Online Poker- Poker Hands
Poker Hands: Values, Hierarchy, And Rankings
Playing poker is more challenging than other games. Beginners often find the various poker variations and the different orders and values of poker hands intimidating.
Understanding Traditional High Poker Hands
These classic poker hands are used in popular variations like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and other casino poker games. Each hand has a specific rank, making it clear which hand beats the others. Memorising these combinations is crucial for anyone aiming to play and succeed in poker.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is any five cards in a row, all in the same suit.
If there’s a tie, the highest card at the top of the sequence determines the winner. The highest straight flush is the Royal Flush, which includes an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit, making it the strongest hand in poker.
Four of A Kind
Four cards of the same rank with an extra card are known as a Kicker in poker.
In case of a tie, the hand with the highest four-of-a-kind wins. In games with community cards, if two players have the same four of a kind, the winner is decided by the highest kicker card.
Full House
Three cards of the same rank paired with two cards of another matching rank form a Full House in poker.
In case of a tie, the hand with the highest three matching cards wins. In games with community cards, if two players have identical hands, the one with the highest pair of matching cards wins the pot.
Flush
A Flush in Poker consists of five cards all of the same suit.
If there’s a tie, the hand with the highest-ranked card of that suit wins the pot. If two players have the exact same flush, the pot is split between them.
Straight
A Straight in poker is five cards in numerical order, though not all of the same suit.
In a tie, the hand with the highest card at the top of the sequence wins. Typically, straights are made with numerical cards, but players may agree beforehand whether aces count as high or low cards.
Three of A Kind
Three cards of the same rank with two other unrelated cards form a Three of a Kind in poker.
In case of a tie, the winner is decided by the highest-ranking three cards. In games with community cards, if two players have identical three-of-a-kind hands, the winner is determined by the higher-ranking side cards.
Two Pair
Two cards of the same rank paired with two cards of a different rank and one side card make a Two Pair in poker.
In case of a tie, the winner is decided by the highest-ranked pair. If both players have the same pair, then the second-highest pair determines the winner. If the second pair are also identical, then the highest side card breaks the tie.
One Pair
Two cards of the same rank with three other unrelated cards form a Pair in poker.
If there’s a tie, the hand with the highest pair wins. If two players have the same pair, the winner is determined by the highest value of any side card.
High Card
Any hand in poker that doesn't fit into the categories listed above is considered a High Card hand.
In a tie, the hand with the highest single card wins. If needed, the smallest card can be used to break the tie.
Ace to Five
This method features a different way to rank low poker hands and it is used in traditional Hi/Lo poker variations, such as Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo. The main difference is comparison to traditional poker hands is that suits are irrelevant and that aces are always considered as low cards.
Five Low
A sequence that includes a five, a four, a three, a deuce and an ace.
If there is a tie, the pot should be divided into equal parts.
Six Low
A hand with six and four other unpaired cards with the value lower than 6.
If there is a tie, the lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot, e.g. 6-4-3-2-A is considered as a better hand than 6-5-4-2-A.
Seven Low
A hand with seven and four other unpaired cards with the value lower than 7.
If there is a tie, the second lowest ranking card wins the pot. If two players have the same lower second-highest cards, then other cards are considered to break the tie.
Eight Low
A hand with eight and four other unpaired cards with a value lower than 8.
If there is a tie, the second lowest ranking card wins the pot. If two players have the same lower second-highest cards, then the values of other cards are considered to break the tie. When either Omaha Hi/Lo or Stud Hi/Lo variations are played, the eight low is known as the weakest possible hand.
Deuce to Seven
Deuces Wild is a popular form of draw poker with key differences from traditional poker: all twos are wild cards, and sometimes Jokers are too. These wild cards don’t lower a hand’s value.
In Deuce to Seven Lowball, rankings are opposite to traditional poker, making the weakest high hand (like seven-five of different suits) the best low hand (a ‘perfect seven’ or ‘wheel’). Aces are always high. There are no specific qualifications for low hands in Deuce to Seven; any lower hand wins.
Seven Low
If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. For example, 7-5-4-3-2 beats 7-6-5-3-2 (a 'Seven-Five low' is better than a 'Seven-Six low').
Eight Low
If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. If players have the same second-lowest cards, the value of their other cards decides the winner.
Nine Low
If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. If players have identical second-lowest cards, the value of their other cards determines the winner.
Ten Low
If there is a tie, the hand with the second-lowest card wins. If players have the same second-lowest card, the value of their other cards decides the winner.
Guidelines For Playing Traditional Hands: What Beats What In Poker
Understanding poker hand rankings is crucial for mastering the game, whether you’re playing in a real casino or online. Poker is known for its skill-based nature, requiring players to memorise and understand hand combinations. Knowing which hands beat others is essential because the hierarchy can be complex. Once you grasp these rankings, you can confidently play various poker games at different online casinos.
The rarity of hands determines their ranking. For example, a royal flush, the rarest hand, beats more common combinations. A straight flush, four-of-a-kind, and full house follow in descending order of rarity. A full house, for instance, ranks higher than a flush because it occurs slightly less frequently.
Despite the skill involved, luck also plays a role in poker. This means that even with a weaker hand, you can win through strategic bluffing, convincing opponents to fold before revealing the community cards. Mastering bluffing tactics is crucial, especially in games with shared community cards, to extend your time in the game.
Odds of Poker Hands
In betting, higher odds are typically offered for less likely outcomes, making big winnings rare. There are 52 cards in a poker deck, resulting in 2,598,960 possible combinations, making calculations straightforward. The odds for forming a specific poker hand are determined by dividing the number of ways to make that hand by the total number of poker hands, making the odds openly available.
|
Poker Hands |
No. of Ways |
Probability |
|---|---|---|
|
Royal Flush |
4 |
0.000154% |
|
Straight Flush |
36 |
0.00139% |
|
4-of-a-Kind |
624 |
0.0240% |
|
Full House |
3,744 |
0.1441% |
|
Flush |
5,108 |
0.1965% |
|
Straight |
10,200 |
0.3925% |
|
3-of-a-Kind |
54,912 |
2.1128% |
|
Two Pair |
123,552 |
4.7539% |
|
One Pair |
1,098,240 |
42.2569% |
|
High Card |
1,302, 540 |
50.1177% |
Relative Value And Absolute Value
The ranking of traditional poker hands remains fixed, but their actual value can change based on gameplay. This value can be understood in two ways: absolute value (the inherent strength of the hand) and relative value (its value in the current game context). For instance, having two pairs is generally a strong hand, but its value decreases if an opponent holds a flush.
