Poker Cheat Sheet – Order of Poker Hands

Even though there are dozens of variations of online poker games, each of them follow the exact same ranking when it comes to the order of power hands. The winning five card combination can be anything from a single high card to the coveted royal flush, and we will cover each of there hands from low to high below.

On a side note, it is important to remember that regardless of what type of poker is being played, every hand is ranked by the top five cards. It does not matter if the hand is created from personal or community cards either. Also, aces can be played either as high or low cards in straights, and they are considered the highest single card in any other situation.

1) High Card

In hands that none of the participants have a pair or better, the hand is decided by whoever has the highest single card. In the event that two players have the same high card, the next highest card in each hand would decide the winner. If all five of each player’s cards are identical in value, then the pot is split between the remaining players. Likewise, this is also how hands are determined when to or more players have identical pairs, straights, or flushes…the highest card within that hand wins.

2) A Pair

A pair is having two cards that have the same numerical value, such as two kings or two sixes. A pair of aces is the highest possible pair and twos are considered the lowest. The overall odds of a player obtaining a single pair in any seven card variation are one in every 1.36 hands (1:1.36 in five card games).

3) Two Pairs

Two pairs are two sets of matching numerical cards, such as jacks and nines. The higher of the two pairs is the one that determines the winner, so in the previous example the pair of jacks would be used for ranking. This hand would defeat jacks and sixes but would lose to queens and twos. The overall odds of a player obtaining two pair in any seven card variation are one in 3.26 hands (1:20.03 in 5 card games).

4) Three of a Kind

When a player has three cards of the same numerical value it is called three of a kind. If two or more players have the same three of a kind, the pot is determined by the remaining high cards of each player. The overall odds of a player obtaining three of a kind in any seven card variation are one in 19.7 hands (1:46.3 in five card games).

5) A Straight

A straight is when a player has five consecutive cards in increasing numerical value, such as 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. In a straight the suits of each card does not matter, and the highest overall straight at the table will be considered the winner. The overall odds of a player obtaining a straight in any seven card variation are one in 20.6 hands (1:253.8 in five card games).

6) A Flush

A flush is when a player has five total cards of the same suit, such as 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of clubs. These cards do not have to appear in numerical order, but the highest numerical card within the flush determines the winner if there are two or more at the table. The overall odds of a player obtaining a flush in any seven card variation are one in 32.1 hands (1:507.8 in five card games).

7) A Full House

A full house is when a player has a three of a kind and a pair within the same hand, such as three 7’s and a pair of 4’s. In this situation, the strength of two or more full houses would be determined by the three of a kind first, then by each of the player’s pairs. The overall odds of a player obtaining a full house in any seven card variation are one in 37.5 hands (1:693.2 in five card games).

8 Four of a Kind

Four of a kind is when a player has four cards that are equal in numerical value, such as four 5’s (5,5,5,5,x). If the four of a kind forms from all community cards, then the formula for determining the winner would be the remaining high card within each player’s hand. The overall odds of a player obtaining four of a kind in any seven card variation are one in 594 hands (1:4,164 in five card games).

9) A Straight Flush

A straight flush is when a player has five consecutive numerical cards that are also in the same suit, such as 4,5,6,7, and 8 of hearts. The highest overall straight flush wins the hand, and in the event that all five cards are community cards the pot is split between each of the remaining players. The overall odds of a player obtaining a straight flush in any seven card variation are one in 3,216 hands (1:72,192.33 in five card games).

10) A Royal Flush

A royal flush is when a player has the ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit, such as 10, J, Q, K, and A of diamonds. Most casinos have a jackpot bonus for obtaining such a hand if it is acquired inside a cash money game, but there is normally a stipulation that some or all of the player’s hole cards must contribute to the royal flush (rules vary by casino). The overall odds of a player obtaining a royal flush in any seven card variation are one in 30,939 hands (1:649,739 in five card games).

Related Entries