Poker Hand Rankings

The outcome of poker games is determined by the hand held by each player at the showdown. Poker hands are ranked as follows, from the best possible hand to the worst possible hand:

Royal Flush - A, K, Q, J and 10 of the same suit.

Straight Flush - Five consecutively ranked cards of the same suit, such as A, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of hearts.

Four of a Kind - Four cards of equal rank, e.g. A, A, A, A

Full House - Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, A, A, A, K, K

Flush - Five cards of the same suit.

Straight - Five cards of consecutive rank (e.g., 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) but not of the same suit.

Three of a Kind - Three cards of the same rank, such as A, A, A, 2, 4

Two Pair - Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, A, A, 3, 3, K

One Pair - Two cards of the same rank, e.g, A, A, 4, 8, 9

High Card - Where no other hand has been made, the hand is valued according to the highest card.

If there is ever a tie between two or more players (for example, because two players have a straight) then the winner will be the player with the highest card in that hand. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 would therefore beat 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Suits are irrelevant as far as values are concerned and are therefore not used to decide on tied pots.

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