Poker Hand Rankings: Official Top 10 Poker Hands
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Poker Combinations: Official Ranking of the 10 Poker Hands
By the Tables-Poker.fr team · Updated in 2025 · Reading time: ~12 min
In brief: A poker combination is a set of 5 cards forming a hand recognized by the official rules. It determines the winner at showdown. There are 10 of them, ranked from strongest to weakest.
Quick Ranking (from strongest to weakest):
Royal Flush → Straight Flush → Four of a Kind → Full House → Flush → Straight → Three of a Kind → Two Pair → One Pair → High Card
Whether you're starting at a table with friends or about to play your first tournament, one truth stands out above all else: mastering poker combinations is the absolute prerequisite. Without this knowledge, it's impossible to know whether you should bet, call, or fold.
In Texas Hold'em — the most played variant in the world — each player receives 2 private cards and can combine them with the 5 community cards placed in the center of the table to form the best possible 5-card hand. It is this final hand that, at the showdown, determines the winner of the pot.
This comprehensive guide provides you with everything you need: precise definitions, concrete examples with real cards, probabilities of appearance, tie-breaking rules, and proven tips for memorizing the ranking in a few games. Follow the guide.
What is a poker combination?
A poker combination — also called a hand — is a set of 5 cards whose value is defined by the official rules of the game. Each combination has a name, a rank in the hierarchy, and a precise probability of appearance.
It is important to distinguish between two notions often confused by beginners:
- The starting hand: in Texas Hold'em, these are your 2 hole cards that only you can see. It gives indications of your potential, but does not yet constitute a combination.
- The final combination: formed by 5 cards by combining your hole cards with the community cards on the board (flop, turn, river). This is what counts at showdown.
The rules of the game specify that there are exactly 2,598,960 different possible hands in a 52-card deck. Of these millions of combinations, all fall into one of the 10 official categories. Knowing these categories is to understand the essence of poker logic.
Official ranking of poker combinations — From strongest to weakest
The harder a combination is to obtain, the more powerful it is. This principle is at the heart of the hand hierarchy. Here is the complete ranking of the 10 poker combinations, each with a definition, a visual example, its strategic strength, and its rarity.
#1 — Royal Flush
Definition: The supreme poker combination. It consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all of the same suit. It is a special case of the Straight Flush — the highest possible.
Example:
There are only 4 possible Royal Flushes in the entire 52-card deck. If you get one, you cannot lose the pot. Play it slowly to maximize your winnings.
#2 — Straight Flush
Definition: Five consecutive cards of the same suit (excluding the royal version). In case of a tie between two straight flushes, the one with the highest top card wins.
Example:
The smallest possible Straight Flush is A-2-3-4-5 of the same suit, where the Ace acts as a 1 to form the straight. This hand is called a Steel Wheel in jargon.
#3 — Four of a Kind
Definition: Four cards of the same rank, accompanied by a fifth card of any rank (the kicker). If two players have four of a kind, the one with the higher ranked four of a kind wins.
Example:
Four of a kind is so strong that it is extremely rare to lose with it. The only hand that beats it is a Straight Flush or a Royal Flush. In practice, it is almost always a good sign to "slow-play" to extract maximum chips.
#4 — Full House
Definition: Three cards of the same rank (three of a kind) accompanied by two cards of the same rank (a pair). We say "Full of Aces over Kings" to refer to a Full House consisting of three Aces and a pair of Kings.
Example:
In case of a tie, the rank of the three of a kind first breaks the tie: a Full House of Aces always beats a Full House of Kings, regardless of the pair. If the three of a kind is identical (possible in Hold'em with the board), then the pair is compared.
#5 — Flush
Definition: Five cards of the same suit (same emblem), not consecutive. The values of the cards can be any, as long as they all share the same suit.
Example:
In case of a tie, the cards of the flush are compared in descending order. An "Ace-high Flush" (the highest card is an Ace) is the best possible flush, excluding a Straight Flush. The suit (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) is irrelevant.
#6 — Straight
Definition: Five consecutive cards of different suits. The rank of the highest card determines the strength of the straight in case of a tie.
