Poker Hand Rankings: Chart, Order & What Beats What

Poker hands rank from royal flush (strongest) to high card (weakest). Each hand beats every category below it. These are the standard high-hand rankings for a 52-card deck, including Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
RankHandExample
1Royal Flush
2Straight Flush
3Four of a Kind
4Full House
5Flush
6Straight
7Three of a Kind
8Two Pair
9One Pair
10High Card
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The rule that settles most disputes: compare each player's best five cards. In Texas Hold'em, use zero, one, or two hole cards with the board. Suits never break a showdown tie. A royal flush is the highest straight flush; it is shown separately in the ten-hand chart.
By TryBluff Team · Updated October 26, 2026. Rules and probability sources.
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All 10 Poker Hand Rankings

1. Royal Flush

— ten through ace, all in the same suit. Nothing beats it in standard high-hand poker.
In Hold'em, you can make a royal flush using two hole cards, one hole card, or only the board. If the board itself is a royal flush, all players still in the hand at showdown tie. Holding another card of that suit cannot improve it.

2. Straight Flush

— five consecutive cards of the same suit. Compare the top card to determine which straight flush is higher.
An ace can be high in A-K-Q-J-10 or low in A-2-3-4-5. It cannot connect the two ends: Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight. A five-high straight flush is the lowest straight flush.

3. Four of a Kind (Quads)

— four cards of one rank and a fifth card, the kicker.
Compare the four matching cards first, then the kicker if needed. When all four matching cards are on the board, a hole card improves the kicker only if it is higher than the board's fifth card. On Q-Q-Q-Q-A, everyone plays the ace kicker and ties.

4. Full House (Boat)

— three of one rank and two of another.
Compare the three-of-a-kind rank first, then the pair. Kings full of twos beats queens full of aces: the higher pair cannot overcome lower trips.
On , a player with makes kings full of eights. A player with makes eights full of kings and loses. Both have a full house, but the kings are the higher three-of-a-kind rank.

5. Flush

— five cards of one suit that are not consecutive. If they are consecutive, the hand is a straight flush and ranks much higher.
Compare all five ranks, highest to lowest, until one differs. For example,
beats
. These are two standalone five-card examples, not two hands on a shared Hold'em board.
By contrast,
beats
: the first hand is a straight flush, so its category beats an ordinary ace-high flush.
The nut flush is the highest possible ordinary flush on a particular board. If the ace of that suit is on the board, the king may be the key hole card. A nut flush can still lose to a straight flush, a full house, or quads. With four suited board cards, compare the players' best five-card hands rather than assuming the highest suited hole card wins the pot.

6. Straight

— five consecutive ranks, not all of the same suit. Only the top rank determines the straight's strength; there is no extra kicker.
A-K-Q-J-10 (Broadway) is the highest straight. A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel) is five-high and the lowest. Two players making the same straight tie, even if one has a higher unused hole card.

7. Three of a Kind (Set or Trips)

— three cards of one rank and two kickers. Compare the three matching cards, then each kicker from highest to lowest.
In Hold'em, a set uses a pocket pair and one matching board card. Trips usually means one hole card matching a pair on the board. These have the same hand-ranking category; the distinction describes how you made the hand. A set is not automatically stronger than trips of a higher rank.

8. Two Pair

— two different pairs and one kicker. Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the kicker. Aces and threes beats kings and queens.
On
, and both play the board's A-A-9-9-K and split the pot. Neither player's queen replaces the king. But makes a full house, while makes higher two pair, aces and kings. The board does not force every player to have the same hand.
A board pair can also counterfeit your lower pair. With on , your best five become 9-9-7-7-6. An opponent with wins with 9-9-8-8-7. Always rebuild the best five after each new board card.

9. One Pair

— two cards of one rank and three kickers.
Compare the pair first, then all three kickers in descending order. A higher hole card only helps if it belongs in the best five. If the board supplies three higher kickers, a low hole-card kicker does not play.

