Poker Sequences: The WHAT's & HOW's of Poker Hands Ranking

Poker is a popular card game that involves skill and strategy. The goal of poker is to form the best possible five-card hand from the cards you are dealt and the cards that are shared by all players on the table. The ranking of poker hands is based on the probability of getting them, with the rarest and strongest hands being more valuable than the common and weaker ones.

In this article, we will explain the poker hand rankings and the poker sequences that make up each hand. We will also give you some tips on how to play poker hands effectively and how to use hands ranking charts and poker hierarchy charts as tools to improve your game.

Poker Hand Rankings

There are nine categories of poker hands when using a standard 52-card deck. Each hand belongs to a category determined by the patterns formed by its cards. A hand that's in a higher ranking category always ranks higher than a hand that falls 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 can be either high or low depending on the type of hand they are part of. For example, an ace can be used as the highest card in a straight of A-K-Q-J-10 or as the lowest card in a straight of 5-4-3-2-A. Suits are not ranked, so hands that differ by suit alone are of equal rank.

Here are the nine categories of poker hands, listed from highest to lowest:

Royal Flush

A royal flush is the best possible hand one can make make in poker. It consists of five cards of the same suit in sequential order from 10 to ace. For example, 10-J-Q-K-A of spades is a royal flush. The probability of getting a royal flush is very low, about 0.000154% or one in 649,739.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is the second-best possible hand in poker. It consists of five cards of the same suit in sequential order other than a royal flush. For example, 9-10-J-Q-K of hearts is a straight flush. The rank of a straight flush is determined by the highest card in the sequence. For example, 9-10-J-Q-K of hearts beats 6-7-8-9-10 of clubs because the king is higher than the ten. The probability of getting a straight flush is also very low, about 0.00139% or one in 72,193.

Four of a Kind

A four of a kind is the third-best possible hand in poker. It consists of four cards of the same rank and one card of another rank. For example, Q-Q-Q-Q-2 is a four of a kind. The rank of a four of a kind is determined by the rank of the four cards. For example, Q-Q-Q-Q-2 beats J-J-J-J-A because the queen is higher than the jack. If two players have four of a kind with the same rank, then the fifth card (called the kicker) decides who wins. For example, Q-Q-Q-Q-A beats Q-Q-Q-Q-2 because the ace is higher than the two. The probability of getting a four of a kind is very low, about 0.024% or one in 4,165.

Full House

A full house is the fourth-best possible hand in poker. It consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, J-J-J-4-4 is a full house. The rank of a full house is determined by the rank of the three cards (called the set) and then by the rank of the two cards (called the pair). For example, J-J-J-4-4 beats 10-10-10-A-A because the jack is higher than the ten. If two players have full houses with the same rank of the set, then the rank of the pair decides who wins. For example, J-J-J-A-A beats J-J-J-K-K because the ace is higher than the king. If two players have full houses with the same rank of both the set and the pair, then they split the pot. The probability of getting a full house is low, about 0.144% or one in 694.

Read more to know about how poker sequence works.