Poker Hand Rankings: Illustrated Hands and Tie-Break Rules
Poker hand rankings answer which completed hand is stronger. The category comes first: a straight beats three of a kind, and a full house beats a flush in conventional high-hand poker. When the categories match, compare the relevant ranks and kickers rather than assuming that the highest single card decides everything.
This page shows the ten familiar names from royal flush to high card, then works through the comparisons that cause confusion. It covers conventional five-card high-hand rankings as used in standard Hold’em and Omaha high. The game’s card-selection rules still matter, and other variants can use a different order.
Poker hands from strongest to weakest
Each illustration below is a separate example, not part of one shared deal. Find the highest category that the complete five-card hand satisfies. A five-card flush does not become “high card” simply because it has no pair.
1 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Royal flush
The ace-high straight flush. It is the highest straight-flush sequence in conventional high-hand poker.
2 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Straight flush
Five consecutive ranks in the same suit. Between straight flushes, compare the highest card.
3 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Four of a kind
Four cards of one rank. Compare the four matching cards first, then the remaining kicker if needed.
4 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Full house
Three of one rank plus two of another. Compare the three-card rank before the pair.
5 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Flush
Five cards of one suit, not in sequence. Compare their ranks from highest downward.
6 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Straight
Five consecutive ranks, not all one suit. Compare the top card; ace can be low in A–2–3–4–5.
7 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank plus two other cards. Compare the trip rank, then kickers.
8 of 10 · strongest to weakest
Two pair
Two different pairs plus a kicker. Compare the higher pair, lower pair, then kicker.
9 of 10 · strongest to weakest
One pair
One pair plus three other cards. Compare the pair first, then the remaining ranks in descending order.
10 of 10 · strongest to weakest
High card
No stronger category applies. Compare the highest card, then each remaining card until a difference appears.
The official PokerStars hand-ranking reference lists the conventional order and distinguishes other ranking systems. For the betting sequence around those hands, use the step-by-step Hold’em guide.
How to compare hands in the same category
Start with the made combination, then compare any relevant remaining cards. Do not add card values together as though poker were blackjack. A pair of aces is one pair; a hand with two lower pairs is a higher category and wins the conventional comparison.
Straights and straight flushes
Compare the highest card in the sequence. A nine-high straight beats an eight-high straight. A wheel is five-high, even though it contains an ace. A royal flush is the ace-high end of the straight-flush category.
Four of a kind
Compare the four matching cards first. If the quads are shared, compare the remaining kicker within the best five. If both players use the same kicker rank, an unused private card does not decide the pot.
Full houses
Compare the three-card rank before the pair. 7–7–7–2–2 beats 6–6–6–A–A. If the trip ranks match, the higher pair decides: 7–7–7–K–K beats 7–7–7–Q–Q.
Flushes and high-card hands
Compare the ranks from highest down until the first difference. A–J–9–6–2 beats A–J–8–7–3 in a same-category comparison because the nine beats the eight. The lower cards are irrelevant once that difference is found.
Three of a kind and one pair
Compare the matching rank first, then the kickers in descending order. With the same pair of queens, an ace kicker beats a king kicker even if the other hand has a jack as well.
Two pair
Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the kicker. J–J–3–3–A beats 10–10–9–9–A: the higher pair is compared first, so the second hand’s nines do not reverse the result.
A kicker example with visible cards
Pair of queens, ace kicker
The pair is queens, followed by ace, nine and four.
Pair of queens, king kicker
The pair is also queens, but the king loses to the ace at the first kicker comparison.
These are independent five-card comparisons. In a community-card game, first establish each player’s legal best five using the actual board and private cards. Then apply the comparison rule. The poker glossary explains kicker, pocket pair, set, trips and other terms.
Choosing the best five from more cards
In Hold’em, the two hole cards and five community cards provide seven available cards at the river. Choose the strongest five-card hand from them. The Hold’em rules permit zero, one or two hole cards. There is no requirement to include a private card just because it was dealt to you.
Three pairs are still two pair
Suppose you hold A♠ A♦ on a board of K♣ K♦ 8♠ 8♥ 2♣. There are three pairs among the seven available cards, but “three pair” is not a five-card category. The best hand is A–A–K–K–8. The eight is the highest available kicker after choosing the two strongest pairs.
Two sets of trips can make a full house
Hold A♥ A♦ on a board of A♠ K♠ K♦ K♥ 2♣. The seven cards contain three aces and three kings. The best five are A–A–A–K–K, not K–K–K–A–A, because the full house with the higher trip rank wins.
Quads on the board do not create extra kickers
On a board of 9♣ 9♦ 9♥ 9♠ 2♣, compare A♣ K♦ with A♦ Q♣. Each player can make 9–9–9–9–A. The king and queen are unused sixth cards, so the hands tie. A player with no ace would need to compare their available kicker against that ace.
Playing the board
On A♣ K♦ Q♥ J♠ 10♣, the board supplies an ace-high straight. Conventional Hold’em players can use those five shared cards. A private pair does not beat the straight or supply a sixth-card tie-breaker. If eligible players have the identical best hand, the relevant pot is split under the room’s procedures.
Pot eligibility remains separate from hand ranking. A short all-in stack may have the strongest cards but cannot win a side pot funded only by deeper stacks. The worked hand lesson shows how contributions and side pots are tracked.
How aces and suits work
Ace-low straight: the wheel
This is a five-high straight in conventional high-hand poker. A six-high straight beats it.
