Poker Hand Rankings Guide

This online poker hand rankings guide explains how to determine who has the winning hand after all the betting is done. The first step to determine the winning hand is to take a look at all the players’ cards. For this course we are assuming a standard five-card poker hand. The player with the highest-ranking poker hand wins. Cards can have one of the following ranks in ascending order: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. The suit of a card will be either Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs or Spades.

If there is a tie the pot is usually split equally among the winning hands. In a five-card game a sixth card is never used to break a tie.

Folding means a player throws in their hand and gives up playing that round. If all other players fold the last remaining player wins. A player who folds does not need to show their cards at the end of the hand.

Winning Poker Hand Rankings:

Five Of A Kind – 5 cards of the same rank, only possible with wild cards
Royal Flush – Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit
Straight Flush – Five cards of the same suit in sequence
Four Of A Kind – Four cards of equal rank
Full House – Three cards of equal rank and two different cards of equal rank
Flush – Five cards of the same suit
Straight – Five cards in sequence regardless of suit
Three Of A Kind – Three cards of equal rank
Two Pair – Two cards of equal rank and two different cards of equal rank
Pair – Two cards of equal rank
High Card – Any five cards not fitting one of the above ranks, Ace is the highest-ranking high card, two is the lowest