Inpoker, players form sets of fiveplaying cards, calledhands, according to therules of the game.[1] Each hand has arank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in theshowdown to decide who wins thepot.[2] In high games, likeTexas hold 'em andseven-card stud, the highest-ranking hands win. Inlow games, likerazz, the lowest-ranking hands win. Inhigh-low split games, both the highest-rankingand lowest-ranking hands win, though different rules are used to rank the high and low hands.[3][4]
Each hand belongs to a category determined by the patterns formed by its cards. A hand in a higher-ranking category always ranks higher than a hand in a lower-ranking category. A hand is ranked within its category using the ranks of its cards. Individual cards are ranked, from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2.[5] However, aces have the lowest rank underace-to-five low orace-to-six low rules, or under high rules as part of a five-high straight or straight flush.[6][7]Suits are not ranked, so hands that differ by suit alone are of equal rank.[8]
There are nine categories of hand when using astandard 52-card deck, except under ace-to-five low rules where straights, flushes and straight flushes are not recognized. An additional category, five of a kind, exists when using one or morewild cards. The fewer hands a category contains, the higher its rank.[9] There are ways to deal five cards from the deck but only distinct hands, because the order in which cards aredealt or arranged in a hand does not matter.[10] Moreover, since hands differing only by suit are of equal rank, there are only 7,462 distinct handranks.[11]
| * | Only possible when using one or more wild cards |
| ** | Category does not exist under ace-to-five low rules |
| Name | Example |
|---|---|
| Five of a kind* |      |
| Straight flush** |      |
| Four of a kind |      |
| Full house |      |
| Flush** |      |
| Straight** |      |
| Three of a kind |      |
| Two pair |      |
| One pair |      |
| High card |      |
Five of a kind, orfive cards, is a hand that contains five cards of one rank, such as3♥ 3♦ 3♣ 3♠ 3 ("five of a kind, threes"). It ranks above a straight flush but is only possible when using one or more wild cards, as there are only four cards of each rank in the deck.[6] Five of a kind, aces,A♥ A♦ A♣ A♠ Jkr, becomes possible when ajoker is added to the deck as abug, a form of wild card that may act as a fifth ace.[5] Other wild card rules allow jokers or other designated cards to represent any card in the deck, making it possible to form five of a kind of any rank.[12]
Each five of a kind is ranked by the rank of its quintuplet. For example,Q♠ Q♥ Q♣ Q♦ Q ranks higher than6♣ 6♠ 6♦ 6♥ 6.[6][13]
Astraight flush is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, all of the same suit, such asQ♥ J♥ 10♥ 9♥ 8♥ (a "queen-high straight flush").[4] It ranks below five of a kind and above four of a kind.[5] Under high rules, an ace can rank either high (as inA♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥, an ace-high straight flush) or low (as in5♦ 4♦ 3♦ 2♦ A♦, a five-high straight flush), but cannot simultaneously rank both high and low (soQ♣ K♣ A♣ 2♣ 3♣ is an ace-high flush, but not a straight).[6][13] Underdeuce-to-seven low rules, an ace always ranks high (so5♠ 4♠ 3♠ 2♠ A♠ is an ace-high flush). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always ranks low (soA♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥ is a king-high flush).[14] Under ace-to-five low rules, straight flushes are not possible (so9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣ is a nine-high hand).[7]
Each straight flush is ranked by the rank of its highest-ranking card. For example,10♣ 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ ranks higher than8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ 4♥, which ranks higher than6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♠ 2♠. Straight flush hands that differ by suit alone, such as7♦ 6♦ 5♦ 4♦ 3♦ and7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♠, are of equal rank.[6][13]
