Some poker game types will use the common hand ranking in different ways, such as making the lowest value hand the most desirable (low-ball poker). Learn the order of strength of poker hands on.

• Poker Rules Hands
• Rules For Poker Hands
• Texas Poker Rules Hands
• Official Poker Rules Hands
• Poker Rules Hands
• Poker Rules Tied Hands

Poker rules FAQs What are the basic poker rules? There are numerous poker variations in existence today so it is a bit hard to say what the basic poker rules are. Most games use the standard poker hand rankings: from high card as the lowest possible hand to the royal flush as the best hand one can have. Poker Rules - Know the detailed Tie Breaker Rules of Poker Cash Game at Adda52.com. Tie in poker means when two or more hand ranks are equal among different players. Normal poker rules determine the strength of hands to be the higher value cards in the following order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, and Two. The suit of each card does not determine any sort of strength in normal poker rules.

Poker can be intimidating when you are starting out as a new player. The dozens of game variations combined with an assortment of betting structures would seem like they require a university course to learn.

Don’t worry!

The basics of poker are easy to explain and all games come from these basic ideas. For example, with the exception of Badugi, all poker games focus on the best five-card combination when all betting is completed. After reading these basic poker rules you will be ready to hit the tables with confidence.

So let’s get started! These are the fundamental hand rankings for most games that are based on a five-card high hand.

Poker Rules Hands

Starting with the highest ranked hand.

Hand Rankings

Betting Structures

Wait! Before you hit the tables, it’s important to know what betting structure the game you are joining is. Most beginners start with Limit Holdem, as the opportunity to lose your whole stack in one hand is ‘limited’ 🙂 Those exciting games you see on TV are usually No Limit, which is by far the most popular poker game online.

Limit

Limit games have set amounts that you can bet during each round. For example, a $2/$4 Limit Hold ’em game would allow you to bet in $2 increments pre-flop and on the flop and in $4 increments on the turn and river. Sometimes you will encounter spread limit games (common in Stud) that allow you to bet in a certain range. For example, you may get involved in a $1-$5 Stud game. On any street you can bet $1 to $5. If you choose to raise you may raise up to $5, as long as you raise at least the amount that was previously bet. There is usually no cap on the amount of money a player can buy in for and the minimum buy-in is normally ten times the small blind ($20 in a $2/4 game).

No Limit

No Limit games have a fixed blind amount but, the players are able to bet any amount from the minimum bet (typically the size of the big blind) up to their entire stack at any time. Most no limit games have a minimum and a maximum buy-in, the minimum typically being 20 big blinds and the maximum usually being 100 big blinds. For example, in a game with $1/$2 blinds, the buy-in range would be from $20 to $100. If a player drops below the maximum buy-in, they may add on to their stack to bring it back up to the max buy-in. Raises must be equal to or greater than the previous raise, unless a player is raising all-in.

Pot Limit

Pot Limit is very similar to No Limit, in that there is typically a minimum and maximum buy in, and players betting is not limited to a specific structure. Bets can range from the minimum bet (the size of the big blind) up to the size of the pot. Pot size is equal to the amount of the bets in the middle, all bets out on the table, plus the amount a player must call before raising. For example: if the pot in the middle of the table is $20 the first player acting the round bets $10, the next player to act is able to bet a maximum of $40 – $10 for his portion of the call and raise by $30.

Game Formats

There are many different formats in poker, these can seem confusing at first but are realy quite straighforward. Let’s take a look at the types of poker you will commonly come across when you play at an internet poker site.

Ring / Cash Games

‘Ring Games’ are simply poker games played for cash. This is the most common way to play poker. Each player at the table ‘buys in’ (exchanges their money for cash) and then players compete for each other’s chips each hand. Players can leave the table at any time and are free to rebuy when necessary. In a poker room the house takes a ‘rake’ or a percentage of each pot. This rake is how the house profits from cash games and is usually 10% up to $3.

Beginners’ Tip:

Poker games are nearly always ‘table stakes’. This means that at any given time players may not remove money from the table if they are to remain in the game. Players may add on, but not remove, chips.

Typically, if you leave a game, you may not sit back down at the same table with fewer chips than you left with until a certain amount of time has passed.

Some poker rooms allow for a player to stand up and then return to the table with a lower amount of chips than they left with but, this is generally considered a breach of poker etiquette and will earn players the scorn of others.

Single Table Tournaments

Single Table Tournaments (STTs) are another way to play poker. In a STT, players buy in for a set amount, which goes to the prize pool. They also pay a small ‘entry fee’, which the house keeps. The number of players is limited to just one table. Players receive a set amount of chips for their buy in, and play until one player has all the chips. Blinds increase gradually over time. The payouts for STTs can vary. They can be winner take all or pay two or more players a percentage of the prize pool.

Multi Table Tournaments

Multi Table Tournaments (MTTs) are extremely popular. Players pay a set amount, receive a certain amount of chips, and play until one player has all the chips. There is not usually a limit on the number of players in a MTT and they can have enormous fields consisting of thousands of players. Blinds gradually increase over a given time interval as the tournament progresses. Payouts depend on the particular tournament and can pay one or more players. A standard payout for an MTT is about 10% of the field.

