Poker Hand Rankings

Most poker games and many casino games use the following hand rankings to determine the winners. Certain lowball poker games reverse these hand values but even in those games, the cards that make up each hand are the same.

Out of all the poker games that use these hand rankings, Texas Holdem is the most popular. Don’t forget to check out the rules of Texas Holdem and our poker site review pages. Inside those sections, you’ll find everything you need to know to get started on the right foot.

What Beats What in Poker

These hands are ordered with the strongest hands on the top and the weakest hands on the bottom. Any time two or more players tie with any of the following hands, the pot is split equally among those players.

Royal Flush – A royal flush is the best possible hand in poker. It consists of the cards Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace all of the same suit. Example:

Straight Flush – Five consecutive cards all of the same suit. Example:

Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank. Example:

Full House – Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. Example:

Flush – Five cards of the same suit. Example:

Straight – Five consecutive cards. Example:

Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same rank. Example:

Two Pair – Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. Example:

Pair – Two cards of the same rank. Example:

High Card – If nobody has any of the above hands, the player with the highest card wins. If two players tie for the highest card, the second highest card is used and so on down the line.

Where to Play Poker

I’m guessing that most people who reach this page are somewhat new to poker. In that case, the best place to play poker is the online poker site PokerStars. PokerStars is open to players from the UK, the USA and just about everywhere else.

I always recommend PokerStars to new players because it is a beginner-friendly poker site. The stakes start out very low so you can a hang of the game and the stakes go all the way up to the ultra high stakes.

If you want to, you can even play for free at PokerStars with play money chips. The play money games are super loose and wild but they are useful for learning the rules and understanding how each type of game works without risking real money.

When you sign up at PokerStars, make sure you use the bonus code STARS600. This bonus code will get you a 100% deposit bonus for up to $600 extra on your first deposit. If there’s a better way to start your bankroll, I don’t know of it.