Poker Hands by Ranking
The rankings for poker hands help you understand how strong each hand is when you’re playing the game. In all types of poker, understanding the poker hands by ranking is essential. This system evaluates the strengths of various hands, aiding players in determining the best one.
Poker Hands By Ranking | Poker Hands Ranked Best to Worst
Games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and poker-based casino games, including three-card poker, heavily rely on these rankings. Mastering each ranking is crucial. Below is the lineup of poker hands by ranking, starting from the strongest to the weakest. We’ve also designed a convenient chart illustrating poker hand rankings. Save it on your device—it’s your go-to reference for poker hands by ranking. You might wonder, what is the order of the hands in poker? Today, with this article, you’ll wonder no more! So let’s begin with the poker hands ranked from best to worst:
Rank 1: The Royal Flush
The royal flush is the top-notch hand you can get in poker. It’s made up of five cards in a row, all from the same suit, starting from 10 and going up to the ace. This is the strongest hand as per the poker hand rankings. Example: 10♥ J♥ Q♥ K♥ A♥
Rank 2: Straight Flush
A straight flush is any set of five cards in a sequence in the same suit, but not as powerful as a royal flush. Only a royal flush or a higher-ranked straight flush can beat this hand. Example: 10♥ 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥
Rank 3: Four-of-a-kind
This hand consists of four cards of the same value across the four suits. The remaining card to complete the set is the highest card in your hand or on the table. Example: 10♥ 10♦ 10♣ 10♠K♥
Poker Quads vs Full House : Which Hand Wins in Poker?
Rank 4: Full House
A full house involves three cards of the same value from different suits and a pair of another value from different suits. When multiple players have a full house, the one with the highest-ranking trio wins. Example: 10♥ 10♦ 10♣ K♠K♥
Rank 5: Flush
A flush is when you have five cards of the same suit, but they don’t need to be in a specific order. If there’s a tie, the hand with the highest single card wins. Example: 10♥ 6♥ 8♥ Q♥ K♥
Rank 6: Straight
This hand comprises five cards in numerical order, but they can be from different suits. An ace can be the highest card (above a king) or the lowest card (below a 2) but not both at once in a single hand. Example: 10♥ 9♣ 8♦ 7♥ 6â™
Rank 7: Three of a kind
When you have three cards of the same rank in different suits, it’s called three of a kind. The other two cards, the highest available, complete the hand. Example: 10♥ 10♦ 10♣ Kâ™ Q♥
Rank 8: Two Pair
Having two sets of two cards of the same rank creates a two-pair hand. The highest unpaired card completes this hand. Example: 10♥ 10♦ K♣ K♠Q♥
Rank 9: Pair/One Pair
A pair is formed by two cards of the same rank but different suits. The remaining three highest cards complete the hand. Example: 10♥ 10♦ J♣ K♠Q♥
Rank 10: High Card
When we have poker hands ranked from best to worst, the weakest hand in poker that one can have is the high card. In this case, the highest card in the hand determines its strength, and here, it’s the king of clubs. Example: 10♥ 9♦ K♣ 4â™ 2♥
Also See:Â Poker Sequence: Poker Hands Ranking From Highest To Lowest
Poker Hands By Ranking | Poker Hands Ranked Best to Worst At a Glance
| Rank | Poker Hand | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | The top-notch hand in poker, consisting of five cards in a row from the same suit, from 10 to the ace. |
| 2 | Straight Flush | Any five cards in sequence and the same suit, just below a royal flush. |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same value across all suits, with the highest remaining card completing the hand. |
| 4 | Full House | Three cards of the same value from different suits and a pair of another value. |
| 5 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit, not in a specific order. If tied, the hand with the highest single card wins. |
| 6 | Straight | Five cards in numerical order, but can be from different suits. An ace can be high or low, not both. |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank in different suits, completed by the highest available cards. |
| 8 | Two Pair | Two sets of two cards of the same rank, with the highest unpaired card completing the hand. |
| 9 | Pair | Two cards of the same rank from different suits, with the other three highest cards forming the hand. |
| 10 | High Card | The weakest hand; the highest card determines its strength. In the above example, it’s the king of clubs. |
What Are the Top 20 Hands in Poker?
