Texas Hold’em Poker Hand Ranking
the author
Otto Bergstrom
date post
Nov 16, 2022
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Expert Tips Texas Hold’em Poker Hand Ranking
- Memorize the hand rankings or print it out when you play.
- Play Texas Hold’em with free credits at the website of Betsoft.
- When you play start with small bets first to familiarize yourself with the poker hand rankings.
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How Does Texas Hold’em Hand Ranking Work?
The dealer deals each player at the table two cards face down. After a short interval, there will be five community cards on the table.
You can also have a look at our Texas Hold’em strategy sheet.
With the 7 cards available to you the goal is to make the best 5-card hand. It works like this:
- You’ll use your two cards and combine them with the 3 community cards.
- Use one of your hole cards by combining them with the four cards on the table.
- Use the 5 community cards only.
Once the players at the table placed their bets, they’ll reveal their cards with the best possible five-card hand.
The player with the best Texas Hold’em card hand wins the pot. Now, the only way to be a winner is to know the poker hand rankings. Let’s check them out.
If you played 5 Card Draw before you’re already familiar with the hand ranking. Another great poker game is Triple Edge Poker. However, it’s a more volatile game than Texas Hold’em.
Texas Hold’Em Poker Hand Ranking Chart
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Texas Hold’em Hand Rankings
You need to build the possible hand with your 5 cards in Texas Hold’em. Without further ado let’s check out the hand ranking:
1. Royal Flush is 10, J, Q, K, and A of the same card suit. It’s the best hand in Texas Hold’em and it always wins. Some poker players play poker their whole lives without getting a royal flush.
2. Straight Flush is 5 cards such as 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind, is four matching cards like 4 tens.
4. Full House, is three of a kind along with a pair, for example, 5, 5, 5, 9, 9.
5. Flush, 5 cards are of the same suit, they can be clubs, hearts, spades, or diamonds.
6. Straight is when 5 cards are in sequential order, for example, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. An Ace in a straight it counts as a 1, or A in 10, J, Q, K, A.
7. Trips are cards of the same rank with a non-pair. For example, it can be three 8, 8, 8, 3, 6.
8. Two pairs of the same rank plus another pair, for example, 4, 4, 7, 7, 5.
9. Pair, two cards of the same rank with 3 cards that don’t have the same rank. You’re looking at 5, 5, A, 6, 2.
10. High card is when you don’t have a matching hand only a high card. In this case, the J is the high card.
Determining a Winner Texas Hold'em Comparing Hands
Now that you know how the hand rankings work in Texas Hold’em, let’s have a look at it in practice. Granted, it’s not as straightforward as it appears.
Let’s say a player has Q, Q, 3, 3, 5 which is two pairs, it’s not a bad hand, right? What happens if another player also has two pairs of J, J, 10, 10, 4, who wins?
The player with the highest pair wins of two Queens wins. Yeap, Texas Hold’em can be brutal at times. When you play Texas Hold’em for real money always start with the best hand.
Have a look at our infographic, you’ll see plenty of examples where the same hand with the high-card wins. This may be confusing for players who just started playing.
Keep a close eye on your cards and know the hand ranking of Texas Hold’em.
Why the Kicker Is Important in Poker
There’s more to Texas Hold’em poker ranking than what meets the eye. Let’s look at it from another angle only this time if it involves a kicker.
If both players have K, 10, 8, 7, 5 and J, 7, 6, 5, 4 who wins the hand? The player with the highest-ranking kicker or K in this case takes the pot.
The more you play Texas Hold’em the better you’ll understand the rules. There’s also more to the game than just the hand ranking because bluffing applies too.
Poker Hands That Win Consistently
To be good at Texas Hold’em make sure you always play the best hand possible. Just because you don’t have a good hand doesn’t mean you should not play it.
Work your way from the top to bottom, learn the rules, and memorize the hand rankings. Do that and you’ll win consistently.
What It Means Holding the Nuts
Many poker players dream of getting a royal flush but what about getting a hand that can’t lose? We call that the nuts. Meaning when you have a hand that cannot lose.
In poker terms, we call a hand like that the “nuts”. Basically, it combines the community cards and your “hole” cards.
When the dealer deals you a K, 4 of clubs hole cards. The community cards on the table are 8 (clubs), 6 (Clubs), 3 (hearts), 5 (hearts), and 9 (clubs).
You have a K-high hand and the community cards which gives you a Flush, a great hand. Moreover, no player at the table will be able to beat that hand.
Why Hand Ranking is Important
Before you can become successful you must know the finer nuances of hand ranking. Every decision you make at the table will hinge on it.
When we see a pair of Jacks lying on the table we won’t chase the hand. The chances of someone else having four-of-a-kind Jacks are good.
The best way to learn hand ranking is to play for small bets with family or friends. Try and master the basics before you try something else.
If we can give you a tip. Print out the hand ranking sheet and keep it next to you next time you play. Best of all, know when to hold and when to fold.
Poker Hands Probability
If you’re into numbers you’ll find the probability of each poker hand appearing interesting.
Your odds of landing a Royal Flush with a 52-card deck is 2, 598, 960. Therefore, don’t try and focus on getting a royal when you play poker. Rather shoot for the low-hanging fruit.
Focus instead on hands such as a full house, straight, and trips that land often.
Frequently Asked Questions Texas Hold'em Poker Hand Ranking
When you look at our infographic a Royal Flush is the highest or best hand. Next in line is a Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House, and Flush. Followed by a Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card.
A straight is when you have 5 cards that are sequential such as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Note, the hand is not of the same suit. A straight flush is when the cards are of the same suit and they’re sequential. We must point out that a straight flush is a very strong hand.
Though a straight is not a bad hand it’s by no means the best. The hands that beat a straight are a flush, full house, four-of-a-kind, straight flush, and royal flush.
Hands that beat a straight flush are four-of-a-kind and a Royal Flush.
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