Ace-high straight
This is an ace-high straight. It becomes a royal flush only when all five cards share a suit.
An ace cannot join the ends of the rank order to make Q–K–A–2–3 a straight. It plays at the low end of A–2–3–4–5 or at the high end of 10–J–Q–K–A. Other rule systems must be checked separately.
Suits identify flushes and suited combinations, but they do not provide a hierarchy for conventional Hold’em showdown ties. An ace-high flush in spades does not beat an identically ranked ace-high flush solely because the other one is in hearts. Compare the ranks in order.
Room procedures may use suit information for other administrative purposes. That is different from declaring a showdown winner. Likewise, a side bet can pay for a particular suit pattern without changing the main poker hand’s ranking.
When the game changes the answer
A ranking list and a card-selection rule are different things. Standard Omaha high uses the conventional high-hand order, but requires exactly two hole cards with exactly three community cards. A Hold’em player can sometimes play the whole board; an Omaha player cannot. Check the official Omaha rules before forming the hand.
Short-deck poker
Some short-deck implementations change the conventional order. PokerStars’ 6+ ranking system places a flush above a full house. Read the exact version rather than assuming every reduced deck has identical rules.
Lowball and high/low
Lowball rewards a qualifying low hand under its own system. Ace-to-five and deuce-to-seven do not treat aces, straights and flushes the same way. A split-pot game also needs its low-hand qualification rules.
Three-card casino poker
A three-card game uses its own categories and order. Do not apply this five-card list just because the product contains the word poker. Read the main-hand and side-bet paytables separately.
Wild-card video poker
Wild cards and special payout schedules can introduce different categories or values. The exact game and paytable determine settlement. A conventional Hold’em ranking list is not a complete video poker strategy.
The PokerStars ranking reference distinguishes high-hand, short-deck and lowball systems. The poker variants guide is the next step for comparing formats on this site.
Practise the comparison in the right order
For each question, first identify the category, then find the rank that decides it. The examples below use conventional five-card high-hand rules and independent comparison hands.
Which wins: a five-high straight or three aces?
The five-high straight wins. A straight is a higher category than three of a kind; the ace rank does not override that category order.
Which wins: 8–8–8–2–2 or 7–7–7–A–A?
Eights full of twos wins. Compare the three-card rank first. The aces in the other hand’s pair do not beat the stronger trip rank.
Does A–K–9–5–2 beat A–K–8–7–6 as high card?
Yes, assuming neither hand qualifies for a stronger category. Ace and king match, then the nine beats the eight at the first difference.
A useful routine is to form the legal five cards, identify the strongest category, compare the made combination, compare kickers if needed, then check pot eligibility. Do not judge strength from one attractive private card or from the number of chips already committed.
The poker odds calculator handles pot-price and fixed-out draw calculations. It does not read cards or decide the winning hand. Recognising a hand and estimating the probability of a future card are separate tasks.
Casino offers are separate from hand rankings
A general welcome promotion does not confirm access to a multiplayer poker room or eligibility for a particular poker game. The bonus guide explains why contribution, maximum bets and exclusions need a separate check.
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Explore the poker guides
Poker overview
Distinguish multiplayer poker, dealer-banked games and video poker.
How to play poker
Follow a complete Hold’em hand from blinds through showdown and pot accounting.
Search the poker glossary
Look up kicker, trips, set, side pot and other terms used in hand comparisons.
Poker variants
Check the game’s card-selection and ranking rules before applying a familiar chart.
Return to the casino games hub for other formats. Learning rankings helps you follow a game, but it does not guarantee a profitable result. Set time and spending boundaries and read the responsible gambling information when needed.
Poker hand rankings FAQ
What is the strongest poker hand?
In conventional five-card high-hand poker, a royal flush is the strongest possible hand. It is the ace-high straight flush: 10, jack, queen, king and ace of one suit.
Does a full house beat a flush?
Yes in conventional high-hand rankings. A full house ranks above a flush and below four of a kind. Some short-deck implementations change that order, so check the specific variant.
Does a straight beat three of a kind?
Yes under conventional high-hand rankings. The category is compared before the individual ranks, so even a five-high straight beats three aces when those are the complete best hands.
How do you compare two full houses?
Compare the rank of the three matching cards first. Only if those ranks match do you compare the pair. Sevens full of twos beats sixes full of aces in conventional high-hand poker.
How do you compare two flushes?
Compare the five card ranks from highest to lowest until they differ. If all five ranks match, the hands tie under conventional showdown rules. Suits do not provide an extra tie-breaker.
Is ace–2–3–4–5 a straight?
Yes. It is a five-high straight, often called a wheel, in conventional high-hand poker. Ace can also be high in 10–jack–queen–king–ace, but it cannot wrap a sequence such as queen–king–ace–2–3.
Does the sixth card break a poker tie?
No. Compare only the best five-card hands under the applicable selection rules. If those five ranks are identical, an unused sixth or seventh card does not break the tie.
Must I use both hole cards in Texas Hold’em?
No. Hold’em allows zero, one or two hole cards in the best five-card hand. Standard Omaha is different: it requires exactly two hole cards and exactly three community cards.
Are a set and trips different hand rankings?
No. Both are three of a kind. In common Hold’em usage, a set uses a pocket pair with one matching board card, while trips uses a paired board with one matching hole card.
Do these rankings apply to every poker game?
No. This list covers conventional five-card high-hand poker. Lowball, some short-deck games, wild-card video poker and three-card casino games can use different ranking or qualification rules.