Texas Holdem Hand Rankings | Hand Rankings for Beginners | A Guide to Holdem Poker Hand Rankings |
Understanding Texas Holdem Hand Rankings
All forms of Holdem hands are made up of five cards and the same is true when you play Texas Holdem online. In a game of Texas Holdem all players receive two of their own cards usually know as 'hole' or 'pocket' cards. These are then coupled with a number of 'community' cards to make up your hand.
The following guide lists the hand rankings in order from highest to lowest and should be applied when you play Texas Holdem online.
Royal Flush: The Royal Flush is the best hand available in all forms of holdem. This hand consists of five suited cards in sequence from Ten through to Ace
Straight Flush: As with the Royal Flush, the Straight Flush must consist of a five card sequence of the same suit. However, it can be any consecutive suited cards. You can therefore achieve a straight flush from an Ace to Five up to a Nine to King.
Four of a Kind: As the name suggests, the Four of a Kind contains four, equally ranked, cards. This hand is often referred to as 'quads' when you play Texas Holdem online. If multiple players hold quads then the winner is decided by the rank of the cards involved.
Full House: A Full House is made up of 'Three of a Kind' and a 'Pair'. If more than one player holds a full house then the winner can be decided by the value of the three of a kind. If this is also shared then the value of the pair is required to decide the winner.
Straight: With similarities to the Straight Flush, a Straight must contain five consecutive cards but this time they will be unsuited. If players are tied holding straights then the player with the highest card wins. If more than one player shares the same straight then the pot will be split.
Three of a Kind: As the name suggests, a Three of a Kind is made up of three cards of the same rank. When you play Texas Holdem online many people will sometimes share the same three cards so the deciding factors are the remaining side cards.
Two Pair: A Two Pair consists of two pairs of cards of equal values. Winning hands will be decided by the higher of the two pairs, followed by the rank of the second pair if required. If there is still no clear winner then the side cards again come into play.
Pair: A Pair is exactly as it sounds; one pair of cards of any value. When you play Texas Holdem online, most games will feature hands containing pairs and winning hands are decided purely on rank. As with many of the hands above, if the highest pair is shared then the side cards are required to decide the winner.
High Card: If no players left in the hand have managed to produce any of the hands above, then the winner must be decided by the high card. The highest winning card is an Ace followed by a King and so on. If multiple players share the same one or two top cards then the remaining cards are required.
