Poker Hand Ranking

Royal Flush
The five highest cards, the 10 through the Ace, all five of the same suit. A royal flush is actually an ace-high straight flush. Which suit it is doesn’t matter in poker. Two people with royal flushes would tie.

Straight Flush
Any five cards of the same suit in consecutive numerical order. Our example shows a five-high straight flush.

Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same denomination. Our example shows four jacks with a deuce kicker.

Full House
Any three cards of the same denomination, plus any pair of a different denomination. Ties are broken first by the three of a kind, then the pair. Our example shows sevens full of threes.

Flush
Any five non-consecutive cards of the same suit. Our example shows a queen-high diamond flush.

Straight
Any five consecutive cards of mixed suits. Ace can be high or low. Our example shows a six-to-ten straight.

Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same denomination.Our example displays three of a kind, fours.

Two Pair
Any two cards of the same denomination, plus any other two cards of the same denomination. If both hands have the same high pair, the second pair wins. If both pairs tie, the high card wins. Our example shows two pair, eights and fives.

Pair
Any two cards of the same denomination. Our example displays a pair of nines. In a tie, the high card wins.

High Card
If no other hand is achieved, the highest card held wins. In our example, the king of hearts is the high card.

Popular Variants

The most popular poker variants are as follows:

Draw poker

Players each receive five — as in five-card draw — or more cards, all of which are hidden. They can then replace one or more of these cards a certain number of times.

Stud poker

Players each receive five — as in five-card stud — or more cards; some cards are dealt face up, one at a time, and displayed to other players at the table. The key differences between stud and ‘draw’ poker are that players are not allowed to discard or replace any cards in stud poker and that part of a players’ hand in stud is exposed rather than the entire hand being hidden as in draw.

Community card poker

Players combine individually dealt cards with a number of “community cards” dealt face up and shared by all players. Each player will attempt to make the best five card poker hand using the community cards and their own face down cards. Two or four individual cards are dealt in the most popular variations, Texas hold ’em and Omaha hold ’em, respectively.

Game Play

In casual play, the right to deal a hand typically rotates among the players and is marked by a token called a ‘dealer’ button (or “buck”). In a casino, a house dealer (croupier) handles the cards for each hand, but the button (typically a white plastic disk) is rotated clockwise among the players to indicate a nominal dealer to determine the order of betting.

One or more players are required to make forced bets to create an initial stake for which the players will contest. The dealer shuffles the cards, cuts, and deals the appropriate number of cards to the players one at a time. Cards may be dealt either face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of poker being played. After the initial deal, the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. Between rounds, the players’ hands develop in some way, often by being dealt additional cards or replacing cards previously dealt. At the end of each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot.

At any time during a betting round, if a player makes a bet, opponents are required to fold, call or raise. If one player bets and no opponents choose to call (match) the bet, the hand ends immediately, the bettor is awarded the pot, no cards are required to be shown, and the next hand begins. Players may choose to check, this is where no one makes a bet and the next card is dealt. This possibility of winning a pot without showing a hand makes bluffing possible. Bluffing is a primary feature of poker, one that distinguishes it from other vying games and from other games that make use of poker hand rankings.

At the end of the last betting round, if more than one player remains, there is a showdown, in which the players reveal their previously hidden cards and evaluate their hands. The player with the best hand according to the poker variant being played wins the pot.

Getting Started

Poker is a card game in which players bet on the value of the hand (card combination) in their possession, by placing a bet into a central pot. The winner is the one who holds the hand with the highest value according to an established hand rankings hierarchy, or otherwise the player who remains “in the hand” after all others have folded (the player who makes an un-called bet.).Poker has many variations, all following a similar pattern of play. Depending on the variant, hands may be formed using cards which are concealed from others, or from a combination of concealed cards and community cards.

Welcome

Welcome to School of Poker. You will find the rules, strategies, tips to play and enjoy the game like a pro.