Poker Ranking: Poker Hands Ranked from Strongest to Weakest

When learning to play poker and developing a strong strategy, it’s important that you memorize the hands you are playing for. If you have little knowledge about the poker ranking, it’s going to be difficult for you to make up the strongest hand. So on this page, we will thoroughly explain each, and have these poker hands ranked from strongest to weakest and give you as many examples as possible for each, as well as example battles to help you understand that even if two players get the same hand, one can still be stronger than the other.

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Poker Hands Ranked From Strongest to Weakest

Understanding poker ranking is key to knowing which hands beat others. As you can see in the image above, the strongest hand is called a royal flush. It is a sequence from 10 to ace, all in the same suit.

In second position comes the straight flush, which is any five consecutive cards in the same suit. However, it excludes the sequence from 10 to ace, because that specific sequence is considered a royal flush.

In third place comes four of a kind, which means having four cards of the same value in all four suits. For example, an ace of hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds.

In fourth position comes a full house, which is having three of the same value card in different suits and a pair of another value card in different suits. In other words, it is a combination of three of a kind and a pair.

In fifth position comes a flush, which is when you have five cards of the same suit, not in any particular order.

Sixth position is the straight, which is a sequence of five consecutive cards in order, regardless of suit.

Seventh is three of a kind, which, as mentioned earlier, is also part of the full house. It means having three cards of the same value in different suits.

Eighth is two pair, which is also part of the full house. It means having two different pairs of cards with the same value in different suits.

Ninth is one pair, which consists of two cards of the same value in different suits.

Finally, the lowest-ranking hand is the high card. This is technically not a combination hand. It simply means you were unable to form any combination with your cards. In this case, the highest card plays, with ace being the highest card, followed downward in rank.

#1 Royal Flush

The royal flush is the strongest possible hand according to standard poker ranking, making it the top of all poker hands ranked. In total, there are four royal flush combinations. It’s important to note that no suit is stronger than the other. So, if two players get a royal flush, each having a different suit, they share the pot.

Please note that in three-card poker, since you make a three-card hand, the royal flush is called a mini royal flush. So it consists of queen, king, and ace of the same suit. .Example: Q♥️ K♥️ A♥️ or Q♠️ K♠️ A♠️

All Possible Combinations

There are a total of only four possible royal flush combinations in poker, and they are the following:

• Spades: 10♠️ J♠️ Q♠️ K♠️ A♠️
• Hearts: 10♥️ J♥️ Q♥️ K♥️ A♥️
• Diamonds: 10♦️ J♦️ Q♦️ K♦️ A♦️
• Clubs: 10♣️ J♣️ Q♣️ K♣️ A♣️

Royal Flush Example Battle

Below is an example of a battle between two players who get a royal flush. Bear in mind that in this poker ranking, no suit is stronger than the other. So no matter which two players get a royal flush, they split the pot.

• Player A: 10♠️ J♠️ Q♠️ K♠️ A♠️
• Player B: 10♥️ J♥️ Q♥️ K♥️ A♥️
• Winner: Split Pot (They are identical in value).

The Odds of Getting A Royal Flush

Poker Game	Royal Flush (%)	Cards Available
3-Card Poker	0.22%*	3
Omaha	0.01%	9
Pai Gow Poker	0.0032%	7
Texas Hold’em	0.0032%	7
Russian Poker	0.0012%	6
7-Card Stud	0.0008%	7
Video Poker	0.00015%	5
5-Card Draw	0.00015%	5

#2 Straight Flush

When talking about poker hands ranked, the straight flush comes in second. A straight flush is any five cards in numerical order of the same suit. There are a total of nine possible variations for each suit. Be careful not to confuse it with the royal flush, because when the sequence starts from 10 up to ace, that is a royal flush. So keep that in mind.

All Possible Combinations:

For each suit, there is a total of 9 possible combinations, and since there are 4 suits, there is a total of 36 possible straight flush combinations you can get when playing poker.

