What Beats What in Poker Hands (Quick Ranking List)

In Texas Hold’em, the goal is to make the strongest five-card poker hand you can, using any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards. If nobody makes a qualifying hand such as a pair, the highest card—or the next-highest card, called the kicker—can decide the pot.

This quick guide covers the poker hand order from strongest to weakest, how ties work, and what common draw odds look like on the flop and turn. Keep the ranking list handy, but remember: a strong-looking hand can still lose when the board changes or an opponent has a better kicker.

Texas Hold’em hand rankings: strongest to weakest

1. Royal flush

   A, K, Q, J, 10, all in the same suit. This is the highest possible hand and cannot be beaten. A royal flush is the ace-high version of a straight flush.

2. Straight flush

   Five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 9♠, 8♠, 7♠, 6♠, 5♠. The higher the top card, the stronger the straight flush. The ace can be high or low in a straight, but not wrap around: A-2-3-4-5 is valid; Q-K-A-2-3 is not.

3. Four of a kind

   Four cards of the same rank, such as four jacks. The fifth card is the kicker. If two players have four of a kind, the higher set wins; if the four matching cards are on the board, the higher kicker breaks the tie.

4. Full house

   Three cards of one rank plus a pair of another, such as three queens and two fives. Compare the three-of-a-kind rank first, then the pair. A full house with three aces beats one with three kings, regardless of the pair.

5. Flush

   Five cards of the same suit, not in consecutive order. Compare the highest card in each flush, then the next-highest, continuing as needed. Suits do not have different strengths in poker: a spade flush does not automatically beat a heart flush.

6. Straight

   Five consecutive ranks in more than one suit, such as 8-7-6-5-4. Compare the highest card. An ace can be high in A-K-Q-J-10 or low in 5-4-3-2-A. A straight is about consecutive ranks, not matching suits.

7. Three of a kind

   Three cards of the same rank, plus two other cards. Compare the three matching cards first, then the highest kicker, then the second kicker if needed. For example, three tens with an ace kicker beats three tens with a king kicker.

8. Two pair

   Two different pairs plus a fifth card. Compare the higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker. If both players have the same two pair, the fifth card matters: A-A-8-8-K beats A-A-8-8-Q.

9. One pair

   Two cards of the same rank plus three unrelated cards. Compare the pair first, then the three kickers from highest to lowest. If you both have a pair of nines, an ace kicker can be the difference between winning and losing.

10. High card

    If no player has at least a pair, the highest card determines the hand. Compare the next-highest cards in order if the top cards match. A-K-9-6-3 beats A-Q-10-8-2 because the second card, king, beats queen.

Quick poker hand order list

Rank Hand Example 1Royal flushA-K-Q-J-10, same suit 2Straight flush9-8-7-6-5, same suit 3Four of a kindJ-J-J-J plus a kicker 4Full houseQ-Q-Q-5-5 5FlushFive cards of one suit 6Straight8-7-6-5-4 7Three of a kind10-10-10 plus two kickers 8Two pairA-A-8-8 plus a kicker 9One pair9-9 plus three kickers 10High cardA-K-9-6-3

How to use hand rankings in Texas Hold’em

In Hold’em, you are not required to use both hole cards. Your best straight odds poker five-card hand can use both, one, or none of them. The five community cards may already make the best hand available to everyone, in which case players split the pot unless a side pot or other game rule applies.

For example, if the board is 10♣-J♣-Q♣-K♣-A♣, every player has a royal flush using the board. Your two hole cards do not improve it. By contrast, if the board is A♠-A♥-7♦-4♣-2♠ and you hold K♣-Q♦, your best hand is a pair of aces with king, queen, and seven kickers. An opponent holding A♦ has three of a kind and beats your pair.

That is why the kicker matters most when players have the same hand category and matching main ranks. If you have A-Q and your opponent has A-J on a board where both of you pair the ace, your queen kicker beats their jack. But if the board itself supplies the same five-card hand to both players, the pot is split.

Hand odds and probabilities

Hand probabilities depend on the number of cards considered. The familiar odds below are for a random five-card hand dealt from a standard 52-card deck. They are useful for understanding rarity, but they are not the exact odds of ending up with each category in Hold’em, where players make the best five-card hand from seven available cards.

