Poker Hand Rankings in Order

Rank	Poker Hand	Example	Description
1	Royal Flush	A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠	Five consecutive cards from Ten to Ace in the same suit.
2	Straight Flush	9♦ 8♦ 7♦ 6♦ 5♦	Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
3	Four of a Kind	9♥ 9♣ 9♦ 9♠ K♥	Four cards of the same rank plus one kicker.
4	Full House	Q♣ Q♦ Q♠ 8♣ 8♦	Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
5	Flush	A♦ J♦ 8♦ 4♦ 2♦	Five cards of the same suit not in sequence.
6	Straight	10♠ 9♦ 8♣ 7♠ 6♥	Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
7	Three of a Kind	9♠ 9♦ 9♣ K♠ 3♥	Three cards of the same rank with two kickers.
8	Two Pair	J♠ J♦ 4♣ 4♥ A♠	Two pairs with one kicker.
9	One Pair	8♣ 8♦ K♠ Q♣ 4♥	Two cards of the same rank plus three kickers.
10	High Card	A♠ J♦ 9♣ 6♠ 3♦	The highest card wins when no hand is formed.

Download Poker Hand Rankings Cheat Sheet

Download this printable poker hand rankings cheat sheet to quickly remember the order of poker hands while playing.

How Poker Hand Rankings Work

A poker hand is made up of five cards. For example, in Texas Hold’em each player receives two private cards, while five community cards are placed on the table. Players combine any five of the seven available cards to form the strongest possible hand.

Basic principles of Poker Hand Ranking:

• A higher ranked poker hand beats a lower ranked one.
• If two players have the same hand ranking, the player with the higher cards wins.
• If all five cards in two hands have the same ranking, the pot will be split.

Card values from highest to lowest:
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Ace can also be used as low in a straight (A-2-3-4-5).

Poker Hands Explained from Strongest to Weakest

Royal Flush

The royal flush is the highest possible poker hand.

Definition
A straight from 10 to Ace where all the cards have the same suit.

Example:

• 
  A♠
  K♠
  Q♠
  J♠
  10♠
  

Characteristics:

• Cannot be beaten by any other hand
• Extremely rare
• Only possible in four variations (one for each suit)

In actual games, the occurrence of the royal flush almost ensures that the player wins the pot.

Straight flush

A straight flush is made up of five consecutive cards from the same suit.

Example:

• 
  9♦
  8♦
  7♦
  6♦
  5♦
  

Rules:

• The strength of the hand is decided by the highest card.
• A king-high straight flush beats a queen-high straight flush

Example comparison:

• 9-8-7-6-5 of hearts beats 8-7-6-5-4 of hearts

The royal flush is the highest straight flush possible.

Four of a kind

Four of a Kind consists of four cards of the same rank and one additional card called the kicker.

Hand Example:

• 
  K♣
  K♦
  K♥
  K♠
  7♣
  

Tie breaking:

1. The highest four of a kind wins
2. If a tie occurs, the kicker breaks the tie

Example comparison:

• Four Queens win against Four Jacks

The hand is also called “quads.”

Full house

A full house contains three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.

Hand Example:

• 
  Q♣
  Q♦
  Q♠
  8♣
  8♦
  

Comparison rules:

1. The three of a kind determines the winner
2. If they are equal, the pair decides

Example comparison:

• 
  A♠
  A♥
  A♦
  K♣
  K♠
  beats
  K♠
  K♥
  K♦
  A♣
  A♠
  

Full houses are common in community poker games such as Texas Hold’em.

Flush

A flush is composed of five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.

Hand Example:

• 
  A♦
  J♦
  8♦
  4♦
  2♦
  

Comparison rules:

• Highest card determines the winner
• If equal, compare the next highest card

Example comparison:

• 
  A♦
  J♦
  8♦
  4♦
  2♦
  flush beats
  A♦
  10♦
  9♦
  7♦
  3♦
  flush

Suit does not matter for ranking, so hearts do not beat spades.

Straight

Straight is a hand containing five consecutive cards of mixed suits.

Hand Example:

• 
  10♠
  9♦
  8♣
  7♠
  6♥
  

Important rule:

• Ace can be high or low

Example comparison:

• 
  A♠
  K♦
  Q♣
  J♥
  10♠
  
  (Ace-high straight)
• 
  A♠
  2♦
  3♣
  4♥
  5♠
  
  (Five-high straight, also called “the wheel”)

Tie breaker:

• The highest card in the straight wins.

Three of a kind

Three of a Kind is a hand containing three cards of the same rank and two unrelated cards.

Hand Example:

• 
  9♠
  9♦
  9♣
  K♠
  3♥
  

Comparison rules:

1. Highest three cards win
2. Kickers break ties

Example comparison:

• Three Kings beats Three Tens

The hand can also be called “trips” or “a set,” depending on how the cards are arranged.

