Since time immemorial, poker has been one of the most beloved pastimes for people. The game was first developed in the early 19th century and has gained international fame ever since. Still, while there’s no denying that the game of poker has achieved global recognition and success, many aspiring players find it hard to understand the game. On top of getting a grip on the rules, there are several other aspects of the game that any good player must comprehend thoroughly. Even so, perhaps the most vital skill every greenhorn poker player should learn is deciphering the various poker hands and how they’re ranked.
Although many people perceive poker as a game of chance, there’s a great deal of skill required to ensure you succeed. Unlike other gambling games, which mainly rely on odds from sources such as Sportsbookreview.com, poker players usually have to cling to their wit and knowledge of the game. In short, there are no shortcuts if you want to get better at poker. Therefore, understanding how to make a poker-hand ranking chart could make or break your success in the game.
Poker-Hand Ranking Charts
In the game of poker, a standard ranking system underpins all forms of the game. With this arrangement, players can determine which hand is the best, allowing them to make better in-game decisions according to their individual goals. This article highlights how poker hands are ranked to help novice players understand how they can achieve victory in every game.
Poker Suits
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of poker hands, you must first understand the various poker suits. A standard deck of poker cards has four suits; spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. Spades rank as the highest suit, while clubs are considered the lowest valued ones. The principal function of these suits is to break a tie when two or more players have the same hand.
Royal Flush
The royal flush is the acme of all poker hands. It is the strongest of all poker hands and wins over all the others. For this reason, people in the poker community refer to it as absolute nuts. A royal flush features cards of the same suit in ascending order of value from 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. If you manage to get a royal flush, you can rest assured that no one else can beat your hand. Even so, the odds of getting this precious and coveted hand are nearly impossible. The probability of hitting this poker jackpot is only 0.000154 percent.
Straight Flush
After a royal flush, the next best hand in poker is a straight flush. This represents any hand that contains cards of sequential value which belong in one suit. Therefore, any five cards in sequence and the same suit can make a straight flush. The only thing that beats a straight flush is the extremely rare royal flush.
Four of a Kind
As the name implies, four of a kind is a poker hand made up of four cards of similar value from different suits. It ranks below the royal flush and straight flush and is one of the best poker hands you can get. Still, given that it can occur a lot more frequently, it’s always vital to ensure that your hand is of a high value.
Full House
A full house comprises three cards of the same rank and two cards of a different value. While a full house is not the best poker hand, it’s the most common winning hand. The probability of getting this hand is more compared to a royal flush, straight flush, and four of a kind. For this reason, it’s possible to get multiple players with this hand simultaneously. In such cases, the hand that contains the highest value three of a kind wins.
Flush
A flush in poker is a hand that contains five cards from the same suit. In a flush, the cards don’t need to be in any particular order. In cases where there are multiple players with this hand, the one that features the most valued card is considered the strongest. Despite not being as strong as other poker hands, it can still get you a decent win.
Straight
While a straight may not be a high-ranking poker hand, it can be very worthwhile. A straight contains five cards of sequential ranking but not from the same suit. In a straight, the ace can either be considered a high card or a low one, depending on the sequence of the hand. Even so, it can’t play both roles at the same time.
Three of a Kind
A three of a kind is a poker hand that consists of three cards of the same value and another two cards that don’t form a pair. Since getting this poker hand is a lot easier, the suit may be used to determine the strength of the combination. Three aces make up the strongest Three of a Kind poker hand.
Two Pairs
A Two Pair poker hand denotes a set of five cards that contain two pairs of matching cards. Therefore, such a poker hand comprises two pairs of matching cards; one pair with a certain rank and the other two with a different value.
One Pair
A Pair is a poker hand made of two cards of the same value but from different suits. It’s arguably the most common poker hand as it accounts for almost half of all combinations in a single round. It’s generally not a good poker hand since, in most cases, multiple players can have a Pair during a game.
High Card
At the bottom of all poker-hand rankings is the High Card. In this case, the highest-valued card a player has represents your best hand. A High Card can only beat another High Card of a lower value.
In Conclusion
Even though poker may seem like a challenging game to master, it can be a lot easier once you master the basics. The ranking chart above represents the hierarchy of all poker hands and can help any aspiring player achieve long-term success in the game.
