Poker hand rankings: what beats what
The one thing you must know cold before every other decision: the ten hands, strongest to weakest, and why they rank that way.
What beats what?
Tap any hand to see a real example, how it's made and how often it hits. This is the #1 thing every new player must know — cold.
Royal Flush
- How it's made
- A, K, Q, J, 10 — all the same suit.
- Beats
- Everything. This is the absolute nuts.
- Pro tip
- You may play thousands of hands before you ever see one. It cannot be beaten, so bet it for maximum value.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 649,740
Straight Flush
- How it's made
- Five cards in sequence, all one suit.
- Beats
- Four of a kind and everything below it.
- Pro tip
- Only a higher straight flush beats it. Watch the board — if the community cards are one suit and connected, someone may hold it.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 72,193
Four of a Kind
- How it's made
- All four cards of one rank, plus any kicker. Also called 'quads'.
- Beats
- Every full house and below.
- Pro tip
- A monster. The only real danger is a straight flush, which is rare. Get the money in.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 4,165
Full House
- How it's made
- Three of a kind plus a pair. Read aloud as 'kings full of sevens'.
- Beats
- Flushes, straights and everything lower.
- Pro tip
- The higher three-of-a-kind wins when two players both have a full house — the pair only breaks true ties.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 694
Flush
- How it's made
- Any five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
- Beats
- Straights, trips, two pair and below.
- Pro tip
- Ties are broken by the highest card, so the 'nut flush' (ace-high) is far stronger than a low one.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 508
Straight
- How it's made
- Five cards in sequence of mixed suits. Ace can be high or low.
- Beats
- Three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
- Pro tip
- Beware: on a single-suited board a flush beats you. The 'wheel' A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 254
Three of a Kind
- How it's made
- Three cards of one rank. Called 'a set' when it uses your pocket pair.
- Beats
- Two pair, one pair and high card.
- Pro tip
- Sets are hidden and win big pots. Trips using a board card are more obvious and easier to read.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 47
Two Pair
- How it's made
- Two different pairs, plus a fifth kicker card.
- Beats
- One pair and high card.
- Pro tip
- Strong but vulnerable. The higher top pair wins ties, then the second pair, then the kicker.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 21
One Pair
- How it's made
- Two cards of the same rank, plus three kickers.
- Beats
- High card only.
- Pro tip
- The bread-and-butter hand. Kickers matter — A-J beats K-J when both pair jacks.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 2.4
High Card
- How it's made
- No combination at all — your single highest card plays.
- Beats
- Only a weaker high card.
- Pro tip
- Usually a fold unless you're bluffing. 'Ace-high' still wins plenty of small pots at showdown.
Chance on any 5 cards: 1 in 2
The ten hands, top to bottom
Here is the whole ladder, strongest at the top — tap any hand in the chart above to see a real example and how often it hits.
- Royal flush — A-K-Q-J-10, all the same suit. Unbeatable.
- Straight flush — five cards in a row, all one suit.
- Four of a kind — four cards of the same rank.
- Full house — three of a kind plus a pair.
- Flush — five cards of one suit, in any order.
- Straight — five cards in a row, mixed suits.
- Three of a kind — three cards of the same rank (also called trips, or a set).
- Two pair — two different pairs.
- One pair — two cards of the same rank.
- High card — no combination at all; your single highest card plays.
Which hand wins at showdown?
Rarer means higher
Why does the order run this way? Rarity — the harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks. Deal five random cards and you'll make a flush about once every 509 tries, but a full house only about once every 694 — the full house is genuinely scarcer, which is exactly why it wins the head-to-head. Carry that instinct to the table: the rarer a hand would have to be, the more a big bet pointing at it should make you believe it.
The classic traps
Two orderings trip up nearly every beginner: a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush. Burn those in and you'll dodge the most common showdown misreads. One exception to file away for later: Short Deck ranks a flush above a full house and puts three of a kind above a straight — so always confirm the ruleset before you sit.
Rank these five cards: what is your best hand?
Ties and kickers
When two players make the same category, the higher cards win: the bigger trips in a full house, the highest card in a flush, the better kicker with one pair. If every relevant card matches, the pot is split — suits never break the tie in Hold'em.
- Ten hands: royal flush down to high card — know the order cold.
- A hand ranks higher because it's rarer.
- A flush beats a straight; a full house beats a flush.
- Same category? Kickers decide; identical hands split the pot.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 16/20 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
What is the strongest hand in poker?
The royal flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit) is the best possible hand.