Example Straight Flush Battle

Below, is an example of two players getting the same poker ranking hand which is the straight flush. Here is a note: The lowest possible straight flush is the 5-high like 5♠️ 4♠️ 3♠️ 2♠️ A♠️ and the strongest is K♥️ Q♥️ J♥️ 10♥️ 9♥️. Again, the suits do not matter. In other words, the highest card at the top of the run wins.

• Player A: J♣️ 10♣️ 9♣️ 8♣️ 7♣️ (Jack-High)
• Player B: 9♦️ 8♦️ 7♦️ 6♦️ 5♦️ (9-High)
• Winner: Player A (Jack beats 9).

Odds of Getting A Straight Flush

Poker Game	Straight Flush (%)	Cards Available
3-Card Poker	0.22%	3
Omaha	0.08%	9
Pai Gow Poker	0.0279%	7
Texas Hold’em	0.0279%	7
Russian Poker	0.0103%	6
7-Card Stud	0.004%	7
Video Poker	0.00139%	5
5-Card Draw	0.00139%	5

# 3 Four of A Kind

The four of a kind is the third-highest hand in poker ranking, and understanding its position among poker hands ranked is crucial for your poker strategy. In this poker hand, you get in your hand four cards that match in value but have different suits. The suit does not matter, but since most poker hands consist of five cards, the fifth card plays a role in determining the winner in case of a tie. This fifth card is called a kicker. A kicker is a card that does not contribute to forming the main hand.

All Possible Combinations:

There is a total of 13 possible four of kind hands in poker, below is the full list:

1. Aces: A♠️ A♥️ A♦️ A♣️ + (Kicker)
2. Kings: K♠️ K♥️ K♦️ K♣️ + (Kicker)
3. Queens: Q♠️ Q♥️ Q♦️ Q♣️ + (Kicker)
4. Jacks: J♠️ J♥️ J♦️ J♣️ + (Kicker)
5. Tens: 10♠️ 10♥️ 10♦️ 10♣️ + (Kicker)
6. Nines: 9♠️ 9♥️ 9♦️ 9♣️ + (Kicker)
7. Eights: 8♠️ 8♥️ 8♦️ 8♣️ + (Kicker)
8. Sevens: 7♠️ 7♥️ 7♦️ 7♣️ + (Kicker)
9. Sixes: 6♠️ 6♥️ 6♦️ 6♣️ + (Kicker)
10. Fives: 5♠️ 5♥️ 5♦️ 5♣️ + (Kicker)
11. Fours: 4♠️ 4♥️ 4♦️ 4♣️ + (Kicker)
12. Threes: 3♠️ 3♥️ 3♦️ 3♣️ + (Kicker)
13. Twos: 2♠️ 2♥️ 2♦️ 2♣️ + (Kicker)

Example Four of A Kind Battle

As we have said, the higher the number of the value forming the four of a kind poker hand, it wins with aces being the strongest and twos being the weakest as you can see in the list above. Below is an example on this:

• Player A: 8♠️ 8♥️ 8♦️ 8♣️ + K♠️
• Player B: 8♠️ 8♥️ 8♦️ 8♣️ + Q♦️

The kicker K♠️ is higher than Q♦️ so player A wins, since both players have the sme value four of a kind hand but the kicker is the only difference between them.

Odds of Getting Four of A Kind

Poker Game	Four of a Kind (%)	Cards Available
Omaha	0.48%	9
Russian Poker	0.18%	6
Pai Gow Poker	0.168%	7
Texas Hold’em	0.168%	7
7-Card Stud	0.15%	7
Video Poker	0.024%	5
5-Card Draw	0.024%	5
3-Card Poker	N/A	3

# 4 Full House

The full house is the 4th strongest among poker hands ranked. It is also known as the boat. It is basically a mix of two hands: three of a kind plus a pair. This means three cards of the same value in different suits, and two cards of the same value in different suits, all in one poker hand.