Aroyal flush orroyal straight flush is a hand that contains an ace-high straight flush, such asA♦ K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦, and is the best possible hand in ace-high games when wild cards are not used.[5][15][16] A five-high straight flush, such as5♥ 4♥ 3♥ 2♥ A♥, is called asteel wheel and is both the best low handand usually the best high hand of the showdown in ace-to-five high-low split games.[4]
Four of a kind, also known asquads orfour cards, is a hand that contains four cards of one rank and one card of another rank (thekicker), such as9♣ 9♠ 9♦ 9♥ J♥ ("four of a kind, nines"). It ranks below a straight flush and above a full house.[5]
Each four of a kind is ranked first by the rank of its quadruplet, and then by the rank of its kicker. For example,K♠ K♥ K♣ K♦ 3♥ ranks higher than7♥ 7♦ 7♠ 7♣ Q♥, which ranks higher than7♥ 7♦ 7♠ 7♣ 10♠. Four of a kind hands that differ by suit alone, such as4♣ 4♠ 4♦ 4♥ 9♣ and4♣ 4♠ 4♦ 4♥ 9♦, are of equal rank.[6][13]
Afull house, also known as afull boat or atight or aboat (and originally called afull hand), is a hand that contains three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 6♣ 6♥ (a "full house, threes over sixes" or "threes full of sixes" or "threes full").[17][18] It ranks below four of a kind and above a flush.[5]
Each full house is ranked first by the rank of its triplet, and then by the rank of its pair. For example,8♠ 8♦ 8♥ 7♦ 7♣ ranks higher than4♦ 4♠ 4♣ 9♦ 9♣, which ranks higher than4♦ 4♠ 4♣ 5♣ 5♦. Full house hands that differ by suit alone, such asK♣ K♠ K♦ J♣ J♠ andK♣ K♥ K♦ J♣ J♥, are of equal rank.[6][13]
Aflush is a hand that contains five cards all of the same suit, not all of sequential rank, such asK♣ 10♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♣ (a "king-high flush" or a "king-ten-high flush").[19] It ranks below a full house and above a straight.[5] Under ace-to-five low rules, flushes are not possible (soJ♥ 8♥ 4♥ 3♥ 2♥ is a jack-high hand).[7]
Each flush is ranked first by the rank of its highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its third highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its fourth highest-ranking card, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking card. For example,K♦ J♦ 9♦ 6♦ 4♦ ranks higher thanQ♣ J♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣, which ranks higher thanJ♥ 10♥ 9♥ 4♥ 2♥, which ranks higher thanJ♠ 10♠ 8♠ 6♠ 3♠, which ranks higher thanJ♥ 10♥ 8♥ 4♥ 3♥, which ranks higher thanJ♣ 10♣ 8♣ 4♣ 2♣. Flush hands that differ by suit alone, such as10♦ 8♦ 7♦ 6♦ 5♦ and10♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠, are of equal rank.[6][13]
Astraight, also known as arun, is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, not all of the same suit, such as7♣ 6♠ 5♠ 4♥ 3♥ (a "seven-high straight"). It ranks below a flush and above three of a kind.[5] Under high rules, an ace can rank either high (as inA♦ K♣ Q♣ J♦ 10♠, an ace-high straight) or low (as in5♣ 4♦ 3♥ 2♥ A♠, a five-high straight), but cannot simultaneously rank both high and low (soQ♠ K♠ A♣ 2♥ 3♦ is an ace-high hand).[6][13] Under deuce-to-seven low rules, an ace always ranks high (so5♥ 4♠ 3♥ 2♣ A♦ is an ace-high hand). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always ranks low (soA♣ K♠ Q♠ J♦ 10♠ is a king-high hand).[14] Under ace-to-five low rules, straights are not possible (so10♥ 9♠ 8♣ 7♣ 6♦ is a ten-high hand).[7]
Each straight is ranked by the rank of its highest-ranking card. For example,J♥ 10♥ 9♣ 8♠ 7♥ ranks higher than10♠ 9♠ 8♣ 7♥ 6♠, which ranks higher than6♣ 5♠ 4♥ 3♠ 2♦. Straight hands that differ by suit alone, such as9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♦ 5♦ and9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♥ 5♥, are of equal rank.[6][13]
