Poker Hand Rankings



Here are all the different card combinations you can have in poker, in descending order, from the highest ranked to the lowest. Don’t forget that in Texas Hold’em, you have seven cards available to construct your five-card hand : your two hole cards, plus the five community cards spread on the board.

Straight flush (quinte flush)

1. Straight flush


You’re holding a straight flush when your five cards combine a straight and a flush. Pretty simple! So you will need five cards in numerical order that belong to the same suit. When two players hold a straight flush, the player holding the highest card wins. An Ace-high straight flush is also called a Royal Flush:the best possible hand in poker!
Four of a kind (carré)

2. Four of a kind


Four cards of the same rank. Four Aces is the strongest four of a kind, while four deuces is the lowest combination (but it will still win most of the time: it’s very unusual that you will witness two players holding “quads”). In Texas Hold’em, two players can hold the same four of a kind: for example, if four Jacks are dealt among the community cards. In that case, the player holding the highest fifth card (called the “kicker”) will win the pot.
Full house (full)

3. Full House


Three cards of one rank and two of another rank form a full house. Full houses are ranked in descending order: three Kings and two deuces beat three Queens and two fours. If two players hold a full house, the player holding the highest three of a kind will win the pot.
Flush (la couleur)

4. Flush


Five cards of the same suit: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds or Clubs. When two or more players hold a flush, the player holding the highest card will win the pot. If two players hold the same highest card, the next highest card will be used to determine a winner. If two players hold the same second highest card, the third highest card… You get the idea.

 

Straight (quinte ou suite)

5. Straight


When your five cards form a numerical sequence, you are holding a straight. If two players hold a straight, the player holding the highest card wins. An Ace can act both as the lowest and the highest card. Thus, Ace-2-3-4-5 and 10-Jack-Queen-King-Ace (the highest possible straight) are two perfectly acceptable ways to form a straight.
Three of a kind (brelan)

6. Three of a kind


A three of a kind consists of three cards of the same rank. Three aces make the best possible three of a kind combination. When two players hold the same three of a kind, the kickers will be used to determine a winner.
Two pair (deux paires)

7. Two pair


A pair and another pair! Like, let’s say, two Kings and two fives, or two Queens and two sevens. When two players hold two pairs, the player holding the highest pair wins. If two players hold the same highest pair, the highest second pair wins. If two players hold the same two pairs, then the kicker will be used to determine a winner.
Pair (paire)

8. One pair


Two cards of the same rank, two Aces being the highest pair, and two deuces being the lowest. When two players hold the same pair, one or more kickers will be used to determine a winner.

9. High card


Kind of a desperate situation since you’re holding nothing: no pair, no flush, no straight, just five random cards. When two or more players are holding high card hands, the player showing the highest card wins, deuces being the lowest and Aces the highest. If necessary, the second, third, fourth and even fifth card can be used to determine a winner. For instance, Ace-King-Jack-5-2 will beat Ace-King-Jack-4-2.