Which is higher: a flush or a straight?
A flush beats a straight because a flush is rarer.
You flop a flush and your opponent turns over a full house. Who takes the pot?
A full house outranks a flush in standard poker, so the full house wins.
Your set of nines runs into an opponent's straight. Which hand wins?
A straight ranks above three of a kind, so the straight scoops it.
Rank these lowest to highest: two pair, flush, one pair.
One pair < two pair < flush.
Two players both make a heart flush. What breaks the tie?
The higher top card wins (then the next, and so on); suits never break ties in Hold'em.
Which hand is the rarest (and therefore highest) below?
Four of a kind is rarer than a full house or flush, so it ranks above both.
What beats a full house?
Only four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush beat a full house.
'Kickers' come into play when…
Kickers break ties between hands of the same rank.
Q-9 vs Q-J, both make a pair of queens. Who wins?
Same pair of queens, so the higher kicker (J beats 9) wins.
Which is the lowest-ranked made hand?
High card is the weakest holding — no combination at all.
In standard poker, does three of a kind beat two pair?
Three of a kind ranks above two pair.
Which game deliberately flips flush and full house?
Short Deck ranks a flush above a full house (and trips above a straight).
A full house is described as…
Three of one rank + a pair of another = full house.
If two hands are identical in every card, the pot is…
Identical hands chop the pot; suits don't break the tie.
Which is higher: two pair or three of a kind?
Three of a kind beats two pair.
A straight flush is…
Sequential AND suited — second only to the royal flush.
Why should a board that can make a full house make you cautious?
Monsters are rare; when the board enables one and money goes in, someone may well have it.
The full ranking order (high to low) starts royal flush, straight flush, then…
…four of a kind, then full house, flush, straight, trips, two pair, pair, high card.
The single most important thing to know before any other poker decision is…
You can't make a correct decision without instantly knowing what beats what.
Review — all 20 questions & answers tap to expand
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What is the strongest hand in poker?
Answer Royal flush
The royal flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit) is the best possible hand.
-
Which is higher: a flush or a straight?
Answer Flush
A flush beats a straight because a flush is rarer.
-
You flop a flush and your opponent turns over a full house. Who takes the pot?
Answer Their full house
A full house outranks a flush in standard poker, so the full house wins.
-
Your set of nines runs into an opponent's straight. Which hand wins?
Answer The straight
A straight ranks above three of a kind, so the straight scoops it.
-
Rank these lowest to highest: two pair, flush, one pair.
Answer one pair, two pair, flush
One pair < two pair < flush.
-
Two players both make a heart flush. What breaks the tie?
Answer The highest card in the flush
The higher top card wins (then the next, and so on); suits never break ties in Hold'em.
-
Which hand is the rarest (and therefore highest) below?
Answer Four of a kind
Four of a kind is rarer than a full house or flush, so it ranks above both.
-
What beats a full house?
Answer Four of a kind (and above)
Only four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush beat a full house.
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'Kickers' come into play when…
Answer Two players have the same category of hand
Kickers break ties between hands of the same rank.
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Q-9 vs Q-J, both make a pair of queens. Who wins?
Answer Q-J
Same pair of queens, so the higher kicker (J beats 9) wins.
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Which is the lowest-ranked made hand?
Answer High card
High card is the weakest holding — no combination at all.
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In standard poker, does three of a kind beat two pair?
Answer Yes
Three of a kind ranks above two pair.
-
Which game deliberately flips flush and full house?
Answer Short Deck
Short Deck ranks a flush above a full house (and trips above a straight).
-
A full house is described as…
Answer Three of a kind plus a pair
Three of one rank + a pair of another = full house.
-
If two hands are identical in every card, the pot is…
Answer Split
Identical hands chop the pot; suits don't break the tie.
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Which is higher: two pair or three of a kind?
Answer Three of a kind
Three of a kind beats two pair.
-
A straight flush is…
Answer Five cards in sequence, all the same suit
Sequential AND suited — second only to the royal flush.
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Why should a board that can make a full house make you cautious?
Answer Because strong hands are rare, so if one is possible, respect the betting
Monsters are rare; when the board enables one and money goes in, someone may well have it.
-
The full ranking order (high to low) starts royal flush, straight flush, then…
Answer Four of a kind
…four of a kind, then full house, flush, straight, trips, two pair, pair, high card.
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The single most important thing to know before any other poker decision is…
Answer The hand rankings, cold
You can't make a correct decision without instantly knowing what beats what.