. It’s the same thing as a royal flush, but instead of holding the 10, J, Q, K, and A, you can have any connecting cards of the same suit. An example is 8, 9, 10, J, Q of hearts. Although you likely won’t ever have a straight flush up against another straight flush, the winning straight flush is based on the player holding the highest value card.

Four-of-a-Kind (Quads): Again, we have a hand here that is hard to get and almost never beat by another hand. Quads are when you have four cards of the same value, such as A-A-A-A. You won’t get this hand too often, so make the best of it when you do. Like a straight flush, it is extremely rare for quads to NOT be the best hand. But if you’re up against a straight or royal flush, your hand is beat. If your four-of-a-kind value is lesser than your opponent’s four-of-a-kind value, your hand is beat.

Full House (Boat): Poker players refer to a full house as a “boat” because when you place the cards on the table, it looks like a sail boat. A full house is the combination of a three-of-a-kind and an extra pair. Let’s say you are dealt A-A and the flop comes A-3-3. You have a full house (Aces and 3’s). Once again, when assessing full house strength, the value of the three-of-a-kind must beat your opponent’s three-of-a-kind value. If it doesn’t, they win, unless there is a tie. In the event of a tie, it comes down to the value of the extra pair.

Poker Hands Order (Additional Hands)

The above hands are the absolute strongest Texas hold’em hands you can possibly get. But they aren’t the only hands possible. These are the remaining six general types of poker hands you can have.

Flush: A flush is when your entire hand is of the same suit. So let’s say you have 4-9-10-J-K, all of which are clubs. You have a flush, which is a pretty darn good poker hand. You won’t flop a flush very often, but if you play the hand all the way to the river, you just might end up with one if you began the hand with two cards of the same suit.

Straight: Picking up a straight can be a sneaky strong hand because it’s always difficult to put an opponent on one. A plain straight is when your hand connects with each other and isn’t filled with the same suited cards. An example of a straight is 3-4-5-6-7. All the cards must be in order to be considered a straight. So if you have, say, 2-3-4-5-7, you have just a small straight, which is good in Yahtzee, but no good in poker.

Three-of-a-kind (Trips or Set): Although we’re way down the list of poker hand rankings, three-of-a-kind, which is self explanatory, is still very good most of the time. You just have to be a little careful when there are 3 or 4 community cards that are of the same suit or connectors. Otherwise, three-of-a-kind is a very strong hand for you to play.

Poker

Two Pair: It’s hard to make big hands in Texas hold’em. That’s why, despite being this far down the list, two pair can pay off quite well. Two pair is easy to understand. If your hand includes two pairs of cards (i.e. 4-4-5-5), then you have another fairly strong hand. You can win some big pots with two pair, but it all depends on board texture and the type of opponent you’re up against.

Pair: If you have just one pair and the rest of your cards are un-paired, it’s hard to win a big pot, but not impossible. If your opponent’s are loose players that will call down bets with just about anything, you can get paid off with top pair.

High Card: If you can’t even put together one pair, you have what is called high card. This is a weak hand that rarely will win in a showdown on the river. However, it will win occasionally if your highest cards are high value such as Ace and King.

Playing Hands Properly

The value of your hand isn’t the only thing you must take into consideration when facing a decision. You must also play your opponent. Their hand matters just as much as yours does. For example, if you have three-of-a-kind, that’s a strong hand. But having that strong hand won’t do you any good if your opponent has a better hand.

Order of poker

If your instincts tell you that your hand, even if it’s strong, is beat, lay your hand down. Always play smart poker. Trust your instincts and consider what your opponent may be holding. Don’t just automatically assume your hand is the best hand just because it’s strong. If you’re beat, you’re beat. The toughest part of playing poker is having the discipline to lay down a strong hand that can’t win.


What Are The Poker Hands

In a game of poker, players have to form their best five-card combination called poker hands as per the rules of the poker game. During a showdown, each five-card combination has a rank and the ranks of the players in the hand are compared to determine the best poker hand.
Though the rules vary according to the poker tournament variant, the highest poker hand ranking always wins. Poker hand order is determined by the pattern formed by the cards. If the patterns formed are the same, then the poker card rankings determine the winner. Individual cards in poker order are ranked highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2.
Suits are not ranked, so hands that differ by suit alone are of equal rank. The top poker hands to play fall into nine categories using a standard deck of 52 cards. A player can form 2,598,960 distinct poker hands since the order in which they are dealt with are inconsequential. Since the suits are of equal rank, a player can form 7462 distinct texas Holdem poker hands.

What Are Poker Suits?

A deck of cards is split into four suits:
♣ Club
♦ Diamond
♥ Heart
♠ Spade
All suits carry the same value as per poker hand order.

What Are Top Poker Hands To Play?

