Poker Hands Explained
Understanding how hands are ranked and how to play them is essential for poker players, and while it may look complex to those not familiar with the game, it’s actually quite straightforward. With 10 different types of hands that can be played, it’s important for players to recognise winning and losing hands.
What is poker?
Poker is one of the world’s most popular card games. Originating in the 1800s in America, it is still played in land-based and online casinos throughout the world, and there are numerous spin-offs and variations. In the game, the players – either online or in person – are dealt a hand of cards, and they must use their cards to create the best possible hand in order to win the pot – the sum of all bets made by the players in a round.
During the game, players take turns placing bets or folding their hands if they don’t think that their cards are strong enough. They can also raise the bet if they think that their hand is good enough to win. As the players can’t see each other’s hands, they can use bluffing techniques to turn the game in their favour even if they have a weak hand. The game continues until all players have either folded or placed their bets, and the remaining hands are revealed to determine the player with the winning hand.
Why is poker popular?
Poker is undoubtedly one of the most popular card games at casinos, and the gameplay itself is one of the reasons that it has remained in favour. The game entails a combination of luck and strategy, meaning that no one game of poker is ever the same. This also offers players the chance to develop and hone their own strategies and techniques over time, which can help them improve their game.
Although poker rankings and strategy may be intimidating to new players, the basics of poker are actually relatively straightforward to learn. Once players have the basics under their belt, they can begin playing and practicing their gameplay strategy as they go.
Another reason that poker is so popular is that there are so many variations of the game to choose from. Players can try Three-Card Poker, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and many more. Each variation has its own unique rules and strategies to suit any player.
Poker hands ranked
In poker, the primary goal is to make the best possible hand using a combination of your own cards and the community cards on the table. The ranking of hands in poker determines the winner, with the highest-ranking hand taking the pot. Here’s a list of the different hands in poker, ranked from best to worst:
- Royal flush – This is the highest-ranking hand in poker, and is composed of the ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit. It’s extremely rare to get a royal flush, and it’s virtually unbeatable.
- Straight flush – This is a hand that contains five cards of the same suit in sequence. For example, if you have 4-5-6-7-8 of hearts, you have a straight flush. This is the second-best hand in poker, and is very hard to beat.
- Four of a kind – This hand is made up of four cards of the same rank, such as four aces. It’s a very strong hand, but it can still be beaten by a higher-ranked hand.
- Full house – A full house consists of three cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank. For example, you have a full house if you have three aces and two kings. If there are multiple players with a full house, the player with the highest-value three of a kind wins.
- Flush – A flush is any five cards of the same suit in no particular order. For example, if you have 2-5-7-9-J of spades, you have a flush. This hand is fairly strong, but it can be beaten by higher-ranking hands.
- Straight – A straight is any five cards in sequence, but it does not necessarily need to be of the same suit. For example, if you have 7-8-9-10-J of different suits, you have a straight. This is a decent hand, but, like a flush, be beaten easily by higher-ranking hands.
- Three of a kind – This hand is composed of three cards of the same rank, such as three queens. It’s a good hand, but it is vulnerable to higher-ranking hands.
- Two pair - A two-pair hand consists of two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and a fifth card of a different rank. For example, if you have two aces, two kings and a three, you have a two-pair hand. This is a weak hand and can be beaten easily by higher-ranking hands.
- Pair – This hand is made up of two cards of the same rank, such as two jacks, and can be beaten easily by other hands.
- High card – This is the lowest-ranking hand in poker and is simply the highest-ranking single card in your hand. For example, if you have a king and no other pairs or combinations, your hand is simply a high card. It’s the weakest hand in the game, and is beaten by any other hand.
Knowing the ranking of hands in poker is essential for playing – and winning – the game. A strong hand such as a royal flush or straight flush can win you the pot, while a weak hand such as a high card or two pair is likely to lose.
What are the most common poker hands?
The most common hands in poker are usually the lower-ranking hands, as these hands are easier to make and therefore occur more frequently than higher-ranking hands such as flushes, straights and full houses. However, the most common hand by far is simply a high card, which occurs when a player has no pairs or combinations, so the highest-ranking single card in their hand determines their hand’s strength.
What poker hands require the same suit?
In poker, only three hands require the same suit: flush, straight flush and royal flush.
A flush is a hand where all five cards are of the same suit, but they don’t have to be in sequence, while a straight flush is a hand of the same suit in sequence: 4-5-6-7-8.
A royal flush, the best hand in the game, is made up of the 10, jack, queen, king and ace of a suit. However, this is statistically the least common hand in poker.
Having a flush or a straight flush is generally considered to be a strong hand, but they can be beaten. In Texas Hold’em, for example, if two or more players have a flush or straight flush, the player with the highest card in the flush or straight flush wins the hand.
What is the best poker hand?
The best poker hand is the royal flush, which consists of the ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit. It’s the strongest hand in poker and is extremely difficult to achieve, as it requires five specific cards of the same suit in sequence. A royal flush is unbeatable, but ultimately very rare.
What is better, a full house or a flush?
In poker, a full house is better than a flush. A full house consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, while a flush is a hand with all five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.
The reason that a full house is stronger than a flush is that it’s more difficult to make. A player needs to have three cards of the same rank and two of another, which requires some luck and strategic play. Meanwhile, a flush can be achieved with any five cards of the same suit, which makes it more common, and therefore beatable.
How poker hands are used in bluffing and strategy
Hands are integral to poker gameplay: poker players might fold or raise depending on the cards in their hand, as the strength of their hand influences their overall strategy.
If a player has a strong hand, such as a royal flush or full house, they may be more confident in their chances of winning and therefore raise or call to increase the pot size. However, if a player has a weaker hand, such as a pair of low cards, they may choose to fold or make a smaller bet to avoid losing more chips.
It’s important to bear in mind that players can only see their own hands, and therefore may be able to bluff their way to a win. Put simply, bluffing in poker is when you try to make the other players believe that you have a stronger hand than you actually do, and is a mainstay in most poker techniques.
If other players believe that you have a stronger hand than them, they may fold, leaving you to claim the pot. While players can bluff throughout a game, it’s better to bluff at an opportune time, when it’s most likely to cause your opponent to fold.
A player’s position at the table can also affect their decision to fold or raise. The player who is one of the last to act will naturally have more information about the strength of other players’ hands and can therefore make a more informed decision about whether to raise or fold.