#1. A pair of Aces (A♦ A♣)
The absolute best initial hand in Texas Hold’em. Did you know? The hand that stands the best chance against aces in a one-on-one showdown is 6-5 suited (22.51% vs 77.49%).
#2. Pair of Kings (K♦ K♣)
The second most favourable starting hand. Kings often attract aces, according to more pessimistic players.
#3. Pair of Queens (Q♦ Q♣)
Ladies take the third spot among the best starting hands. This top-notch pair frequently becomes a stronger pair compared to the flop. Starting to see a pattern here?
#4. Pair of Jacks (J♦ J♣)
Also referred to as fishhooks, jacks are one of the most grumbled-about hands in poker. If you’re not a fan of jacks, check out 3 Tips to Stop Spewing with Pocket Jacks.
#5. Ace-King Suited (A♦ K♦)
The finest non-paired hand also known as big slick. Players often express frustration about missing opportunities with ace-king, prompting us to write a guide: How to Play Ace-King When You Miss the Flop.
#6. Pair of Tens (T♦ T♣)
Back to pairs! Pocket tens are another excellent pair that often demands a significant investment. But be cautious when met with a lot of action.
#7. Ace-King Offsuit (A♦ K♣)
A potent hand that usually holds a 45-50% chance to win against almost any other hand (except aces and kings).
#8. Ace-Queen Suited (A♦ Q♦)
Another powerful hand with substantial play potential after the flop. This hand matches many strong top pairs, particularly on queen-high flops, giving you the top pair with the best kicker.
#9. Pair of Nines (9♦ 9♣)
A robust hand that’s nearly always worth playing before the flop, whether it’s raising, calling a raise, or 3-betting.
#10. Ace-Jack Suited (A♣ J♦)
Similar to ace-queen suited, ace-jack suited offers substantial playability after the flop and connects with many strong top pairs. Plus, it carries the potential for flushes and straights.
#11. King-Queen Suited (K♦ Q♦)
This hand boasts significant playability due to its compatibility with various flop scenarios. It readily hits strong top pairs, and it’s also capable of forming straights and flushes.
#12. Ace-Ten Suited (A♣ T♦)
Similar to a suited king-queen, this hand offers considerable playability with strong top pair, flush, and straight potential. However, the sizable gap between the cards makes it slightly less favourable compared to a suited king-queen.
#13. Ace-Queen Offsuit (A♦ Q♣)
Like its suited variant, offsuit ace-queen creates numerous strong top pairs, making it highly valuable.
#14. Pair of Eights (8♠8♣)
The lowest pair among the top 20 best No Limit Hold’em starting hands. Pocket eights are formidable, but they often encounter challenging situations when an overcard or two appears on the flop.
#15. King-Jack Suited (Kâ™ Jâ™ )
Another strong starting hand that frequently hits potent top pairs—ring a bell?
#16. King-Ten Suited (K♦ T♦)
Similar to many other hands on this list, king-ten suited holds the potential for powerful pairs, straights, and flushes.
#17. Queen-Jack Suited (Qâ™ Jâ™ )
Can you guess what makes this hand strong? Absolutely, it’s capable of forming potent pairs, flushes, and straights.
#18. Ace-Jack Offsuit (A♠J♣)
Another formidable, high-card-focused hand. Exercise caution with ace-jack on ace-high flops, especially against tight players who might possess ace-king and ace-queen.
#19. King-Queen Offsuit (K♠Q♣)
Similar to its suited version, offsuit king-queen excels at hitting powerful pairs on the flop. Plus, that A-J-T flop is just dreamy!
#20. Queen-Ten Suited (Q♦ T♦)
This high-potential suited broadway hand completes the list.