Example:
The Ace can act as a 1 to form the smallest possible straight: Ace-2-3-4-5 (called a Wheel). However, the straight cannot "wrap around" the Ace: Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight.
#7 — Three of a Kind
Definition: Three cards of the same rank accompanied by two unrelated cards. In Hold'em, we distinguish between a set (pair in hand + one community card) and trips (one card in hand + two community cards of the same rank).
Example:
A Set (pair in hand) is strategically superior to Trips (two community cards) because it is much harder for your opponents to detect. Three of a Kind beats Two Pair, but loses to a Straight, Flush, Full House, and above.
#8 — Two Pair
Definition: Two pairs of cards of the same rank, accompanied by a fifth card of any rank (the kicker). We first compare the highest pair, then the second pair, then the kicker if necessary.
Example:
Important: it is impossible to have three pairs in poker. Your hand always consists of exactly 5 cards. If you have the potential to form three pairs with your 7 cards in Hold'em, you automatically keep the two best pairs plus the best kicker.
#9 — One Pair
Definition: Two cards of the same rank, accompanied by three different cards (the kickers). The highest pair wins. If the pairs are identical, the kickers are compared one by one.
Example:
A Pair is the most common combination at the end of a Texas Hold'em hand. A pair of Aces (the highest possible) is often enough to win a pot, but a low pair can easily be beaten. The value of your kicker is often decisive.
#10 — High Card
Definition: None of the above combinations could be formed. The hand's strength is determined by the value of the highest card, then by the following cards in case of a tie.
Example:
Contrary to popular belief, a "high card" is actually less frequent than a pair in Texas Hold'em, because with 7 cards available it's difficult not to form anything. It's often still enough to win the hand if the opponent also has nothing — that's the art of bluffing.
Summary Table of Poker Combinations
Here is the complete table of the 10 poker hands, ranked from strongest to weakest. Print it or save it for reference during your first games.
| # | Combination | Description | Example | Beats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit | A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥ | Everything |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 5 consecutive cards of the same suit | 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ 9♣ | #3 to #10 |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | 4 cards of the same rank | A♥ A♠ A♦ A♣ K♣ | #4 to #10 |
| 4 | Full House | Three of a kind + Pair | A♥ A♠ A♦ K♣ K♥ | #5 to #10 |
| 5 | Flush | 5 cards of the same suit | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦ | #6 to #10 |
| 6 | Straight | 5 consecutive cards | 7♠ 8♥ 9♣ 10♦ J♠ | #7 to #10 |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 3 cards of the same rank | Q♥ Q♠ Q♦ 9♣ 4♥ | #8 to #10 |
| 8 | Two Pair | 2 different pairs | J♠ J♥ 8♣ 8♦ A♥ | #9 and #10 |
| 9 | Pair | 2 cards of the same rank | K♠ K♥ 9♠ 5♦ 2♣ | #10 |
| 10 | High Card | No combination | A♥ J♠ 9♦ 6♣ 3♠ | Nothing |
Alt image: "poker combinations table — official ranking of the 10 Texas Hold'em poker hands"
Which combination wins in poker?
The basic rule is simple: the highest-ranked combination wins the pot. But in practice, tie situations regularly occur. Here's how to resolve them.
The kicker: the great arbiter of ties
The kicker is the card(s) that do not directly contribute to the combination but serve to break a tie between two hands of the same rank. It's one of the most important concepts in Texas Hold'em poker.
Example: two players have a pair of Kings
Player A wins thanks to their Queen (Q) kicker, which beats Player B's Jack (J).
Tie-breaking rules by combination
- Straight Flush / Straight: the highest card of the straight wins.
- Four of a Kind / Three of a Kind: the value of the identical cards, then the kicker.
- Full House: first the value of the three of a kind, then the pair.
- Flush: compare the 5 cards of the flush card by card, from highest to lowest.
- Two Pair: the highest pair, then the second pair, then the kicker.
- Pair: the value of the pair, then up to 3 kickers.