10. High Card

— no pair, straight, or flush. Compare all five ranks from highest to lowest.
Ace-high beats king-high, but two ace-high hands need further comparison. A-K-9-7-4 beats A-Q-J-8-6 because the second card, king, beats queen. Calling both hands "ace-high" does not make them a tie.

How to Compare Hands of the Same Rank

Hand TypeComparison Method
Royal FlushEqual royal flushes tie
Straight FlushHighest top card
Four of a KindQuad rank, then kicker
Full HouseTrips rank, then pair rank
FlushAll five cards, highest first
StraightHighest top card; a wheel is five-high
Three of a KindTrips rank, then two kickers
Two PairHigher pair, lower pair, then kicker
One PairPair rank, then three kickers
High CardAll five cards, highest first
If the category and all five ranks are equal, the hands tie. There is no sixth-card tiebreaker. With unequal all-in stacks, compare eligible players separately for each pot; see the side-pot rules.

Try a hand comparison

Compare the hand category first.

Player A

Best five cards

Full house · kings full of queens

Player B

Best five cards

Flush · ace-high

Player A wins: full house beats flush.

Even an ace-high flush loses to a full house. Start with the category; only compare ranks within the same category.

The outlined cards show each complete combination.

Show board, hole cards and unused cards

Shared board

Player A

Hole cards

Unused cards · do not count

Player B

Hole cards

Unused cards · do not count

Which Poker Hand Wins? Worked Hold'em Examples

Each row is a separate river showdown. A and B each have two hole cards; the five board cards are shared.
BoardPlayer APlayer BResult
Split pot
A wins
A wins
A wins
Split pot
A wins
Split pot
B wins
  1. The king on the board plays. Both hands are A-A-9-9-K; the queens and lower hole cards do not help.
  2. A hole card can improve the board. A has A-A-A-9-9; B has A-A-K-K-Q. The full house wins.
  3. The kicker plays. A has A-A-K-8-5; B has A-A-Q-8-5. King beats queen.
  4. Compare trips before the pair. K-K-K-8-8 beats 8-8-8-K-K.
  5. Everyone plays the royal flush. Neither player needs a hole card.
  6. Royal flush beats a lower straight flush. A uses both hole cards for A-K-Q-J-10 of spades. B makes Q-J-10-9-8 of spades.
  7. No sixth-card kicker. Both have the board's ace-high straight.
  8. The board changes the pairs. B's nines and eights beats A's nines and sevens.
For a one-hole-card royal flush, put on the board and give a player . Their ten completes the royal; the three is unused.

Hand Rankings Chart: Probabilities

These percentages describe five cards dealt uniformly from a standard 52-card deck, without wild cards. There are 2,598,960 possible five-card hands. Counts are exact; percentages are rounded. Each hand is counted only in its highest category, so the straight-flush row excludes royal flushes.
HandFive-card combinationsFive-card probability
Royal Flush40.000154%
Straight Flush360.001385%
Four of a Kind6240.024010%
Full House3,7440.144058%
Flush5,1080.196540%
Straight10,2000.392465%
Three of a Kind54,9122.112845%
Two Pair123,5524.753902%
One Pair1,098,24042.256903%
High Card1,302,54050.117739%
Hold'em river probabilities are different. With seven random cards available, the best five are high card about 17.41% of the time, one pair 43.82%, two pair 23.50%, three of a kind 4.83%, a straight 4.62%, a flush 3.03%, and a full house 2.60%. Quads and straight flushes make up the remaining approximately 0.20%.
A royal flush occurs about once in 649,740 random five-card deals, versus once in 30,940 random seven-card deals. These are not the odds of winning a pot or improving a specific draw. Known hole cards, board cards, and opponents' ranges change those calculations. See the equity calculator guide for matchup equity.

Common Hand Ranking Mistakes

Thinking suits break ties

Spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs have equal showdown rank in standard poker. Suits can determine procedures such as a stud bring-in, but they do not decide between equal five-card hands at showdown.

Counting three pairs or a sixth card

A poker hand has five cards. From three available pairs, use the best two pairs and the best remaining kicker. A card from the unused pair can still serve as that kicker. Never compare a sixth card to break a tie.

