Master Poker Hands at Mr Green Poker
Your Guide to Poker Hand Rankings
If you can’t spot a potential flush or are left dumbfounded by a straight, it’s time to learn about the various poker hand rankings essential for any poker player. Whether you're new to the game or looking to sharpen your skills, Mr Green is here to provide a detailed guide to help you recognize and rank the best poker hands, ensuring you make the right decisions during gameplay.
Key Topics Covered:
- Hand Rankings: From Royal Flush to High Card.
- Hand Examples: Visual illustrations of each hand type.
- Winning Strategies: Tips on how to play different hands effectively.
Understanding Poker Hands: The Basics
Let's begin with the standard high hand ranking system, which is common in most poker variants, including the popular No Limit Hold'em.
Typically, a poker hand consists of 5 cards and the result of your final hand can utilise one, or all 5 cards – all 5 cards MUST be played even if for example, only 2 cards in your hand make up your final hand. The remaining cards that don't directly strengthen the hand are called kickers, which help determine the winner when players have the same hand.
In Hold'em, players use a combination of their hole cards and community cards to form a hand. Regardless of how many hole cards are used, the final hand is always made up of 5 cards.
Poker Hand Rankings
So, what can your ‘final hand’ consist of? These hands are listed in order of strength, with hands lower on the list beating those higher up.
- High Card
- One Pair
- Two Pair
- Three-of-a-Kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Full House
- Straight Flush
- Royal Flush
1. High Card
The weakest of all hands, your hand's strength is determined by the highest card out of the five, with Aces being high. If your opponent has the same high card, the next highest card (and so on) is used to break the tie.
2. One Pair
Two cards of the same rank in your five-card hand. Higher pairs are stronger, with the remaining three cards acting as kickers in case your opponent has the same one pair in their five-card hand.
3. Two Pair
Two sets of two different cards (4 cards in total). The strength of the higher pair is most important, with the second pair considered if two players have the same high pair. This hand uses four cards directly, leaving one kicker to complete the 5-card hand.
4. Three-of-a-Kind
Three cards of the same rank, this hand is known as "Trips” – three nines, three jacks, three Aces - higher-ranked Trips will beat those of lower rank. In this scenario, you’ll also have two kickers to consider.
5. Straight
A Straight consists of five cards in a consecutive order, such as 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 with the strength of the Straight determined by the rank of the highest card in the sequence.
If in the rare event both players in the showdown have the same straight with the same high card, it is considered a tie, and the pot is split.
Since all five cards are used in a Straight, there are no kickers involved.
6. Flush
A Flush consists of five cards all in the same suit (Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds). The strength of the Flush is determined by the highest-ranked card.
If two players have Flushes with the same highest card, the next highest card is compared, and this process continues until a difference is found.
7. Full House
A Full House consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank (Three-of-a-Kind plus a Pair). The strength of the Full House is determined by the rank of the Three-of-a-Kind.
If two players have Full Houses with the same Three-of-a-Kind rank, the rank of the pair is used to break the tie.
8. Four-of-a-Kind
Four-of-a-Kind, also known as "Quads," consists of four cards of the same rank. Higher-ranked Quads will beat lower-ranked ones. The hand also includes one kicker, which is used to determine the winner if needed.
9. Straight Flush
A combo of Straight and Flush, a Straight Flush consists of five consecutive cards all in the same suit, such as 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of hearts. The strength of a Straight Flush is determined by the highest-ranking card in the sequence, with Aces being the highest.
10. Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is exactly like a Straight Flush but consists of the ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit. It is the highest possible hand in poker and cannot be beaten. If two players both have a Royal Flush, the hand will result in a tie.