Possible Combinations:

There is a total of 156 possible combinations for a full house, so we will not list them all. We will list only the strongest and the weakest full house poker cards ranking.

Aces Full: The Strongest Full Houses

• Aces Full of Kings: A♠️ A♥️ A♦️ + K♠️ K♥️
• Aces Full of Queens: A♠️ A♥️ A♦️ + Q♠️ Q♥️
• Aces Full of Jacks: A♠️ A♥️ A♦️ + J♠️ J♥️
• …and so on, down to… Aces Full of Twos: A♠️ A♥️ A♦️ + 2♠️ 2♥️

Kings Full: Medium Strength

• Kings Full of Aces: K♠️ K♥️ K♦️ + A♠️ A♥️
• Kings Full of Queens: K♠️ K♥️ K♦️ + Q♠️ Q♥️
• and so on…

The Weakest Full House

• Twos Full of Threes: 2♠️ 2♥️ 2♦️ + 3♠️ 3♥️

Full House Battle Example

Since a full house consists of three of a kind plus a pair, the three of a kind is what determines the winner. So if Player A’s pair is stronger than Player B’s pair, but Player B’s three of a kind is stronger, then Player B wins. On the other hand if the two players have the same value three of a kind then the pair determines the winner.

• Player A: 10♠️ 10♥️ 10♦️ + 2♠️ 2♥️ (Tens Full of Twos)
• Player B: 9♠️ 9♥️ 9♦️ + A♠️ A♥️ (Nines Full of Aces)

Winner: Player A. Even though Player B has a pair of Aces, Player A’s “Three of a Kind” (Tens) is higher than Player B’s “Three of a Kind” (Nines).

Odds of Getting A Full House

Poker Game	Full House (%)	Cards Available
Omaha	13.5%	9
Pai Gow Poker	2.60%	7
Texas Hold’em	2.60%	7
7-Card Stud	2.30%	7
Russian Poker	1.05%	6
Video Poker	0.144%	5
5-Card Draw	0.144%	5
3-Card Poker	N/A	3

#5 Flush

The flush is the fifth-highest among the poker hands ranked. It is any five cards in any order, as long as they are all in the same suit. In a flush, the highest card in the hand determines the winner. If the players have the same highest card in their flush, then you compare the second-highest card. We will give an example below. It is important to note that in a flush, the cards are in random order. They are not in numerical order; otherwise, it would be a straight flush, not a flush.

Possible Combinations:

For each suit, there is a total of 1,277 flush combinations, making a total of 5,108 in the whole deck. We cannot list all of them, so we will just show you the highest to the lowest possible flushes poker rankings you can get in poker.

Top Tier (Ace-High Flushes)

• Ace-King High: A♠️ K♠️ J♠️ 8♠️ 4♠️
• Ace-Queen High: A♥️ Q♥️ 9♥️ 5♥️ 2♥️
• Ace-Jack High: A♦️ J♦️ 10♦️ 7♦️ 3♦️

Mid Tier (King/Queen-High Flushes)

• King High: K♣️ J♣️ 9♣️ 6♣️ 2♣️
• Queen High: Q♠️ 10♠️ 8♠️ 4♠️ 3♠️

The Lowest Possible Flush

• 7-High Flush: 7♥️ 5♥️ 4♥️ 3♥️ 2♥️

Flush Example Battle

If two players get a flush, the player with the highest poker card rankings wins. Take the example below, even though the overall cards of player B are better but the highest card of player A which is an ace is higher than that of player B which a King, thus the winner is player A.

• Player A: A♠️ 10♠️ 8♠️ 6♠️ 2♠️ (Ace-High Flush)
• Player B: K♥️ Q♥️ J♥️ 9♥️ 8♥️ (King-High Flush)

Odds of Getting A Flush

Poker Game	Flush (%)	Cards Available
Omaha	7.2%	9
3-Card Poker	4.96%	3
Pai Gow Poker	3.03%	7
Texas Hold’em	3.03%	7
7-Card Stud	3.04%	7
Russian Poker	0.84%	6
Video Poker	0.196%	5
5-Card Draw	0.196%	5

#6 Straight

A straight is a hand of five cards in numerical sequence, but they do not all need to be the same suit. According to poker cards ranking, if all five cards were the same suit, it would instead be a straight flush.