Assuming an ace always plays high

A-2-3-4-5 is five-high. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight; if those five cards share a suit, they are a flush, otherwise they are ace-high.

Confusing a strong category with an unbeatable hand

A nut straight is the highest possible straight on a board, but it can lose to a flush or full house. A nut flush can lose to a full house or straight flush. "The nuts" means the strongest possible hand overall in the current situation.

Kickers Explained

Kickers are cards outside the matching pair, trips, or quads that help complete the best five-card hand. They break ties only after comparing the matching ranks. One pair has three kickers, trips two, and two pair or quads one.
For example, with against on , the first hand is A-A-9-7-4 and the second is A-A-K-9-7. The first kicker comparison is nine versus king, so A-K wins. The four never gets a chance to break the tie.
Straights, flushes, and full houses already use all five cards in their combination. They do not get an additional kicker. Read poker kicker rules and more tie examples.

Hand Rankings in Different Poker Variants

Texas Hold'em & Omaha

Both use the standard high-hand order above. Hold'em allows zero, one, or two hole cards. Omaha requires exactly two hole cards and exactly three board cards. A lone ace of spades in an Omaha hand does not make a flush on a four-spade board.

Short Deck (6+ Hold'em)

Cards two through five are removed. Common short-deck rules rank a flush above a full house; some also rank trips above a straight. A-6-7-8-9 is the lowest straight. Check the game's rules before playing because ranking conventions vary.

Lowball / Razz

Lowball has multiple ranking systems; it is not simply the high-hand chart reversed. Razz uses ace-to-five low: aces are low, pairs hurt the hand, and straights and flushes do not count against it. A-2-3-4-5 is best, even if all five cards share a suit.
Deuce-to-seven lowball is different: aces are high, and straights and flushes count against you. Its best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 that is not a flush.

Omaha Hi-Lo

The high half uses standard rankings. The low half requires five distinct ranks of eight or lower, with aces low and straights and flushes ignored. Each half must use exactly two hole cards and three board cards; the cards chosen for high and low can differ. If nobody has a qualifying low, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the poker hands in order?

From strongest to weakest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card. This is the standard high-hand order for Texas Hold'em and Omaha.

Does a flush beat a straight?

Yes. An ordinary flush beats an ordinary straight in standard high-hand poker. A straight flush belongs to a higher category and beats both.

Does three of a kind beat two pair?

Yes. Any three of a kind beats any two pair. Three twos beats aces and kings because the category is compared before individual card ranks.

Does a full house beat a flush?

Yes, in standard Texas Hold'em and Omaha. Short-deck games commonly reverse this order, so check that game's rules.

What happens if two players have the same hand?

Compare every relevant rank in their best five cards. If the category and all five ranks tie, they split the pot they are both eligible to win. Suits and unused hole cards do not break ties.

Do you have to use both hole cards in Texas Hold'em?

No. You may use zero, one, or two hole cards. If the best five are all on the board, you play the board. Omaha is different: exactly two hole cards must be used.

What is the best starting hand in Texas Hold'em?

Pocket aces is the strongest starting hand. Starting-hand strength is different from a completed five-card hand ranking. See the poker starting hands chart for preflop guidance.

Can the ace be low in a straight?

Yes. A-2-3-4-5 is a five-high straight, the lowest standard straight. It loses to 2-3-4-5-6. The ace cannot wrap around in Q-K-A-2-3.

Sources and Method

The ranking and tie rules can be checked against Pagat's poker hand ranking reference, including its low-poker and variant sections. Five-card counts and seven-card frequencies are available in the Wizard of Odds poker probability tables.
The five-card percentage calculation is category combinations ÷ 2,598,960 × 100. The seven-card denominator is 133,784,560. Rounded probabilities need not sum to exactly 100%. The chart examples and worked showdown results are also checked against a poker hand evaluator in this site's content tests.

Start Learning Poker Strategy

Use the printable chart as a reference, then explore: