Poker hand rankings run from the royal flush at the top to high card at the bottom. A higher category always beats a lower one. This guide is a printable poker hand rankings cheat sheet with an example of every hand, the tie-break rules, and how often each hand turns up with seven cards.
At a glance: poker hand rankings
Here are the ten poker hands ranked from best to worst.
- Royal flush: ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit.
- Straight flush: five consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Four of a kind: four cards of one rank plus a fifth card, the kicker.
- Full house: three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
- Flush: five cards of the same suit that are not in sequence.
- Straight: five consecutive cards that are not all of the same suit.
- Three of a kind: three cards of one rank and two unmatched cards.
- Two pair: two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and a kicker.
- One pair: two cards of one rank and three unmatched cards.
- High card: no pair, straight, or flush, so the highest card counts.
Download the printable poker hand rankings cheat sheet (PNG), a white-background version made to print on a single page.
How to compare two poker hands
Comparing hands takes two steps. First, the category decides: a full house beats a flush, and a straight beats three of a kind. Only if both hands are in the same category do the card ranks matter.
Suits are not ranked: a king of clubs and a king of spades are equal. If two players hold hands of exactly equal strength, they split the pot. In Texas Hold'em, you make the best five-card hand from your two hole cards and the five community cards.
Poker hands ranked one by one, with examples
Royal flush
Ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of one suit, for example A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠. It is the ace-high straight flush and the best hand in poker. Two royal flushes are equal, because suits are not ranked.
Straight flush
Five consecutive cards of one suit, for example 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥. The straight flush with the higher top card wins. The ace can play low, so A♥ 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ 5♥ is the lowest straight flush.
Four of a kind
Four cards of one rank plus a kicker, for example 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ K♠. The higher four of a kind wins. A deck has only four cards of each rank. Two players can share the same four of a kind only when all four cards are on the board. Then the kicker decides.
Full house
Three cards of one rank and two of another, for example Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 9♣ 9♠. When two players have a full house, the higher three of a kind wins. Only if the three-card parts are equal does the higher pair decide.
Flush
Five cards of one suit that are not in sequence, for example A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 3♦. When two players have a flush, the highest card decides. If it is equal, compare the second-highest card, and so on.
Straight
Five consecutive cards that are not all of one suit, for example 10♠ 9♥ 8♦ 7♣ 6♠. The straight with the higher top card wins. If both straights end on the same card, the pot is split.
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank and two unmatched cards, for example 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠. The higher three of a kind wins. If the three of a kind is the same rank, the two kickers decide.
Two pair
Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and a kicker, for example J♠ J♥ 4♦ 4♣ A♠. Compare the higher pair first, then the lower pair, and finally the kicker.
One pair
Two cards of one rank and three unmatched cards, for example 10♠ 10♥ A♦ 7♣ 3♠. The higher pair wins. With equal pairs, the three kickers are compared from highest to lowest.
High card
No pair, straight, or flush, for example A♠ J♥ 9♦ 6♣ 3♠. The highest card decides. If it is equal, compare the next card, and so on.
The ace in a straight
The ace can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), but not both at once. So Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight. The A-2-3-4-5 straight, called the wheel, is the lowest straight, because the five is its top card.
What is a kicker in poker?
A kicker is a card that is not part of your main combination. It decides the winner when two hands have the same category and the same main combination, such as a pair of kings. It matters only for combinations of fewer than five cards: one pair, two pair, three of a kind, and four of a kind.
Here is an example from Texas Hold'em. The board is A♣ K♦ 8♠ 5♥ 2♦. Ann holds K♠ Q♣ and Ben holds K♥ J♦. Both have a pair of kings, so the kickers decide.
Ann's hand is K-K-A-Q-8, and Ben's is K-K-A-J-8. The queen is higher than the jack, so Ann wins.
Who wins? Answers to common questions
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush ranks above a straight. It does not matter which suits are involved, because suits are not ranked. If two players both have a flush, the highest card decides.
Does a straight flush beat four of a kind?
Yes. A straight flush ranks above four of a kind.
What hands beat a straight?
Five hands beat a straight: a flush, a full house, four of a kind, a straight flush, and a royal flush.
Three full houses on the board: who wins?
The board is 9♠ 9♦ 5♣ K♥ 5♦. Player one holds A♣ 9♣, player two holds K♠ K♦ and player three holds 5♥ 2♣. All three make a full house: nines over fives, kings over nines, and fives over nines. The highest three of a kind decides, so the kings win.
What if the best hand is on the board?
If the best five-card hand is the five community cards, every player uses it and the pot is split. That happens when no player's hole cards can improve the board.
How rare is each poker hand?
In Texas Hold'em, your final hand is the best five cards out of seven. If all seven cards are dealt, here is how often each category is your best five-card hand.
| Hand | Chance with seven cards |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.0032% |
| Straight flush | 0.0279% |
| Four of a kind | 0.168% |
| Full house | 2.60% |
| Flush | 3.03% |
| Straight | 4.62% |
| Three of a kind | 4.83% |
| Two pair | 23.5% |
| One pair | 43.8% |
| High card | 17.4% |
Each deal is counted once, in its best category, so the straight flush row excludes the royal flush, and the flush and straight rows exclude the stronger hands. So how rare is a royal flush? It shows up in 4,324 of the 133,784,560 possible seven-card combinations. One pair is the most common final hand.
Notice that high card (17.4%) is rarer than two pair or one pair. Together, one pair and two pair make up about two thirds of all seven-card combinations (67.3%). We checked these odds ourselves by counting all 133,784,560 combinations, and the counts match the published figures.
These are odds for any seven random cards. They do not tell you your chances in a specific hand.
Common mistakes when reading poker hands
Most arguments at the table come from five mistakes.
- Ranking suits. Spades do not beat hearts. Suits are not ranked, so only the card ranks decide.
- Forgetting the kicker. Two players with one pair of kings are not tied until you compare the kickers.
- Wrapping the straight. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight. The ace is high or low, never both.
- Comparing the pair first in a full house. Compare the three of a kind first, and the pair only if the three-card parts are equal.
- Looking for a kicker where there is none. A flush, a straight, and a full house use all five cards, so no kicker is involved.
Hand rankings vs. starting hand rankings
A hand rankings chart, like this one, tells you which finished hand wins. A starting hand chart is a different topic: it ranks the two cards you are dealt before the flop. If you searched for a preflop chart, this is not that chart.
Test yourself
Which is stronger: a full house or a flush? A full house.
Two players each have a pair: one has kings, the other has queens. Who wins? The pair of kings.
Is A-K-Q-J-10 a straight? Yes, the highest straight. If all five cards are of one suit, it is a royal flush.
Poker hand rankings FAQ
What is the best hand in poker called? The royal flush.
What is the lowest hand in poker? High card.
Do suits matter in poker hand rankings? No. Suits are not ranked. They only matter for making a flush or a straight flush.
How many cards make a poker hand? Five. In Texas Hold'em you choose the best five of your seven cards.
What happens if two players have exactly the same hand? The pot is split.
Do I need a kicker for a flush or a straight? No. Those hands use five cards, so the card ranks decide.
Responsible gambling
Poker played for money is gambling. Only play with money you can afford to lose. Real-money online poker is legal only in some US states. It is regulated state by state, and the minimum gambling age is 21+ in many states and 18+ in others, depending on the state and the product. Check your state's gaming regulator before you play for money, and play only on sites licensed in your state.
If gambling stops being fun, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) or visit 1800myreset.org. The National Problem Gambling Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24/7. It provides support and referrals to local resources. In an emergency, call 911 or 988.
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