Sit and Go’s

Both MTTs and STTs can be played as a ‘Sit and Go’ tournament. ‘Sit and go’ (SNG) tournaments are unscheduled and begin whenever enough players have joined.

Mixed Games

Mixed games have also recently become very popular in poker rooms. Dealer’s Choice is a mixed game where the dealer chooses the poker variation being played. In a mixed game how many hands are played of the game selected depends on the particular room. It can be just one hand, ten hands or perhaps it changes every half-hour. Other mixed games specify which games are played and in what order. Commonly played games are abbreviated as follows:

A = Omaha
H = Hold ’em
O = Omaha Hi / Lo (8 or better)
R = Razz
S = 7 Card Stud
E = 7 Card Stud Hi / Lo (8 or better)

The games being played and the order they are played in is shown in the acronym for the game. If you sit down to play HORSE, this means you are going to be playing Hold ’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, 7 Card Stud, and 7 Card Stud 8 or Better rotating in that order. Once again, the number of hands played of each game will vary depending on the room. When you switch between a game that uses antes and a game that uses blinds the button remains usually remains fixed so that no player missed their blinds.

Good luck at the tables!

Below is the complete guide for determining how to rank various poker hands. This article covers all poker hands, from hands in standard games of poker, to lowball, to playing with a variety of wild cards. Scroll to the end to find an in-depth ranking of suits for several countries, including many European countries and North American continental standards.

Standard Poker Rankings

A standard deck of cards has 52 in a pack. Individually cards rank, high to low:

Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

In standard poker (in North America) there is no suit ranking. A poker hand has 5 cards total. Higher ranked hands beat lower ones, and within the same kind of hand higher value cards beat lower value cards.

#1 Straight Flush

In games without wild cards, this is the highest ranking hand. It consists of five cards in sequence of the same suit. When comparing flushes, the hand with the highest value high card wins. Example: 5-6-7-8-9, all spades, is a straight flush. A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest ranking straight flush and is called a Royal Flush. Flushes are not permitted to turn the corner, for example, 3-2-A-K-Q is not a straight flush.

#2 Four of a Kind (Quads)

A four of a kind is four cards of equal rank, for example, four jacks. The kicker, the fifth card, may be any other card. When comparing two four of a kinds, the highest value set wins. For example, 5-5-5-5-J is beat by 10-10-10-10-2. If two players happen to have a four of a kind of equal value, the player with the highest ranking kicker wins.

#3 Full House (Boat)

A full house consists of 3 cards of one rank and 2 cards of another. The three cards value determines rank within Full Houses, the player with the highest rank 3 cards wins. If the three cards are equal rank the pairs decide. Example: Q-Q-Q-3-3 beats 10-10-10-A-A BUT 10-10-10-A-A would beat 10-10-10-J-J.

#4 Flush

Any five cards of the same suit. The highest card in a flush determines its rank between other flushes. If those are equal, continue comparing the next highest cards until a winner can be determined.

#5 Straight

Five cards in sequence from different suits. The hand with the highest ranking top card wins within straights. Ace can either be a high card or low card, but not both. The wheel, or the lowest straight, is 5-4-3-2-A, where the top card is five.

#6 Three of a Kind (Triplets/Trips)

A three of a kind is three card of equal rank and two other cards (not of equal rank). The three of a kind with the highest rank wins, in the event they are equal, the high card of the two remaining cards determines the winner.

#7 Two Pairs

A pair is two cards that are equal in rank. A hand with two pairs consists of two separate pairs of different ranks. For example, K-K-3-3-6, where 6 is the odd card. The hand with the highest pair wins if there are multiple two pairs regardless of the other cards in hand. To demonstrate, K-K-5-5-2 beats Q-Q-10-10-9 because K > Q, despite 10 > 5.

#8 Pair

A hand with a single pair has two cards of equal rank and three other cards of any rank (as long as none are the same.) When comparing pairs, the one with highest value cards wins. If they are equal, compare the highest value oddball cards, if those are equal continue comparing until a win can be determined. An example hand would be: 10-10-6-3-2

#9 High Card (Nothing/No Pair)

If your hand does not conform to any of the criterion mentioned above, does not form any sort of sequence, and are at least two different suits, this hand is called high card. The highest value card, when comparing these hands, determines the winning hand.

Low Poker Hand Ranking

In Lowball or high-low games, or other poker games which lowest ranking hand wins, they are ranked accordingly.

A low hand with no combination is named by it’s highest ranking card. For example, a hand with 10-6-5-3-2 is described as “10-down” or “10-low.”

Rules For Poker Hands

Ace to Five

The most common system for ranking low hands. Aces are always low card and straights and flushes do not count. Under Ace-to-5, 5-4-3-2-A is the best hand. As with standard poker, hands compared by the high card. So, 6-4-3-2-A beats 6-5-3-2-A AND beats 7-4-3-2-A. This is because 4 < 5 and 6 < 7.