The key to play poker is knowing the texas Holdem rankings and learning how to play these best poker hands.
1. Pocket Aces - Every poker player knows the power of this poker card ranking. Pocket aces are also the strongest starting hand in poker hand order. They make the best poker hand pre-flop and the odds are 4:1 favourite over any other poker hand. One in every 221 poker hands is a pocket ace and if you're a serial grinder, you should know how to play this best poker hand.
Also known as Pocket Rockets, Two Pips.
2. Pocket Kings - Pocket Kings are a favourite against any hand (except aces). This texas Holdem poker hand is winning two-thirds of the time against Ace high and therefore ranks just below pocket aces in poker hand order in real money poker game.
Also known as Cowboys, King Kong, Ace Magnets.
3. Pocket Queens - One of the best poker hands to play poker strongly pre-flop. You should be raising or re-raising from any position with these Ladies. This texas Holdem poker hand is likely to be called by plenty of opponents with not the best poker hands.
Also known as Ladies.
4. Ace-King Suited - This is a texas Holdem poker hand easy to fall in love with. While pre-flop in remains a great hand beating post pocket pairs (except kings and aces). But it’s important to realize that if you don’t connect with the flop, then you only have an ace-high.
Also known as Big Slick, Anna Kournikova, Big Ugly.
5. Pocket Jacks - This is the best poker hand against any unpaired hand and strong pre-flop over any weaker waits. A great texas Holdem poker hand to play in late position with an unraised pot, but be wary of the early position raises.
Other Nicknames: Brothers, Suckers.
6. Pocket Tens - Pocket tens are a strong starting hand in poker. This texas Holdem poker hand will still win against overcards most times and is good enough not hitting a third on the flop. If the pot has witnessed a lot of action before you, it’s an easy fold with this texas Holdem ranking.
Also known as Dimes, TNT, Dynamite.
7. Ace-Queen Suited - This is a texas Holdem poker hand that ranks high in poker order due to its relative strength compared to other starting hands. It’s a tricky hand to play and might require you to fold even after hitting a pair on the flop. If you miss the flop with this poker hand, it’s best to fold and stay out of trouble.
Also known as Little Slick, Antony & Cleopatra, Mrs Slick, Rocket Queen.
8. Ace-King Offsuit - This is the best poker hand to be calling in position pre-flop to keep the pot small and also get paid if you pair one of the two hole cards. It’s not as strong as its suited counterpart and you have to keep in mind that you’ve reduced your chances of hitting a flush, however, it’s still 40% favourite.
9. Ace-Jack Suited - The potential of this hand like an AK or AQ suited are the odds of hitting a royal flush. However, this texas Holdem poker hand needs to be played wisely especially when you have a player raising in early position. An AK or AQ will have you beat and it’s wise to not fall in love with your AJ suited.
Also known as Hijack, Jackass, Apple Jacks.
10. King-Queen Suited - King-queen suited is a great texas Holdem poker hand that is known to flop well. It opens up a large number of straights and flushes, and the odds of hitting a high pair making it one of the best poker hands to play.
Also known as Marriage.

Poker Card Rankings Explained

Order

Royal Flush - A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥

The best poker hand. The suit does not matter. It’s an ace-high straight flush.

Straight Flush - Q♥ J♥ 10♥ 9♥ 8♥

A texas Holdem poker hand made up of five cards in sequential order and of the same suit. in the same If two players have a straight flush at showdown, the highest-ranking card as per poker card rankings will win. A straight flush beats four of a kind.

Four of a kind - 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 3♥ 8♥

Four of a kind is four cards of the same poker card rank. If two players have a four of a kind, the hand with the highest-ranking as per poker card rankings wins. If two players have the same four of a kind, the player with the highest kicker card wins. A four of a kind beats a full house.

Different Poker Hands In Order Of Best To Worst

Full House - Q♦ Q♠ Q♣ 2♣ 2♦

A full house consists of a set of one rank and a pair of another rank. If two players have a full house, the player with the highest set as poker card rank wins. If the triplet is the same, the player with the highest pair wins. A full house beats a flush.

Flush - 5♦ J♦ 3♦ K♦ 4♦

A flush is a texas Holdem poker hand where all five cards are of the same suit. It does not need to be in sequential order. A flush is ranked first by the highest card and then by the second highest card. A flush beats a straight.

Straight - 5♣ 4♠ 3♠ 2♥ A♦

A straight is a texas Holdem poker hand that contains five cards in sequential order but are not of the same suit. If two players have a straight, the player with the highest-ranking card as per poker card rank wins. A straight beats a three of a kind.
Best poker hands in order preflop

Three of a kind or set - 8♦ 8♠ 8♣ K♠ A♠

A three of a kind is a texas Holdem poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank. If two players have a three of a kind, the player with the highest-ranking three of a kind wins. A three of a kind beats a two pair.

Two Pair - 9♠ 9♥ 5♦ 5♥ A♠

A two pair is a texas Holdem poker hand consisting of two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. If two players have a two-pair, the player with the highest-ranking pairs as per poker card rank wins. If both pairs are the same, the winner of the hand is determined by the kicker. A two pair beats one pair.

One Pair - 6♦ 6♥ 2♥ 5♠ K♣

One pair is a texas Holdem poker hand that contains two cards of the same rank. If both players have one pair, the player with the highest-ranking pair as per poker card rank wins. If both pairs are the same, the player with the highest-ranking kicker wins. One pair only beats a high card.

High Card - Q♠ 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ 2♣

TA high card is a texas Holdem poker hand when your hole cards haven’t formed any of the above poker hands. In this case, your hand will be determined by the single highest-ranking card as per poker card ranks. This the closest texas Holdem poker hand.

Poker Hand FAQ

Question 1: What is the best poker hand?

The best poker hand is the Royal Flush. Formed by the Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit.

Question 2: What is the worst starting hand in Texas Hold’em Poker Hands?

The worst starting hand in texas Holdem poker hands is 3-2 offsuit. Often 7-2 is also referred to as the worst hand since it has less straight potential than a 3-2, despite having higher pot equity.

Question 3: In which order are the poker hands ranked?

Ranks Of Hands In Poker

The poker hand order from strongest to weakest are as follows. Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.

Best Poker Hands In Order Preflop

Question 4: How are poker hands constructed?

Order Of Best Hands In Poker

In most variants of poker, it is necessary to use exactly five cards to make a hand. In texas Holdem poker you have to use any of your hole cards in combination with any of your community cards to form the best five-card poker hand. In Pot Limit Omaha poker you have to use two out of the four hole cards in combination with any of the five community cards to make the best five-card poker hand.