What Is Considered A Poker Hand?
Poker hands are a combination of five cards, consisting of hole cards and community cards. When the round starts, players receive two hole cards, which only they should see. During the game, five community cards are placed on the table and can be used by any player to create poker combinations.
However, poker hand rankings vary according to the cards obtained. The higher your poker hand order, the more likely you are to take the pot. Poker hands are compared in the final phase of the game, called the showdown.
Combinations can be created by using poker suits, the order of poker hands, and other conditions, such as the number of each card. Below, we included a guide to help you understand the best winning hands in poker.
How many poker hand combinations exist?
Poker hands aren’t unique, as they can be obtained through several card combinations. For instance, 1,098,240 potential poker combinations can create a pair, but only four for a royal flush. In total, 2,598,960 combinations can be used to create poker hands.
The fewer combinations a hand has, the higher the poker hierarchy, or the poker hand rankings, are. Take the royal flush, for instance – the odds of obtaining the best hand in poker are approximately one in 649,739. On the other hand, the odds of landing a high card are almost one to one, or 50.1%.
All Poker Hands Ranked
Different poker combinations have different poker hand rankings. As we previously explained, the rarest poker hands are the most valuable. However, please note that all combinations can be winning hands in poker, provided they’re more valuable than your opponents’ hands.
We compiled a short guide to help you understand the best hands of poker. You can find all the poker hands ranked below:
 | Royal Flush The royal flush is the best hand in poker but also the hardest to obtain. It consists of a Straight Flush from 10 to Ace. |
 | Straight Flush The straight flush is second in the poker hierarchy. You’ll need five consecutive cards from the same suit to obtain this hand. |
 | Four of a Kind Also known as a “poker”, this hand consists of four cards of the same designation with different poker suits. |
 | Full House A full house combines a three of a kind and a pair. The poker hands with the most valuable three of a kind will win the remaining. |
 | Flush A flush consists of five cards of the same poker suit in no particular order. The highest-value card wins in the case of a tie. |
 | Straight A straight refers to all poker hands with five consecutive cards from different suits. Aces can be on either end of the sequence. |
 | Three of a Kind This hand only uses three cards, which must have the same designation. The remaining cards are used in the event of a tie. |
 | Two Pair A two pair is a poker hand with two sets of cards from the same type, such as two Aces and two fours. The last card is considered in case of a tie. |
 | Pair A pair is one of the most simple poker hands. The remaining high cards will be considered if more than one player has a pair. |
 | High Card A high card is the name given to a sequence that doesn’t contain any combination. Consider folding if you’re not getting lucky. |
What Are All The Poker Combinations?
Now, let’s look into all the individual poker positions or rankings. This handy guide will walk you through the order of poker hands, starting from the most valuable.
While you can’t ensure you’ll get a specific hand, you can shift the odds in your favor by following a hand strategy. This requires being constantly aware of the odds of hitting a particular hand while accurately predicting what your opponent could have.
Royal Flush
The best hand in poker. It consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace from the same poker suits. Only four potential combinations can result in a royal flush, and the odds of landing this hand are one in 649,739.
Straight Flush
The straight flush is one of the top poker hand rankings. It consists of five consecutive cards from the same suit, although not as high as a royal flush. There are 36 straight flush poker combinations in a 52-card deck, with the odds being one in 72,193.
Four of a kind
This hand is among the top poker positions. To obtain it, you’ll need four cards of the same designation, such as four Aces. 624 poker combinations can result in this hand, with the odds of landing one being one in 4,165.
Full House
A full house is a hand that consists of three cards of the same value and a pair. An example would be three 7s and two Aces. There are 3,744 poker combinations to obtain a full house in a game of poker. The odds of landing this hand are one in 693.16.
Flush
A flush consists of five cards of the same poker suits, although not in order. For instance, you could have 2, 3, 7, Jack, and King of Hearts. You can obtain this hand from 5,108 potential combinations, with the odds being one in 508.8.
Straight
A straight is five consecutive cards that aren’t from the same suit: 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. There are 10,200 ways to create a straight from a 52-card deck. The odds of landing a straight are one in 253.8.
Three of a kind
Three of a kind is the third to last combination in the poker hand order. You’ll need at least three matching cards to obtain this hand. There are 54,912 ways to create a three of a kind in a poker game, with the odds being one in 46.33.
Two pair
A two pair is the second least valuable poker hand. As the name implies, you’ll need to pair to obtain this hand. You can create a two pair from 123,552 potential poker combinations, and the odds are one in 20.03.
Pair
Pairs are the least valuable hand in the poker hierarchy. It only requires having two matching cards, whether or not they’re from the same suit. A pair can be made from 1,098,240 combinations. The odds of landing a pair are one in 1.36.
High Card
A high card isn’t a hand per se, but it’s part of the poker hand rankings. It means you have no matching cards or suits. High cards are compared according to the most valuable card in the combination. There are 1,302,540 poker combinations to create a high card hand, with the odds of doing so being nearly one to one.
Improving Your Games By Learning About Poker Hands
Knowing about poker hands can make or break your game. Paying attention to the cards being dealt to the table allows you to calculate the odds of obtaining a specific hand and what poker combinations your opponents may have. This can turn your combinations into winning hands in poker.
The game’s goal is to ensure your cards have the highest poker hand rankings. However, you can always bluff your way through and make your opponent believe you have the best hand in poker. The choice is yours.