The best hand with a pair is A-A-4-3-2, this is often referred to as California Lowball. In high-low games of poker, there is often a conditioned employed called “eight or better” which qualifies players to win part of the pot. Their hand must have an 8 or lower to be considered. The worst hand under this condition would be 8-7-6-5-4.

Duece to Seven

The hands under this system rank almost the same as in standard poker. It includes straights and flushes, lowest hand wins. However, this system always considers aces as high cards (A-2-3-4-5 is not a straight.) Under this system, the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 (in mixed suits), a reference to its namesake. As always, highest card is compared first. In duece-to-7, the best hand with a pair is 2-2-5-4-3, although is beat by A-K-Q-J-9, the worst hand with high cards. This is sometimes referred to as “Kansas City Lowball.”

Texas Poker Rules Hands

Ace to Six

This is the system often used in home poker games, straights and flushes count, and aces are low cards. Under Ace-to-6, 5-4-3-2-A is a bad hand because it is a straight. The best low hand is 6-4-3-2-A. Since aces are low, A-K-Q-J-10 is not a straight and is considered king-down (or king-low). Ace is low card so K-Q-J-10-A is lower than K-Q-J-10-2. A pair of aces also beats a pair of twos.

In games with more than five cards, players can choose to not use their highest value cards in order to assemble the lowest hand possible.

Hand Rankings with Wild Cards

Wild cards may be used to substitute any card a player may need to make a particular hand. Jokers are often used as wild cards and are added to the deck (making the game played with 54 as opposed to 52 cards). If players choose to stick with a standard deck, 1+ cards may be determined at the start as wild cards. For example, all the twos in the deck (deuces wild) or the “one-eyed jacks” (the jacks of hearts and spades).

Official Poker Rules Hands

Wild cards can be used to:

• substitute any card not in a player’s hand OR
• make a special “five of a kind”

Five of a Kind

Five of a Kind is the highest hand of all and beats a Royal Flush. When comparing five of a kinds, the highest value five cards win. Aces are the highest card of all.

The Bug

Some poker games, most notably five card draw, are played with the bug. The bug is an added joker which functions as a limited wild card. It may only be used as an ace or a card needed to complete a straight or a flush. Under this system, the highest hand is a five of a kind of aces, but no other five of a kind is legal. In a hand, with any other four of a kind the joker counts as an ace kicker.

Wild Cards – Low Poker

During a low poker game, the wild card is a “fitter,” a card used to complete a hand which is of lowest value in the low hand ranking system used. In standard poker, 6-5-3-2-joker would be considered 6-6-5-3-2. In ace-to-five, the wild card would be an ace, and deuce-to-seven the wild card would be a 7.

Lowest Card Wild

Home poker games may play with player’s lowest, or lowest concealed card, as a wild card. This applies to the card of lowest value during the showdown. Aces are considered high and two low under this variant.

Poker Rules Hands

Double Ace Flush

This variant allows the wild card to be ANY card, including one already held by a player. This allows for the opportunity to have a double ace flush.

Natural Hand v. Wild Hand

There is a house rule which says a “natural hand” beats a hand that is equal to it with wild cards. Hands with more wild cards may be considered “more wild” and therefore beat by a less wild hand with only one wild card. This rule must be agreed upon before the deal begins.

Incomplete Hands

If you are comparing hands in a variant of poker which there are less than five cards, there are no straights, flushes, or full houses. There is only four of a kind, three of a kind, pairs (2 pairs and single pairs), and high card. If the hand has an even number of cards there may not be a kicker.

Examples of scoring incomplete hands:

10-10-K beats 10-10-6-2 because K > 6. However, 10-10-6 is beat by 10-10-6-2 because of the fourth card. Also, a 10 alone will beat 9-6. But, 9-6 beats 9-5-3, and that beats 9-5, which beats 9.

Ranking Suits

In standard poker, suits are NOT ranked. If there are equal hands the pot is split. However, depending on the variant of poker, there are situations when cards must be ranked by suits. For example:

• Drawing cards to pick player’s seats
• Determining the first better in stud poker
• In the event an uneven pot is to be split, determining who gets the odd chip.

Typically in North America (or for English speakers), suits are ranked in reverse alphabetical order.

• Spades (highest suit), Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs (lowest suit)

Suits are ranked differently in other countries/ parts of the world:

• Spades (high suit), Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts (low suit)
• Hearts (high suit), Spades, Diamonds, Clubs (low suit) – Greece and Turkey
• Hearts (high suit), Diamonds, Spades, Clubs (low suit) – Austria and Sweden
• Hearts (high suit), Diamonds, Clubs, Spades (low suit) – Italy
• Diamonds (high suit), Spades, Hearts, Clubs (low suit) – Brazil
• Clubs (high suit), Spades, Hearts, Diamonds (low suit) – Germany

REFERENCES:

http://www.cardplayer.com/rules-of-poker/hand-rankings

https://www.pagat.com/poker/rules/ranking.html

Poker Rules Tied Hands

https://www.partypoker.com/how-to-play/hand-rankings.html