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Published February 28, 2026 • 14 min read • by MonkeyPoker
Understanding poker hand rankings is the absolute foundation of playing any form of poker. Whether you are playing Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, or any other variant that uses standard poker hand rankings, the hierarchy is the same. The player with the highest-ranking five-card hand wins the pot.
There are exactly 2,598,960 unique five-card combinations possible from a standard 52-card deck. These combinations are organized into 10 hand categories, ranked from the Royal Flush (the best possible hand, occurring in only 4 of those 2.6 million combinations) down to High Card (the most common and weakest hand). This guide covers every hand ranking with examples, exact probabilities, tiebreaker rules, and common mistakes players make when evaluating their hands.
Definition: A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit.
Example: A-hearts, K-hearts, Q-hearts, J-hearts, 10-hearts.
Probability: 0.000154% (1 in 649,740 five-card hands). In Texas Hold'em, the probability of making a Royal Flush by the river using your two hole cards and five community cards is approximately 0.0032%, or about 1 in 30,940 hands.
The Royal Flush is the best possible hand in poker. It is a specific type of straight flush: the highest possible straight (A-K-Q-J-10) all in the same suit. There are exactly 4 possible Royal Flushes in a standard deck, one for each suit. All four Royal Flushes are equal in rank. There is no suit hierarchy in standard poker, so a Royal Flush in hearts and a Royal Flush in spades are of identical value.
Definition: Five consecutive cards all of the same suit (excluding Royal Flush).
Example: 8-spades, 7-spades, 6-spades, 5-spades, 4-spades.
Probability: 0.00139% (1 in 72,193 five-card hands). There are 36 possible straight flushes in a standard deck (excluding the 4 Royal Flushes).
A Straight Flush is ranked by its highest card. A 9-high straight flush (9-8-7-6-5 suited) beats an 8-high straight flush (8-7-6-5-4 suited). The lowest possible straight flush is 5-4-3-2-A suited, known as a "wheel flush" or "steel wheel," where the Ace plays as a low card.
Definition: Four cards of the same rank plus one other card (the kicker).
Example: K-K-K-K-7. Four Kings with a Seven kicker.
Probability: 0.024% (1 in 4,165 five-card hands). There are 624 possible Four of a Kind hands.
Four of a Kind is ranked first by the rank of the four matching cards. Four Aces beats Four Kings, which beats Four Queens, and so on down to Four Twos. If two players have Four of a Kind (extremely rare but possible in community card games), the higher set wins. If both players somehow have the same Four of a Kind (possible in Hold'em when the four matching cards are all on the board), the player with the higher kicker wins.
Definition: Three cards of one rank plus two cards of another rank.
Example: Q-Q-Q-8-8. Queens full of Eights, often stated as "Queens full."
Probability: 0.144% (1 in 694 five-card hands). There are 3,744 possible Full House combinations.
A Full House is ranked first by the three-of-a-kind portion, then by the pair. Queens full of Eights (Q-Q-Q-8-8) beats Jacks full of Aces (J-J-J-A-A) because Queens rank higher than Jacks in the trips portion. This is a common point of confusion for beginners who think Aces in the pair should make the Jacks hand stronger.
Definition: Five cards of the same suit, not in sequential order.
Example: A-diamonds, J-diamonds, 8-diamonds, 5-diamonds, 3-diamonds. An Ace-high flush in diamonds.
Probability: 0.197% (1 in 509 five-card hands). There are 5,108 possible Flushes (excluding straight flushes and royal flushes).
Flushes are ranked by the highest card, then the second-highest, and so on. An Ace-high flush always beats a King-high flush. If two players have the same highest flush card, the second-highest card breaks the tie. In rare cases, all five cards must be compared. If all five cards are identical in rank, the pot is split regardless of suit. Suits never determine winner in standard poker.
Definition: Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
Example: 10-clubs, 9-hearts, 8-diamonds, 7-spades, 6-clubs. A Ten-high straight.
Probability: 0.392% (1 in 255 five-card hands). There are 10,200 possible Straights (excluding straight flushes).
The Ace can play as both the highest card (A-K-Q-J-10, the Broadway straight) and the lowest card (5-4-3-2-A, the wheel). However, the Ace cannot wrap around. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight. Straights are ranked by their highest card. A King-high straight (K-Q-J-10-9) beats a Queen-high straight (Q-J-10-9-8).
Definition: Three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards.
Example: 9-9-9-K-4. Three Nines with a King and Four as kickers.
Probability: 2.11% (1 in 47 five-card hands). There are 54,912 possible Three of a Kind hands.
In Hold'em, Three of a Kind comes in two flavors. A "set" is when you have a pocket pair and one matching card appears on the board (you hold 9-9, board shows 9-K-4-J-2). "Trips" is when you have one card matching a pair on the board (you hold 9-K, board shows 9-9-4-J-2). Sets are more valuable because they are harder for opponents to detect.