Poker Combination Probabilities
Knowing the frequency of hands helps you make better decisions at the table. You need to distinguish between two contexts: probabilities with 5 cards (basic theoretical calculation) and probabilities with 7 cards (reality of Texas Hold'em).
| Combination | Possible Combinations (5 cards) | Prob. with 5 cards | Prob. with 7 cards (Hold'em) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 4 | 0.000154% | 0.0032% |
| Straight Flush | 36 | 0.00139% | 0.0279% |
| Four of a Kind | 624 | 0.024% | 0.168% |
| Full House | 3,744 | 0.144% | 2.60% |
| Flush | 5,108 | 0.197% | 3.03% |
| Straight | 10,200 | 0.392% | 4.62% |
| Three of a Kind | 54,912 | 2.11% | 4.83% |
| Two Pair | 123,552 | 4.75% | 23.5% |
| Pair | 1,098,240 | 42.3% | 43.8% |
| High Card | 1,302,540 | 50.1% | 17.4% |
How to easily memorize poker combinations?
Remembering the 10 combinations in the correct order might seem daunting at first. In reality, with the right methods, it takes less than an hour. Here are the most effective techniques.
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Keep the table handy during your first gamesPrint or save the summary table above. Consulting it in real-time naturally embeds the order in your memory without stress.
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Memorize the ranking in blocks of 3Break down the 10 hands into three groups: premium hands (Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind), strong hands (Full House, Flush, Straight), and common hands (Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair, High Card). Each group is easier to remember than a list of 10.
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Associate each hand with a mental imageRoyal Flush = a royal crown. Four of a Kind = four towers of a castle. Full House = a house (Full House). Flush = a monochromatic rainbow. These images create memorable anchors.
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Recite the ranking backwardOnce you've mastered the ascending order, practice reciting from High Card to Royal Flush. This bidirectional exercise consolidates memorization more effectively.
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Play regularly — online or with friendsNothing replaces practice. After 5 to 10 games, hand recognition becomes second nature. Apps like Poker Trainer allow you to practice without wagering money.
Differences between Texas Hold'em and Omaha combinations
The ranking of the 10 combinations is identical in the vast majority of variants. What changes is how you form them.
- 2 private cards + 5 community cards
- You can use 0, 1, or 2 of your hole cards
- The best 5-card hand from the 7 available
- The most widespread variant in the world
- 4 private cards + 5 community cards
- You must use exactly 2 hole cards and 3 from the board
- High combinations are more frequent
- A Flush or a Straight is often not enough to win
- Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw, A-5 Lowball…
- The goal is to have the lowest hand
- Inverted ranking: High Card is the best hand
- Flushes and Straights do not count or count negatively
Common beginner mistakes with combinations
Even with the ranking in mind, certain mistakes consistently appear among new players. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions about Poker Combinations
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The best combination in poker is the Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit. It is absolutely unbeatable and occurs only once every 649,740 5-card hands. There are only 4 possible in a 52-card deck (one for each suit).
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From strongest to weakest: Royal Flush → Straight Flush → Four of a Kind → Full House → Flush → Straight → Three of a Kind → Two Pair → One Pair → High Card. This ranking applies to Texas Hold'em and Omaha (and most standard variants).
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A Flush is stronger than a Straight. A Flush ranks 5th, a Straight ranks 6th. Therefore, a Flush (5 cards of the same suit) always beats a Straight (5 consecutive cards of different suits).
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The most effective method combines several approaches: keep the chart handy during your first games, memorize hands in blocks (premium / strong / common), associate each combination with a mental image, and most importantly, play regularly. Within 5 to 10 games, recognition becomes automatic.
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The Royal Flush is the rarest combination with 1 in 649,740 odds for 5 cards. In Texas Hold'em (7 cards), the probability increases slightly to about 1 in 30,000, but it remains extremely low. Some players play thousands of games without ever seeing one.
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No. Three of a Kind (3 cards of the same rank) is stronger than Two Pair. Three of a Kind ranks 7th, Two Pair ranks 8th. This is one of the most common mistakes among beginners: a player with a Two Pair of Aces and Kings loses to any Three of a Kind, even a Three of a Kind of 2s.
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