Poker Hand Rankings: Every Hand from Royal Flush to High Card

Knowing the poker hand rankings is the first step to winning at Texas Hold’em. Hands are ranked from strongest to weakest — at showdown, the highest-ranked five-card hand wins the pot. Here’s every hand, from the royal flush down to high card. New to the game? Start with our Texas Hold’em rules guide.

The poker hand rankings (strongest to weakest)

1. Royal Flush — A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit. The best possible hand. Example: A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥.
2. Straight Flush — Five cards in sequence, all the same suit. Example: 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣.
3. Four of a Kind — Four cards of the same rank. Example: J♠ J♥ J♦ J♣ 4♠.
4. Full House — Three of a kind plus a pair. Example: K♠ K♥ K♦ 9♣ 9♠.
5. Flush — Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. Example: A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦.
6. Straight — Five cards in sequence, mixed suits. Example: 8♠ 7♥ 6♦ 5♣ 4♠.
7. Three of a Kind — Three cards of the same rank. Example: 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠.
8. Two Pair — Two different pairs. Example: A♠ A♥ 9♦ 9♣ 4♠.
9. One Pair — Two cards of the same rank. Example: 10♠ 10♥ K♦ 6♣ 2♠.
10. High Card — No combination; the highest card plays. Example: A♠ J♥ 8♦ 5♣ 2♠ ("ace high").

What beats what?

A higher-ranked hand always beats a lower one: a flush beats a straight, a full house beats a flush, and four of a kind beats a full house. When two players have the same type of hand, the higher cards decide the winner (for example, a pair of aces beats a pair of kings).

Common beginner questions

Does a flush beat a straight? Yes — a flush is ranked higher than a straight.

Does three of a kind beat two pair? Yes — three of a kind is stronger.

What is the lowest winning hand? High card — if no one makes a pair or better, the highest single card wins.

Put it into practice

Memorizing the rankings is easy once you start playing. Try them out for free at Poker House — real-time Texas Hold’em multiplayer tables, Wild-West style, free to play. Play now and see how fast the rankings stick.