Poker Hand Rankings, Strongest to Weakest
Every poker variant shares the same hand ranking. Learn the order once and it holds for Hold'em, Omaha and five-card draw alike.
The ten hands in order
| Rank | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ |
| 3 | Four of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ 7♣ K♠ |
| 4 | Full house | J♠ J♥ J♦ 4♣ 4♠ |
| 5 | Flush | K♦ 10♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦ |
| 6 | Straight | 9♣ 8♦ 7♠ 6♥ 5♣ |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 5♠ 5♥ 5♦ Q♣ 8♠ |
| 8 | Two pair | A♠ A♥ 6♦ 6♣ 9♠ |
| 9 | One pair | 10♠ 10♥ K♦ 7♣ 3♠ |
| 10 | High card | A♠ J♥ 8♦ 5♣ 2♠ |
How ties are broken
When two players hold the same category, the higher ranking cards decide. Two players with a pair of kings compare their next highest card — the kicker — then the next, and so on. Suits never break a tie; if all five cards match in rank, the pot is split.
Blinds in a home game
- The dealer button rotates one seat clockwise after every hand.
- The player left of the button posts the small blind, the next posts the big blind (usually double).
- A common home structure starts at 1/2 with 100-point stacks and doubles every 20 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
No. A flush beats a straight, because five cards of one suit are rarer than five in sequence. It is the most common ranking mistake at home games.
Yes — A-2-3-4-5 is a valid straight, known as the wheel, and it is the lowest possible one. The ace cannot sit in the middle: Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.