![A studio image of a hand of playing cards](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/A_studio_image_of_a_hand_of_playing_cards._MOD_45148377.jpg)
In
poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
, players form sets of five
playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a fi ...
s, called ''hands'', according to the
rules of the game
''The Rules of the Game'' (original French title: ''La règle du jeu'') is a 1939 French Satire, satirical comedy-drama film directed by Jean Renoir. The ensemble cast includes Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély, Marcel Dalio, Julien ...
.
Each hand has a
rank
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* ...
, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the
showdown
A showdown is a duel. The term may also refer to:
Places
* Showdown Ski Area, in Montana, United States
Books
* ''Showdown'' (Amado novel), a 1984 novel by Jorge Amado
* ''Showdown'' (Dekker novel), a 2006 novel by Ted Dekker
* ''Showdown'' ( ...
to decide who wins the
pot. In high games, like
Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em (also known as Texas holdem, hold 'em, and holdem) is one of the most popular variants of the card game of poker. Two cards, known as hole cards, are dealt face down to each player, and then five Community card poker, communit ...
and
seven-card stud
Seven-card stud, also known as Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River is a variant of stud poker. Before the 2000s surge of popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most widely played poker variant in home games across the United States ...
, the highest-ranking hands win. In
low games, like
razz, the lowest-ranking hands win. In
high-low split
In traditional poker games, the player with the best traditional hand wins the whole pot. Lowball variations award the pot to the lowest hand, by any of several methods (see Low hand (poker)). High-low split games are those in which the pot is ...
games, both the highest-ranking ''and'' lowest-ranking hands win, though different rules are used to rank the high and low hands.
Each hand belongs to a category determined by the patterns formed by its cards. A hand in a higher-ranking category always ranks higher than a hand in a lower-ranking category. A hand is ranked within its category using the ranks of its cards. Individual cards are ranked, from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2.
However, aces have the lowest rank under
ace-to-five low Lowball or low poker is a variant of poker in which the normal ranking of hands is inverted. Several variations of lowball poker exist, differing in whether aces are treated as high cards or low cards, and whether straights and flushes are used.
Lo ...
or
ace-to-six low Lowball or low poker is a variant of poker in which the normal ranking of hands is inverted. Several variations of lowball poker exist, differing in whether aces are treated as high cards or low cards, and whether Rank of hands (poker)#Straight, str ...
rules, or under high rules as part of a five-high straight or straight flush.
Suits are not ranked, so hands that differ by suit alone are of equal rank.
There are nine categories of hand when using a
standard 52-card deck
The standard 52-card deck of French-suited playing cards is the most common pack of playing cards used today. In English-speaking countries it is the only traditional pack used for playing cards; in many countries of the world, however, it is used ...
, except under ace-to-five low rules where straights, flushes and straight flushes are not recognized. An additional category, five of a kind, exists when using one or more
wild cards
''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...
. The fewer hands a category contains, the higher its rank. There are
ways to deal five cards from the deck but only
distinct hands, because the order in which cards are
dealt or arranged in a hand does not matter.
Moreover, since hands differing only by suit are of equal rank, there are only 7,462 distinct hand ''ranks''.
Hand-ranking categories
Five of a kind
Five of a kind is a hand that contains five cards of one rank, such as ("five of a kind, threes"). It ranks above a straight flush but is only possible when using one or more wild cards, as there are only four cards of each rank in the deck.
Five of a kind, aces, , becomes possible when a
joker is added to the deck as a
bug, a form of wild card that may act as a fifth ace.
Other wild card rules allow jokers or other designated cards to represent any card in the deck, making it possible to form five of a kind of any rank.
Each five of a kind is ranked by the rank of its quintuplet. For example, ranks higher than .
Straight flush
A straight flush is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, all of the same suit, such as (a "queen-high straight flush").
It ranks below five of a kind and above four of a kind.
Under high rules, an ace can rank either high (as in , an ace-high straight flush) or low (as in , a five-high straight flush), but cannot simultaneously rank both high and low (so is an ace-high flush, but not a straight).
Under
deuce-to-seven low Lowball or low poker is a variant of poker in which the normal ranking of hands is inverted. Several variations of lowball poker exist, differing in whether aces are treated as high cards or low cards, and whether straights and flushes are used.
Lo ...
rules, an ace always ranks high (so is an ace-high flush). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always rank low (so is a king-high flush).
Under ace-to-five low rules, straight flushes are not possible (so is a nine-high hand).
Each straight flush is ranked by the rank of its highest-ranking card. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Straight flush hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
An ace-high straight flush, such as , is called a ''royal flush'' or royal straight flush and is the best possible hand in ace-high games when wild cards are not used.
A five-high straight flush, such as , is called a steel wheel and is both the best low hand ''and'' usually the best high hand of the showdown in ace-to-five high-low split games.
Four of a kind
Four of a kind, also known as ''quads'', is a hand that contains four cards of one rank and one card of another rank (the
kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
), such as ("four of a kind, nines"). It ranks below a straight flush and above a full house.
