Hand Rankings
What beats what in poker.
Knowing what beats what is the absolute foundation of poker. Memorize these rankings—they're the same for nearly every poker variant.
The Rankings (Best to Worst)
1. Royal Flush
A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
The highest straight flush. All same suit, 10 through Ace. Unbeatable.
2. Straight Flush
9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥
Five consecutive cards, all same suit. Higher card wins ties.
3. Four of a Kind (Quads)
K♣ K♦ K♥ K♠ 3♠
Four cards of the same rank. Higher rank wins.
4. Full House (Boat)
Q♠ Q♣ Q♦ 7♥ 7♣
Three of a kind plus a pair. "Queens full of Sevens". Higher three-of-a-kind wins.
5. Flush
A♦ J♦ 8♦ 4♦ 2♦
Five cards of the same suit, any order. Highest card wins ties.
6. Straight
10♣ 9♠ 8♣ 7♥ 6♦
Five consecutive ranks, mixed suits. Ace can be high or low (A-2-3-4-5 or 10-J-Q-K-A).
7. Three of a Kind (Trips/Set)
8♠ 8♣ 8♦ K♣ 3♥
Three cards of the same rank. Higher rank wins.
8. Two Pair
J♠ J♣ 5♦ 5♣ A♥
Two different pairs. Higher pair wins; if tied, compare second pair, then kicker.
9. One Pair
9♥ 9♣ A♠ K♦ 2♣
Two cards of the same rank. Higher pair wins; kickers break ties.
10. High Card
A♠ Q♦ 9♣ 6♠ 3♥
No matching ranks or sequences. Highest card wins.
Key Points
Good to Know
- Suits are equal. A spade flush doesn't beat a heart flush of the same ranks.
- Only 5 cards count. In Hold'em, you pick the best 5 from 7 available.
- Kickers matter. If main hands tie, the highest "side card" wins.
Common Mistakes
- Three pair isn't a hand. You use your best 5 cards, so it's two pair.
- Straights wrap around? No. K-A-2-3-4 is not a straight.
- Flush beats straight. People often mix this up.
Key Takeaways
- 1Royal Flush beats everything; High Card loses to everything
- 2Full House beats Flush; Flush beats Straight
- 3Suits don't matter for ranking hands (only for flushes)
- 4When hands tie, kickers determine the winner
- 5In Hold'em, you use best 5 of 7 cards available