Poker hand rankings, from best to worst
All In team · 4 November 2026
Every poker game, from Texas Hold'em to video poker, uses the same hand rankings. Learn these ten hands and you can sit down at almost any poker table.
A poker hand is always the best five cards. In Texas Hold'em you make it from your two cards and the five on the board; in video poker and Caribbean Stud you are dealt five.
The 10 poker hands, ranked
| 1. Royal flush | A K Q J 10, all one suit | The best hand in poker. Unbeatable. |
|---|---|---|
| 2. Straight flush | Five in a row, one suit (9 8 7 6 5) | A higher top card wins. |
| 3. Four of a kind | Four cards of one rank (7 7 7 7) | Higher four of a kind wins. |
| 4. Full house | Three of a kind plus a pair (K K K 4 4) | Compare the three of a kind first. |
| 5. Flush | Any five of one suit | Highest card wins, then the next, and so on. |
| 6. Straight | Five in a row, mixed suits (8 7 6 5 4) | A higher top card wins. A 2 3 4 5 is the lowest. |
| 7. Three of a kind | Three of one rank (Q Q Q) | Higher three of a kind wins. |
| 8. Two pair | Two different pairs (J J 3 3) | Highest pair first, then the second pair, then the fifth card. |
| 9. One pair | Two of one rank (10 10) | Higher pair wins, then the highest other cards. |
| 10. High card | None of the above | Highest card wins. |
How ties are broken
When two players have the same type of hand, compare the cards that make the hand first, then the remaining cards (the "kickers") from highest down. Suits never break a tie in standard poker. If all five cards match in rank, the pot is split.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a flush beats a full house. It does not: full house is higher.
- Counting more than five cards. Only your best five count, even in Hold'em where you can see seven.
- Forgetting the Ace plays both ends. A K Q J 10 and A 2 3 4 5 are both straights, but K A 2 3 4 is not.
- Playing the board. In Hold'em, if the best five cards are all on the table, everyone still in the hand ties.
One exception: Three Card Poker
With only three cards, straights are rarer than flushes, so in Three Card Poker a straight beats a flush and three of a kind beats a straight.
Practise for free
The fastest way to learn the rankings is to play. Try Texas Hold'em against computer players or Jacks or Better video poker on All In, free with virtual coins.
Play Texas Hold'em online with your friends, free. Make a private room, send your mates the 6-letter code or link, and you're all at the same table in your browser. No download and no real money.
Play now About Texas Hold'emMore guides
- How to play blackjack: rules and basic strategy
- What is a social casino?
- Craps for beginners: how to play and the best bets
- Texas Hold'em starting hands: which to play and which to fold
- Jacks or Better video poker strategy: which cards to hold
- How to play keno: how many numbers to pick and the real odds
- How to play online bingo: lines, cards and simple tips
- Horse racing bets explained: win, place, each way, quinella and trifecta
- Chess openings for beginners
- Free pokies online: how social casino pokies work in Australia
- How to play sic bo: the three-dice game explained
- How to play roulette: a beginner's guide to the wheel
- How to play poker with friends online for free
- How to play Three Card Poker
- How to play Pai Gow Poker
- How to play Caribbean Stud Poker
- How to play Plinko
- How to play Mines
- How to play Casino War
- How to play the Money Wheel
- How to play Hi-Lo
All In Social Casino is a social casino game for entertainment only. Coins have no cash value. If gambling is causing you harm, Gambling Help Online is free and confidential on 1800 858 858.