What Beats What in Poker – Poker Hand Rankings
Do you want to know what beats what in poker? We cover all poker hand rankings and their values. Knowing poker hands and the value each hand holds is the only way to play poker effectively. Remember, the objective of any poker game is to make the best hand.
The best poker hand differs based on the poker variant you are playing. In poker games such as Texas Hold’em and Caribbean Stud Poker, for example, the objective is to make the highest-ranking hand. However, in other poker variants players must make the lowest-ranking hand to win.
Poker Hands Ranked Highest to Lowest
| Poker Hand | Explanation | Example |
| Royal Flush | 10 to Ace of the same suit. This can be any suit. | ♠10♠J♠Q♠K♠A |
| Straight Flush | Any five sequential cards of the same suit | ♥2♥3♥4♥5♥6 |
| Four of a Kind | Any four cards of the same value. | ♥7♦7♠7♣7♦8 |
| Full House | Three cards of the same rank and two cards also of the same rank. | ♦9♥9♣9♥10♣10 |
| Flush | Any five cards of the same suit. | ♥J♥K♥7♥6♥5 |
| Straight | Five sequential cards of any suits | ♥6♣7♦8♣9♦10 |
| Three of a Kind | Any three cards of the same rank. | ♣K♥K♦K♦9♣10 |
| Two Pair | Any two different pairs. | ♦10♥10♦9♣9♥5 |
| One Pair | A hand with two cards of the same rank | ♥7♣7♦4♦3♥2 |
| High Card | A hand not matching any of the above hands. | ♦10♥5♣6♠9♣Q |
Understanding Winning Poker Hands
Determining what beats what in poker can sometimes be tricky. For instance, it might happen that two poker players hold the same best hand ranking in the showdown. In this case, the following should happen:
High Card
If two or more players are holding high cards, the player with the highest card wins.
If the highest cards are of the same rank, the second highest cards are compared, and so on until the winner is determined.
One Pair
If two or more players are holding a pair, the hand with a higher pair wins. If two players hold similar pairs, the highest odd cards are compared. The player with the highest odd card wins.
Two Pairs
On an occasion when two or more players have two pairs, the player holding the highest-ranking pair wins the pot. For example, if one player is holding two kings and two threes and the other player is holding two Jacks and two tens, the former player wins.
If two pairs are equal, the odd cards are used to determine the winner, the player with the highest odd card wins.
Three of a Kind
When two players are holding three of a kind in the showdown, the player whose three of a kind is high in value than the other wins the pot.
Straight
When more than one player holds a straight hand, a player whose top card is of the highest value wins the pot. If these cards have an equal value, the second top cards are compared, and so on.
Flush
If two or more players are holding a flush the player with a top-ranking card wins the pot. If these cards have an equal value, the second top cards are compared, and so on.
Full House
When full house cards are compared, the value of the three equal cards is used to determine the winner.
Four of a Kind
There can never be an occasion when two players are holding the same four of a kind hand. This means if two players are holding four of a kind, the player with the higher ranking four cards hand wins.
Straight Flush
If two or more players are holding a straight flush, the player with the higher ranking card wins. If these cards happen to be of the same value, the second highest cards are compared and so on.
Royal Flush
This is the highest-ranking hand. On the rarest occasion when two or more players are holding this hand it’s a tie.
Poker Hands Probabilities
Knowing what beats what in poker is not sufficient, players need to understand hand probability to access risks and play accordingly. If you care about mathematical probabilities, these are the poker hands probabilities:
| Poker Hand | Hand Probabilities | Possible Hand Variations |
| Royal Flush | 0.000154% | 4 |
| Straight Flush | 0.00139% | 36 |
| Four of a Kind | 0.02401% | 624 |
| Full House | 0.1441% | 3 744 |
| Flush | 0.1965% | 5 108 |
| Straight | 0.3925% | 10 200 |
| Three of a Kind | 2.1128% | 54 912 |
| Two Pairs | 4.7539% | 123 552 |
| One Pair | 42.2569% | 1 098 240 |
| High Card | 50.1177% | 1 302 540 |
Quick Overview of What Beats What in Poker
The best way to enjoy poker is to know the hand rankings by heart. Being well adept at what beats what in poker will allow you to try and make the best hand and to bet accordingly. Knowing your poker hand rankings is however not enough. Poker players should know what happens during some common scenarios when two or more players have the best hand.
