Poker Hand Rankings for the Starting Player

Because of the proliferation of poker, numerous people have become interested in the game. Also, because online poker games give people more opportunities to play, basic information about how to play poker becomes more valuable. One of the basic aspects of poker a starting player needs to be familiar with is hand rankings.

As you may already know, poker hand rankings dictate most of the actions of poker, from building a strategy to deciding the winning hand. A hand is simply a combination of five cards. These card combinations are then assigned their strength in a hierarchy of hand rankings. As one goes up the hierarchy, the combinations either become more repetitive or pattern-based.

One needs to remember that the ranking of individual cards are Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and then Ace. Ace is always considered high, except when considered in a combination of A-2-3-4-5. No values are assigned to suits, and are just used to determine certain patterns.

It is also important to remember that hands are always assessed first by hand ranking before the individual card values. This means that a hand in a higher rank always beats a card in a lower rank, no matter what cards make up these hands.

The following is a list of poker hand rankings, from the highest ranked to the lowest ranked.

1. Straight Flush

A straight flush is a poker hand that consists of five consecutive cards that are of the same suit. The highest ranking hand, called the royal flush, is a straight flush that contains A-K-Q-J-10, all in the same suit.

2. Quads

Quads, or four-of-a-kind, consist of four cards of the same value, plus a card of a different value (called a "kicker"). An example is J-J-J-J-8.

3. Full House

A full house consists of three cards of the same value, along with two cards with another value. An example is J-J-J-8-8.

4. Flush

A flush consists of five cards that have the same suit, and are not consecutive. An example is 2-5-7-9-J, all of the same suit (for example, Hearts).

5. Straight

A straight consists of five cards that are consecutive but have different suits. An example is 6-7-8-9-10, with differing suits.

6. Three-of-a-kind

A three-of-a-kind consists of three cards that have the same value, along with two unmatched cards. An example is J-J-J-8-9.

7. Two Pair

A two pair consists of two cards of the same value, along with two cards of another value, and a kicker. An example is J-J-8-8-9.

8. Pair

A pair consists of two cards of the same value, along with three cards that have different ranks. An example is J-J-8-9-10.

9. No-pair

A no-pair hand consists of cards that form no patterns (have no cards of similar ranks, are not consecutive, and of differing suits). Competing no-pair hands are compared by putting into consideration the highest card in the hand. If those are tied, then the next highest card is considered, and so on.

Knowledge of poker hand rankings is a valuable skill in poker, as these dictate strategy and other actions. Through familiarizing oneself with these rankings, one is sure to be on the way to playing good poker.