Rules
Texas hold'em hand rankings
Updated October 22, 2026
In Texas hold'em every player makes the best five-card hand from their two hole cards and the five cards on the board. Here is how those hands rank, from strongest to weakest, and how to settle the ties that start arguments.
The ten hands, strongest first
- Royal flush: A K Q J 10, all in one suit. A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
- Straight flush: Five cards in a row, all in one suit. 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥
- Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank. Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 7♦
- Full house: Three of a kind plus a pair. J♠ J♥ J♦ 4♣ 4♠
- Flush: Any five cards of one suit. A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 2♦
- Straight: Five cards in a row, mixed suits. 10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank. 7♣ 7♥ 7♠ K♦ 2♣
- Two pair: Two different pairs. K♠ K♦ 5♣ 5♥ 9♠
- One pair: Two cards of the same rank. 10♥ 10♣ A♠ 8♦ 3♣
- High card: None of the above: the highest card plays. A♣ J♥ 9♦ 6♠ 3♥
How ties are broken
- Higher cards win within a hand type. A pair of kings beats a pair of tens; a straight to the jack beats a straight to the nine.
- Kickers settle equal hands. With the same pair, the next-highest card decides, then the next, up to five cards. A♠ A♦ K♣ beats A♥ A♣ Q♠ when the rest of the board is the same.
- Suits never rank. Two flushes are compared card by card from the top; if all five match in rank, the pot is split.
- The board can play. If the best five cards for both players are all on the board, they split the pot, whatever their hole cards are.
Questions that come up at the table
- Can the ace be low? Yes, in A 2 3 4 5, the lowest straight. It cannot wrap around: Q K A 2 3 is not a straight.
- Do I have to use my hole cards? No. You use any five of the seven cards, including both, one or none of yours.
- Is a full house better than a flush? Yes. The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks, and a full house is rarer than a flush.
- Who shows first? The last player to bet or raise on the final round shows first; if everyone checked, the first player to the left of the button shows first.
Replay the night
Octofelt is a smart poker mat in development. It reads the cards at the table, records every bet, and turns each hand into a replay on your phone, so the hand everyone argues about afterwards is one tap away. See the hardware or join the list to hear when it is ready.