Definition: Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, plus one unrelated card.
Example: J-J-7-7-3. Jacks and Sevens with a Three kicker.
Probability: 4.75% (1 in 21 five-card hands). There are 123,552 possible Two Pair hands.
Two Pair is ranked first by the higher pair, then by the lower pair, then by the kicker. Aces and Twos (A-A-2-2-K) beats Kings and Queens (K-K-Q-Q-A) because Aces outrank Kings as the higher pair. If both players have the same higher pair, the lower pair determines the winner. If both pairs match, the kicker breaks the tie.
Definition: Two cards of the same rank plus three unrelated cards.
Example: 10-10-A-8-4. A pair of Tens with Ace, Eight, Four kickers.
Probability: 42.26% (1 in 2.37 five-card hands). There are 1,098,240 possible One Pair hands.
One Pair is the most common made hand in poker. It is ranked by the pair first, then by kickers in descending order. A pair of Aces with a King kicker beats a pair of Aces with a Queen kicker. In Hold'em, your pair often comes from matching one of your hole cards with a community card (top pair, middle pair, or bottom pair depending on which board card you match).
Definition: Five cards that do not form any of the above combinations.
Example: A-J-8-5-2 of mixed suits. Ace-high.
Probability: 50.12% (1 in 2 five-card hands). There are 1,302,540 possible High Card hands.
More than half of all possible five-card combinations are High Card hands. When no player has made any of the nine hand categories above, the pot goes to the player with the highest individual card. If the highest cards tie, the second-highest cards are compared, and so on through all five cards. If all five cards are identical in rank, the pot is split.
Monkey.poker covers everything from hand rankings to advanced strategy to help you win more at the table.
Explore monkey.pokerTiebreakers in poker follow a strict hierarchy. The hand category always comes first: any Flush beats any Straight, regardless of the specific cards involved. Within the same hand category, the specific card ranks determine the winner using the rules described for each hand above.
The concept of "kickers" is critical. A kicker is the highest card not part of the primary hand combination. If two players both have a pair of Kings, the player with the highest kicker wins. In Hold'em, this frequently determines pots when multiple players make the same pair or two pair using community cards.
Important: only five cards count in poker. In Hold'em, you have seven cards available (two hole cards plus five community cards) but only the best five-card combination matters. Your sixth and seventh cards are irrelevant. If both players' best five cards are identical, the pot is split regardless of what the sixth or seventh cards are.
Texas Hold'em and Omaha: Use standard rankings as described above. In Omaha, you must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards to form your hand.
Omaha Hi-Lo: Uses standard rankings for the high hand. The low hand must be five cards ranked 8 or below with no pairs. The best low hand is A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel"). Aces play both high and low.
Razz (Seven-Card Stud Low): Rankings are inverted. The lowest hand wins. The best Razz hand is A-2-3-4-5. Straights and flushes do not count against you in Razz.
Short Deck (Six Plus Hold'em): Cards below 6 are removed. Flushes rank higher than Full Houses in Short Deck because they are harder to make with fewer cards. Three of a Kind ranks higher than a Straight for the same reason.
Overvaluing pocket pairs: A pocket pair of Jacks looks strong preflop, but on a K-Q-8-4-2 board, it is just a pair of Jacks with the board providing two overcards. Many beginners overcommit with middle pairs against aggressive action.
Confusing the board with your hand: If the board shows A-K-Q-J-10 and you hold 2-3, you do not have a Royal Flush. You play the board, which means every player at the table has the same straight. Your 2-3 adds nothing and the pot is split among all remaining players.
Forgetting kicker strength: Holding A-3 and making a pair of Aces is weaker than holding A-K and making a pair of Aces. The kicker matters enormously in Hold'em where pairs are common. Playing weak-kicker hands is one of the most expensive beginner mistakes.
From best to worst: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category. A low Flush always beats a high Straight.
No. A Flush beats a Straight. A Flush (five cards of the same suit) ranks higher because it is harder to make. The probability of being dealt a Flush is 0.197% compared to 0.392% for a Straight, making Flushes roughly twice as rare.
The hand with the higher-ranking cards wins. If both players have a pair of Kings, the highest kicker determines the winner. If all five cards are identical in rank, the pot is split equally. Suits never determine a winner in standard poker.
Yes. Flushes are ranked by the highest card. An Ace-high flush always beats a King-high flush regardless of the other cards in either hand. If both flushes have the same highest card, the second-highest card is compared, and so on.
Yes. If the five community cards form a better hand than any combination using your hole cards, you "play the board." For example, if the board is A-K-Q-J-10 of mixed suits and your hole cards do not improve upon that straight, you play the board straight. However, in this case every player has the same hand and the pot is split.
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