Poker Hand Rankings: The Complete Order (And What Beats What)
From the royal flush down to high card: all 10 poker hands in order, the tie-breaker rules that cause table arguments, and the exact combo math behind every hand.
Lou · · 4 min
It's the first thing you learn in poker — and yet “who wins here?” arguments still fill tables every day: which hands exist, in what order, and what happens when two players make the same one. Here's the complete ranking, the tie-breaker cases that trap everyone, and — for one level deeper — the real combo math behind every hand.
The official hand rankings, strongest to weakest
- Royal flush: 10-J-Q-K-A, all the same suit. Unbeatable — you'll see a few in your lifetime.
- Straight flush: five consecutive cards of the same suit (like 5-6-7-8-9 of hearts).
- Four of a kind (quads): four identical cards (four kings).
- Full house: three of a kind plus a pair (three queens and two sevens — “queens full of sevens”).
- Flush: five cards of the same suit, not consecutive.
- Straight: five consecutive cards of mixed suits. The ace plays high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), never “around the corner”.
- Three of a kind: three identical cards.
- Two pair: two distinct pairs plus a fifth card.
- One pair: two identical cards.
- High card: none of the above — the highest card plays.
What is the best hand in poker — and the worst?
The best possible hand in poker is the royal flush: it can never be beaten, only tied. The worst starting hand in Texas Hold'em is the infamous 7-2 offsuit: the two lowest cards that can neither connect for a straight nor share a suit for a flush. Everything in between is context — which is exactly what our preflop ranges guide covers.
What beats what: the cases that cause arguments
- Flush versus flush: the highest card decides (the ace of spades doesn't “beat” the ace of hearts — all suits are equal).
- Full house versus full house: compare the three of a kind first, the pair second. Nines full of aces loses to tens full of twos.
- Straight versus straight: the highest card of the straight wins; the “wheel” A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight, not the highest.
- Same pair for two players: the kicker (best side card) decides — then the second kicker if needed.
- Two pair versus two pair: highest pair first, then the second pair, then the kicker.
Ties and split pots
A poker hand is ALWAYS your best five cards — not four, not six. If two players' best five cards are strictly identical, the pot is split, end of story. Classic case: the board shows a straight higher than anything either player improves on — everyone “plays the board” and chops. A kicker only counts if it's part of the five cards that make the hand.
Turn theory into reflexes
Solver ranges, ICM spots, instant feedback. Train 20 minutes a day on real hands.