Two pair

Two pair is a hand containing two cards of one rank, two of another rank, and a kicker.

Example:

• 
  J♠
  J♦
  4♣
  4♥
  A♠
  

Tie breaking:

1. The highest pair wins
2. If they are the same, the second pair decides
3. The kicker breaks any remaining ties

Example comparison:

• 
  A♠
  A♥
  7♣
  7♦
  K♠
  beats
  K♠
  K♥
  Q♣
  Q♦
  A♠
  

Two pair is a common winning hand in many poker situations.

One pair

One pair contains two cards of the same rank and three unrelated cards.

Example:

• 
  8♣
  8♦
  K♠
  Q♣
  4♥
  

Tie breaking order:

1. Pair value
2. Highest kicker
3. Second kicker
4. Third kicker

Example comparison:

• Pair of Aces beats Pair of Kings.

High card

A High Card hand occurs when no other poker hand is made, and the highest card determines the strength of the hand.

Example:

• 
  A♠
  J♦
  9♣
  6♠
  3♦
  

Tie breaking:

• Cards are compared from highest to lowest until a difference is found.

Example comparison:

• 
  A♠
  K♣
  9♦
  7♥
  4♣
  beats
  A♠
  Q♦
  10♣
  8♥
  5♦
  

The highest card is the weakest hand but is enough to win if none of the opponents have formed any of the above combinations.

Learn Poker Hand Rankings Quickly

A simple way to remember the order is:

1. Royal Flush
2. Straight Flush
3. Four of a Kind
4. Full House
5. Flush
6. Straight
7. Three of a Kind
8. Two Pair
9. One Pair
10. High Card

New players usually learn poker hand rankings before learning advanced strategies.

Apply Poker Hand Rankings

Knowing the rankings helps you make better decisions during gameplay.

Some of the ways you can use the hand rankings include:

• Determining the best starting hands in poker
• Interpreting the board when community cards are dealt
• Assessing the strength of other players
• Deciding when to bet, call, or fold

For example, if there are three cards of the same suit on the board, then any player who has two cards of that same suit may be able to form a flush, which may be stronger than other hands such as pairs.

Improve Your Poker Skills After Learning Hand Rankings

Mastering hand rankings is the first step toward becoming a stronger poker player. The next skills typically include:

• Understanding position and betting strategy
• Calculating pot odds
• Reading opponents and betting patterns
• Managing bankroll effectively

While poker hand rankings determine which hand wins, many players also learn poker hand probabilities to understand how often each hand appears. Knowing these probabilities can help you make better decisions during a game. Learn more in our guide to poker hand probabilities.
After you learn the hand rankings, you can focus more on strategy and decision-making.

Common Mistakes When Reading Poker Hands

Many beginners misunderstand poker hand rankings. Some common mistakes include:

• Thinking that suits have different strengths (they do not in standard poker)
• Forgetting that kickers can decide a winner when players have the same pair
• Misreading a straight when an Ace can be used as both high and low

Understanding these details helps players correctly evaluate their hands during a game.

FAQs

What are the Poker Hand Rankings in order?

The Poker Hand Rankings from highest to lowest are: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card.

What is the highest Poker Hand?

The highest Poker Hand possible in Poker is the “Royal Flush.” It consists of five cards in sequence from Ten to Ace, all in the same suit. For example: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠. A Royal Flush cannot be beaten by any other poker hand.

What beats a Straight Flush in Poker?

Only a Royal Flush beats a Straight Flush. A Straight Flush is made of five consecutive cards of the same suit. If two players have Straight Flushes, the one with the highest top card wins the hand.

Is a Flush stronger than a Straight?

Yes. A Flush is stronger than a Straight. A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit, while a Straight contains five cards in numerical sequence regardless of suit.

Can an Ace be used as a low card in a straight?

Yes. In poker, the Ace can be used as the highest or the lowest card in a straight. For example, A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest straight, and A-2-3-4-5, also known as the “wheel,” is the lowest straight.

How many poker hand rankings exist?

There are ten different poker hand rankings, ranging from the highest ranking, which is the Royal Flush, to the lowest ranking, which is High Card.

What happens if two players have the same poker hand?

If two players have the same type of hand, the winner is determined by the highest card values within the hand. If both players have identical five-card combinations, the pot is split equally between them.

What is a Kicker in Poker?

A kicker is a side card used to break ties between players who have the same poker hand combinations. For example, if two players both have a pair of Kings, the winner is determined by the highest remaining card, known as the kicker. The player with the higher kicker wins the hand.

Do Suits Play Any Part in Poker Hand Rankings?

In standard poker games, suits do not affect the strength of a hand. For example, a Flush in hearts has the same ranking as a Flush in spades, diamonds, or clubs.

Do all poker games use the same hand rankings?

Most popular poker variants use the same hand rankings. Games such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Five-Card Draw all follow the standard hierarchy of poker hands.