Each four of a kind is ranked first by the rank of its quadruplet, and then by the rank of its kicker. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Four of a kind hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
Full house
A full house, also known as a ''full boat'' or a ''tight'' or a ''boat'' (and originally called a full hand), is a hand that contains three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as (a "full house, threes over sixes" or "threes full of sixes" or "threes full").
It ranks below four of a kind and above a flush.
Each full house is ranked first by the rank of its triplet, and then by the rank of its pair. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Full house hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
Flush
A flush is a hand that contains five cards all of the same suit, not all of sequential rank, such as (a "king-high flush" or a "king-ten-high flush"). It ranks below a full house and above a straight.
Under ace-to-five low rules, flushes are not possible (so is a jack-high hand).
Each flush is ranked first by the rank of its highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its third highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its fourth highest-ranking card, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking card. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Flush hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
Straight
A straight is a hand that contains five cards of sequential rank, not all of the same suit, such as (a "seven-high straight"). It ranks below a flush and above three of a kind.
Under high rules, an ace can rank either high (as in , an ace-high straight) or low (as in , a five-high straight), but cannot simultaneously rank both high and low (so is an ace-high hand).
Under deuce-to-seven low rules, an ace always ranks high (so is an ace-high hand). Under ace-to-six low rules, an ace always ranks low (so is a king-high hand).
Under ace-to-five low rules, straights are not possible (so is a ten-high hand).
Each straight is ranked by the rank of its highest-ranking card. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Straight hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
An ace-high straight, such as , is called a Broadway straight, while a five-high straight, such as , is called a baby straight, ''bicycle'' or ''wheel'' and is the best possible hand in ace-to-five low games (where it is a high card hand, not a straight).
Three of a kind
Three of a kind, also known as ''trips'' or a ''set'', is a hand that contains three cards of one rank and two cards of two other ranks (the kickers), such as ("three of a kind, twos" or "trip twos" or a "set of twos"). It ranks below a straight and above two pair.
Each three of a kind is ranked first by the rank of its triplet, then by the rank of its highest-ranking kicker, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking kicker. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Three of a kind hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
In
community card
Community card poker refers to any game of poker that uses community cards (also called "shared cards"), which are cards dealt face up in the center of the table and shared by all players. In these games, each player is dealt an incomplete hand ...
games, such as Texas hold 'em, three of a kind is called a ''set'' only when it comprises a
pocket pair and a third card on the
board.
Two pair
Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and one card of a third rank (the kicker), such as ("two pair, jacks and fours" or "two pair, jacks over fours" or "jacks up").
It ranks below three of a kind and above one pair.
Each two pair is ranked first by the rank of its higher-ranking pair, then by the rank of its lower-ranking pair, and finally by the rank of its kicker. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . Two pair hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
One pair
One pair, or simply a ''pair'', is a hand that contains two cards of one rank and three cards of three other ranks (the kickers), such as ("one pair, fours" or a "pair of fours"). It ranks below two pair and above high card.
Each one pair is ranked first by the rank of its pair, then by the rank of its highest-ranking kicker, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking kicker, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking kicker. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . One-pair hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
High card
High card, also known as no pair or simply ''nothing'', is a hand that does not fall into any other category, such as ("high card, king" or "king-jack-high" or "king-high").
Note that under ace-to-five low rules, straights, flushes and straight flushes are not possible, so such hands are instead high card hands.
It ranks below one pair.
Each high card hand is ranked first by the rank of its highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its second highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its third highest-ranking card, then by the rank of its fourth highest-ranking card, and finally by the rank of its lowest-ranking card. For example, ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than , which ranks higher than . High card hands that differ by suit alone, such as and , are of equal rank.
Under deuce-to-seven low rules, a seven-five-high hand, such as , is the best possible hand.
Under ace-to-six low rules, where aces have the lowest rank, a six-four-high hand, such as , is the best possible hand.
Under ace-to-five low rules, where aces have the lowest rank ''and'' straights, flushes and straight flushes are not possible, a five-high hand, such as or , commonly known as a ''bicycle'' or ''wheel'', is the best possible hand.
See also
*
Glossary of poker terms
The following is a glossary of poker terms used in the card game of poker. It supplements the glossary of card game terms. Besides the terms listed here, there are thousands of common and uncommon poker slang terms. This is not intended to be ...
*
List of playing-card nicknames This list of playing card nicknames shows the nicknames of playing cards in a standard 52-card pack. Some are generic, some are specific to certain card games; others to specific patterns, for example, the courts of French playing cards often bear t ...
*
Non-standard poker hand
Non-standard poker hands are hands which are not recognized by official poker rules but are made by house rules. Non-standard hands usually appear in games using wild cards or bugs. Other terms for nonstandard hands are special hands or freak ha ...
*
Poker probability
In poker, the probability of each type of 5-card hand can be computed by calculating the proportion of hands of that type among all possible hands.
History
Probability and gambling have been ideas since long before the invention of poker. The ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poker hands
Gaming-related lists