All Possible Combinations:

There are a total of 10,200 possible straight combinations in a 5-card poker hand using a standard 52-card deck, but we cannot list them all so here are 10 combinations ranked highest to lowest.

1. Broadway (Ace-High): A♠️ K♥️ Q♦️ J♣️ 10♠️ (The strongest poker cards ranking straight)
2. King-High: K♥️ Q♦️ J♣️ 10♠️ 9♥️
3. Queen-High: Q♦️ J♣️ 10♠️ 9♥️ 8♦️
4. Jack-High: J♣️ 10♠️ 9♥️ 8♦️ 7♣️
5. 10-High: 10♠️ 9♥️ 8♦️ 7♣️ 6♠️
6. 9-High: 9♥️ 8♦️ 7♣️ 6♠️ 5♥️
7. 8-High: 8♦️ 7♣️ 6♠️ 5♥️ 4♦️
8. 7-High: 7♣️ 6♠️ 5♥️ 4♦️ 3♣️
9. 6-High: 6♠️ 5♥️ 4♦️ 3♣️ 2♠️
10. The Wheel (5-High): 5♥️ 4♦️ 3♣️ 2♠️ A♦️ (The lowest poker cards ranking straight)

⚠️ The Ace Rule

The Ace in a straight is either the highest or lowest card, it cannot be in the middle. Below is an example of an invalid straight hand:

K♠️ A♣️ 2♦️ 3♥️ 4♠️

Straight Battle Example

Rule: The highest poker cards ranking at the top of the run wins.

• Player A: Q♠️ J♥️ 10♦️ 9♣️ 8♠️ (Queen-High)
• Player B: 10♥️ 9♦️ 8♣️ 7♠️ 6♥️ (10-High)
• Winner: Player A.

Odds of Getting A Straight

Poker Game	Straight (%)	Cards Available
Omaha	11.2%	9
3-Card Poker	3.26%	3
Pai Gow Poker	4.62%	7
Texas Hold’em	4.62%	7
7-Card Stud	4.62%	7
Russian Poker	1.22%	6
Video Poker	0.39%	5
5-Card Draw	0.39%	5

#7 Three of A Kind

Three of a kind is the seventh-highest among the poker hands ranked. It consists of three identical cards of different suits and two other kicker cards. To determine the winner if two players tie in three of a kind, the rank of the three matching cards determines the winning hand. For example, three aces beat three kings, regardless of the suits. In case the the three matching cards are the same rank then the kicker determines the winner.

Possible Combinations:

There is a total of 54,912 possible five-card combinations that result in a Three of a Kind. Let’s see some examples below.

• Three Aces: A♠️ A♥️ A♦️ + (Kickers: K♣️ 2♠️)
• Three Kings: K♥️ K♦️ K♣️ + (Kickers: J♠️ 5♥️)
• Three Tens: 10♠️ 10♥️ 10♦️ + (Kickers: 8♣️ 7♠️)
• Three Twos: 2♥️ 2♦️ 2♣️ + (Kickers: A♠️ 9♥️)

Example Three of a Kind Battle

If the three cards are of same value for each player then the kicker determines the kicker as is the case in the example below:

• Player A: 7♠️ 7♥️ 7♦️ + A♣️ 2♠️
• Player B: 7♠️ 7♥️ 7♦️ + K♦️ Q♣️
• Winner: Player A (Ace kicker beats King).