Five-card hand Approximate probability About one in Royal flush0.000154%649,740 Straight flush, excluding royal flush0.00139%72,193 Four of a kind0.0240%4,165 Full house0.1441%694 Flush, excluding straight flushes0.1965%509 Straight, excluding straight flushes0.3925%255 Three of a kind2.1128%47 Two pair4.7539%21 One pair42.2569%2.4 High card50.1177%2

Four of a kind odds: 0.0240% (1 in 4,164), and also stated about 1 in 4,165. The exact five-card calculation is 624 four-of-a-kind combinations out of 2,598,960 possible hands, which is 1 in 4,165. You may see 1 in 4,164 in rounded or quoted references; the difference is just in how the figure is presented.

Draw odds by flop and turn

A draw is an incomplete hand that can improve if the next card is right. The number of unseen cards that help you is your outs. In a standard 52-card deck, there are 47 unseen cards after the flop if you know your two hole cards and the three board cards. After the turn, there are 46 unseen cards.

These examples assume your outs really do make the best hand. In a real pot, an apparent out may help an opponent too, or may not be clean if it completes a stronger draw. Use the percentages as a starting point, not a guarantee.

Draw Outs Hit on next card Hit by river from flop Flush draw919.1% on turn35.0% Open-ended straight draw817.0% on turn31.5% Gutshot straight draw48.5% on turn16.5%

For example, a four-flush on the flop usually gives you nine cards that complete the flush: 9 out of 47 is about 19.1% to hit on the turn. If you miss, the chance to hit on the river is 9 out of 46, or about 19.6%. If you know you will see both turn and river, the chance to hit at least once is about 35.0%.

An open-ended straight draw has eight outs in the usual case. Eight out of 47 is about 17.0% to hit on the turn, and the chance to get there by the river is about 31.5%. Don’t call this a flush draw: a straight draw needs a consecutive rank, while a flush draw needs five cards of the same suit.

The quick “rule of 2 and 4” gives a rough estimate: multiply your outs by two for the chance of hitting on the next card, or by four from the flop when you expect to see both remaining cards. It is an approximation—nine outs times four gives 36%, close to the exact 35.0%. Use the exact calculation when the decision is close.

Printable cheat sheets and equity charts

A printable poker hand rankings cheat sheet is useful when you are learning the poker hand order or teaching new players. A compact chart should show the categories from royal flush down to high card, note that suits are equal, and include a reminder about kickers and the ace-low straight. Keep it beside the table for quick checks rather than trying to memorize everything at once.

Equity charts are a different tool. They estimate how often a hand wins or ties against another hand or a range of possible hands. Hand rankings tell you which five-card combination is stronger at showdown; equity tells you how likely you are to win as the remaining community cards are dealt. For example, a pair can currently be ahead but still have less equity if an opponent has a strong draw.

When using charts, check the assumptions: number of players, whether the hands are known or ranges are used, and whether the calculation is preflop, on the flop, or on the turn. A chart cannot account for every betting decision, but it can help you understand whether a call is plausible and how many cards may improve your hand.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

• Reading only your hole cards: Always build the best five-card hand from all seven available cards.
• Forgetting kickers: If you and an opponent have the same pair or trips, the side cards may decide the pot. If villain has A-10 and you have A-9 on a board where both pair the ace, villain’s ten kicker beats your nine.
• Giving suits a ranking: Spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs are equal in standard poker. They do not break ties.
• Confusing a straight with a flush draw: A straight uses consecutive ranks; a flush uses five cards of one suit. One draw does not automatically mean the other.
• Counting dirty outs as certain: A card that completes your draw may also give an opponent a full house, a higher flush, or a better straight. Reassess the board before treating every out as clean.

Bottom line

The basic poker hands ranked list is simple: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card. In Texas Hold’em, use the best five cards available, compare matching hands carefully, and do not overlook the kicker. For draws, count your outs and use the flop and turn percentages to make a more informed decision. A printable cheat sheet helps with the rankings; equity charts and odds calculations help with what to do next.