The Hands Of Poker

One of the most important things for beginning poker players to learn are all the different hands of poker. While there’s many variations on the game, most poker variants share the same order of hands, so it’s easy to translate this knowledge into almost any variation of poker. Poker is not too hard of a game to learn or play from a technical perspective (mastering strategy and bluffing may take a lifetime), but knowing the order of hands is essential when getting started.

The term “hand” has several different meanings at a poker table:

  • The set of cards a player holds that only he/she can use.
  • Five cards that can be combined to make a pattern that is given a value. An example is a straight where the cards all follow order, e.g. 2,3,4,5,6.
  • A game where one play that consists of betting and raising between all players at the table during the hand.

The definitions listed above may sound a little confusing at first, but don’t worry too much about it. As you play more and get more used to the game, the different meanings of the word will become apparent to you.

There are some rules that apply to every poker game, regardless of the style or type.

  • Individual cards are valued based on their number or order. Cards are valued in this manner A (high) King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low). Ace is valued as low in ace-to-five and ace-to-six lowball games.
  • Suits have no bearing on the ranks of cards in the game of poker. They are simply used to make better combinations of hands such as a flush or a royal flush. In most styles of poker, players who have the same hand with different suits will split the money in the pot. Suits can also be used to work as a tiebreaker when choosing a dealer in a home game.
  • Poker hands are ranked by a set category of hands. If two players have the same category of hands, the value of the cards they hold will act as a tiebreaker. An example of this is if two players both have a pair, the player with the higher valued pair (Kings vs Twos) would win the pot. This is the only time when individual cards values win or lose hands.
  • Five cards is the staple of a hand. In games where players have more than five cards to use, they must select the five that gives them the best hand to use. The cards that are left over have no impact towards the final winner of the hand.
  • The cards are not in any order when shuffled, so the dealing order has no bearing on what value you receive.

Poker hands are usually ranked as follows, with a Royal Flush being the highest ranking hand to a High Card being the lowest.

Royal Flush

Royal Flush

This hand consists of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of the same suit.

Straight Flush

Straight Flush

5 sequential cards of the same suit. For example, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, and 8 of clubs.

Full House

Full House

This hand comprises of a three of a kind and another pair at the same time. An example would be having three Jacks and two 4’s in the same hand.

Flush

Flush

Any five cards of the same suit, regardless of card values.

Straight

Straight

Five cards in sequential order. In most games Aces can be played either high or low (before a 2 as a low card, or after a King for high).

Three of a Kind

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same value (in the event of a tie, the player with the highest other two cards will be used to determine the hand winner).

Two Pair

Two Pair

Having two individual pairs. An example would be having two Fives and two Kings.

A Pair

One Pair

Having two cards of the same value.

High Card

No Pair (High Card)

All you have is a high card basically.

Knowing which individual hands you have and what surrounding players might is very important to the game of poker. Go into real-money games with a keen sense of what different hands are, or expect to lose your money quickly!

Playing with friends and family or trying your luck with free money games online to begin with will allow you to learn these hands of poker without consequence. While it may seem a little complicated at first, stick with it and you’ll have the order of hands memorized before you know it.