An ace-high straight, such asA♣ K♣ Q♦ J♠ 10♠, is called aBroadway straight,[20] while a five-high straight, such as5♠ 4♦ 3♦ 2♠ A♥, is called ababy straight,[21]bicycle orwheel and is the best possible hand in ace-to-five low games (where it is a high card hand, not a straight).[22][23]
Three of a kind, also known astrips or aset, is a hand that contains three cards of one rank and two cards of two other ranks (the kickers), such as2♦ 2♠ 2♣ K♠ 6♥ ("three of a kind, twos" or "trip twos" or a "set of twos"). It ranks below a straight and above two pair.[5]
Each three of a kind is ranked first by the rank of its triplet, then by the rank of its highest-ranking kicker, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking kicker. For example,6♥ 6♦ 6♠ Q♣ 4♠ ranks higher than3♦ 3♠ 3♣ K♠ 2♠, which ranks higher than3♦ 3♠ 3♣ J♣ 7♥, which ranks higher than3♦ 3♠ 3♣ J♠ 5♦. Three of a kind hands that differ by suit alone, such as9♠ 9♥ 9♦ 10♦ 8♥ and9♣ 9♠ 9♥ 10♦ 8♦, are of equal rank.[6][13]
Incommunity card games, such as Texas hold 'em, three of a kind is called aset only when it comprises apocket pair and a third card on theboard.[24]
Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and one card of a third rank (the kicker), such asJ♥ J♣ 4♣ 4♠ 9♥ ("two pair, jacks and fours" or "two pair, jacks over fours" or "jacks up").[17][25] It ranks below three of a kind and above one pair.[5]
Each two pair is ranked first by the rank of its higher-ranking pair, then by the rank of its lower-ranking pair, and finally by the rank of its kicker. For example,10♦ 10♠ 2♠ 2♣ K♣ ranks higher than5♣ 5♠ 4♦ 4♥ 10♥, which ranks higher than5♣ 5♠ 3♣ 3♦ Q♠, which ranks higher than5♣ 5♠ 3♣ 3♦ J♠. Two pair hands that differ by suit alone, such asK♦ K♠ 7♦ 7♥ 8♥ andK♣ K♠ 7♣ 7♥ 8♣, are of equal rank.[6][13]
One pair, or simply apair, is a hand that contains two cards of one rank and three cards of three other ranks (the kickers), such as4♥ 4♠ K♠ 10♦ 5♠ ("one pair, fours" or a "pair of fours"). It ranks below two pair and above high card.[5]
Each one pair is ranked first by the rank of its pair, then by the rank of its highest-ranking kicker, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking kicker, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking kicker. For example,9♣ 9♦ Q♠ J♥ 5♥ ranks higher than6♦ 6♥ K♠ 7♥ 4♣, which ranks higher than6♦ 6♥ Q♥ J♠ 2♣, which ranks higher than6♦ 6♥ Q♠ 8♣ 7♦, which ranks higher than6♦ 6♥ Q♦ 8♥ 3♠. One-pair hands that differ by suit alone, such as8♠ 8♦ 10♥ 6♣ 5♠ and8♥ 8♣ 10♣ 6♠ 5♣, are of equal rank.[6][13]
High card, also known asno pair or simplynothing, is a hand that does not fall into any other category, such asK♥ J♥ 8♣ 7♦ 4♠ ("high card, king" or "king-jack-high" or "king-high").[17][26] Note that under ace-to-five low rules, straights, flushes and straight flushes are not possible, so such hands are instead high card hands.[7] It ranks below one pair.[5]
Each high card hand is ranked first by the rank of its highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its third highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its fourth highest-ranking card, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking card. For example,K♠ 6♣ 5♥ 3♦ 2♣ ranks higher thanQ♠ J♦ 6♣ 5♥ 3♣, which ranks higher thanQ♠ 10♦ 8♣ 7♦ 4♠, which ranks higher thanQ♥ 10♥ 7♣ 6♥ 4♠, which ranks higher thanQ♣ 10♣ 7♦ 5♣ 4♦, which ranks higher thanQ♥ 10♦ 7♠ 5♠ 2♥. High card hands that differ by suit alone, such as10♣ 8♠ 7♠ 6♥ 4♦ and10♦ 8♦ 7♠ 6♣ 4♣, are of equal rank.[6][13]
Under deuce-to-seven low rules, a seven-five-high hand, such as7♠ 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ 2♣, is the best possible hand.[27] Under ace-to-six low rules, where aces have the lowest rank, a six-four-high hand, such as6♣ 4♠ 3♥ 2♥ A♦, is the best possible hand.[28] Underace-to-five low rules, where aces have the lowest rankand straights, flushes and straight flushes are not possible, a five-high hand, such as5♣ 4♠ 3♥ 2♥ A♦ or5♠ 4♠ 3♠ 2♠ A♠, commonly known as abicycle orwheel, is the best possible hand.[7][22]
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