Odds of Getting a Three of A Kind

Poker Game	Three of a Kind (%)	Cards Available
Omaha	13.1%	9
Pai Gow Poker	4.83%	7
Texas Hold’em	4.83%	7
7-Card Stud	4.83%	7
Video Poker	2.11%	5
5-Card Draw	2.11%	5
Russian Poker	1.85%	6
3-Card Poker	0.24%	3

#8 Two Pair

Two pair is the eighth-strongest possible among poker hands ranked. As the name suggests, it means having two pairs: one pair of cards with the same value in different suits, and another pair of cards with the same value in different suits. The hand with the highest poker cards ranking pairs wins and in case the ranks are identical then the player with the higher kicker wins.

All Possible Combinations:

With 13 ranks in the deck, there are 78 possible combinations of two pairs (like Aces and Kings, or Jacks and Tens). Here is how they are ranked and what they look like

• Aces and Kings: A♠️ A♥️ + K♦️ K♣️ + (Kicker: Q♠️) STRONGEST
• Jacks and Tens: J♥️ J♦️ + 10♣️ 10♠️ + (Kicker: 5♥️)
• Queens and Fours: Q♦️ Q♣️ + 4♠️ 4♥️ + (Kicker: A♦️)
• Threes and Twos: 3♣️ 3♠️ + 2♥️ 2♦️ + (Kicker: 4♣️) WEAKEST

Example Two Pair Battle

The player with the highest ranking pair wins, no matter what the other pair is. In case the first pairs are tied then we check the second pair if those are tied too then the kickers decide.

• Player A: A♠️ A♥️ + 2♦️ 2♣️ (Aces and Twos)
• Player B: K♠️ K♥️ + Q♦️ Q♣️ (Kings and Queens)
• Winner: Player A (Aces beat Kings).

Odds of Getting a Two Pair

Poker Game	Two Pair (%)	Cards Available
Omaha	40.5%	9
Pai Gow Poker	23.5%	7
Texas Hold’em	23.5%	7
7-Card Stud	23.5%	7
Russian Poker	12.4%	6
Video Poker	4.75%	5
5-Card Draw	4.75%	5
3-Card Poker	N/A	3

#9 One Pair

One pair is the lowest-ranking hand according to poker cards ranking. It simply means that in your hand of five cards, you have two cards of the same rank, with any suits. As usual, to decide the winner if both players have a pair, the rank of the pair determines the winner. If the pairs are of the same rank, then the kickers decide the winner. A pocket pair is a name given if you are dealt a pair in your starting two cards.

Possible Combinations:

There is a total of 1,098,240 possible five-card combinations that result in a one pair poker hand. It is the most common hand you will run into while playing online poker. Here are some example hands.

• Aces: A♠️ A♥️ + (Kickers: K♦️ Q♣️ J♠️) — The strongest pair.
• Kings: K♥️ K♦️ + (Kickers: A♠️ 10♣️ 5♥️)
• Tens: 10♣️ 10♠️ + (Kickers: J♦️ 8♥️ 2♣️)
• Twos: 2♥️ 2♦️ + (Kickers: A♠️ K♣️ Q♦️) — The weakest pair.

One Pair Example Battle

Rule: Higher pair wins. If tied, the high poker card rankings kicker wins.

• Player A: J♠️ J♥️ + A♦️ 10♣️ 2♠️
• Player B: J♦️ J♣️ + A♠️ 9♥️ 8♦️
• Winner: Player A (Both have Jacks and Aces, but Player A’s 10 beats Player B’s 9).

Odds of Getting One Pair

Poker Game	One Pair (%)	Cards Available
Texas Hold’em	43.8%	7
7-Card Stud	43.8%	7
Pai Gow Poker	43.8%	7
5-Card Draw	42.2%	5
Video Poker	42.2%	5
Russian Poker	38.6%	6
3-Card Poker	16.9%	3
Omaha	12.5%	9

The High Card

Getting a high card in poker is lower than getting a pair. The high card is considered like a participation trophy in the poker game because it does not form any hand. You simply have five unrelated cards. If another player also has a high card hand, the highest card determines the winner, with ace being the strongest and two being the lowest, regardless of suit. If both players have the same highest card, then, as usual, the kickers decide who the winner is.

FAQs About Poker Cards Ranking