Poker is a game that relies on skill and demands that you familiarize yourself with all necessary strategies to succeed. This consists of the rankings of poker hands that we refer to as poker hand rankings. An effective poker player needs to understand the right times to Bet, Raise, Call, or Fold. With the necessary knowledge and skills for the game, players can transform a poor situation into a favorable one. Players receive cards and simply need to create the most optimal hand with them. Knowing the hierarchy of poker hands is crucial for playing the game because it assists in deciding the winner of every round. 

Let’s review the hierarchy of poker hands known as poker sequences from the highest to the lowest.

1. Royal Flush

A hand consisting of five cards of the same suit and in sequence is considered the most superior in poker. It is a series of the top five cards, all in the same suit, ranked from 10 to Ace. For instance, the top 5 Diamond cards in a sequence create a Royal Flush ( A♦ K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦ ).

  • Defeats: The Royal Flush, being the top poker hand, can defeat the High Card, Pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, and Straight in a game.
  • Defeated By: A Royal Flush ranks as the best possible hand in poker. Therefore, it is impossible to defeat.

2. Straight Flush

The Straight Flush ranks as the second-best hand in poker. It has five consecutive cards of the same suit, not including the highest-ranking cards. An illustration would be a hand containing the Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, and Five of Hearts ( 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ ).

  • Defeats: Straight Flush is higher than High Card, Pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Full House, and 4 of a Kind.
  • Defeated By: A Straight Flush is the only hand that can be beaten by a Royal Flush.

Also read: Poker Hand Rankings

3. 4 of a Kind

A four of a Kind hand consists of four cards of the same value but different suits and one card with a different value. One instance is having a hand with Five Spades, Five Clubs, Five Diamonds, Five Hearts, and Nine Hearts ( 5♣ 5♠ 5♦ 5♥ 9♥ ).

  • Defeats: A Four of a Kind outranks a High Card, Pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, and Full House as they are all lower-ranked poker hands.
  • Defeated by: Royal Flush and Straight Flush are superior to Four of a Kind and are the only hands that can defeat it.

4. Full House

A complete set consists of Three of a Kind (three cards of the same rank) and Two Pairs (two cards of the same rank) in a hand. As an illustration, having Three of Clubs, Three of Spades, Three of Diamonds, Seven of Diamonds, and Seven of Hearts ( 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 7♦ 7♥ ) in a hand constitutes a Full House.

  • Defeats: A Full House has higher ranking than poker hands like High Card, Pair, Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight, and Flush.
  • Defeated by: A Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush.

5. Flush

A Flush is formed when five cards of the same suit are present, regardless of their order. If multiple players at the table have a Flush, the pot goes to the player holding the highest-valued card. An example of a Flush is when you have Four of Spades, Eight of Spades, Six of Spades, Seven of Spades, and Two of Spades ( 4♠️ 8♠️ 6♠️ 7♠️ 2♠️).

  • Defeats: A straight can be beaten by a flush, with the remaining poker hands ranked below being High Card, Pair, Two Pair, and 3 of a Kind.
  • Defeated By: The Flush can be beaten by the Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush as they are higher in ranking.

6. Straight

A Straight in poker is when you have five cards in a row of consecutive rank, but they are not all the same suit. The highest card determines the ranking of each Straight. In this situation, an Ace can be ranked lower than two and higher than a King, but not within the same hand. Ten of Hearts, Nine of Diamonds, Eight of Clubs, Seven of Spades, and Six of Hearts.

  • Defeats: A Straight is higher in rank than a High Card, Pair, Two Pair, and 3 of a Kind.
  • Defeated By: Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush have the ability to defeat a Straight.

7. Three-of-a-Kind

A poker hand with three cards of the same rank but different suits is called Three of a Kind. It is ranked lower than a Straight but higher than Two Pairs. For instance: Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs, and Queen of Spades.

  • Defeats: 3 of a Kind can be beaten by Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, or Straight.
  • Defeated By: Three cards of the same rank are more powerful than having High Card, pair, and Two Pair.

8. Two Pair

A two pair in poker consists of two cards of equal value paired with another two cards of equal value. It consists of a pair of dual sets. For instance, Two Pairs could consist of Two of Spades and Two of Hearts as well as Queen of Diamond and Queen of Clubs.

  • Defeats: Having two pairs is more valuable than having a single pair and a high card in a poker game. Two Pair ranks as the third lowest hand in poker.
  • Defeated By: A 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight, and are all higher ranked hands than Two Pair.

9. Pair

In poker, a Pair refers to two cards of different suits but with the same rank. Players can form a Pair by using one card from their hand and another card from the table. The position of the Pair also has significance. For instance, a Pair consisting of Five of Spades and Five of Diamonds beats a Pair containing Two of Hearts and Two of Diamonds.

  • Defeats: A Pair ranks as the second smallest poker hand. A Pair is superior to a High Card in terms of ranking.
  • Defeated By: Two Pair can be outranked by Stronger Two Pair, 3 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, and.

10. High Card

A High Card is just the highest-ranking card a player possesses. This hand ranks the lowest in poker. In a scenario where all players have a High Card in their poker hand, the one with the highest-ranking card is the winner. If Player A holds the diamond king and Player B has the ace of hearts, who do you believe emerged victorious in the round? Yes, Player A it is.

  • Defeats: It can defeat worse high cards. Ace High beats King High and so on.
  • Defeated By: The lowest possible hand in poker is known as a High Card. Therefore, any poker hand ranging from Royal Flush to Pair has the ability to defeat a High Card.

Summary

By delving into various facets of poker hand rankings and poker sequences, such as psychological factors and strategic thinking, players can enhance their comprehension of the game. Mastering the order of poker hands, whether it be bluffing or utilizing strong rare hands, allows players to explore strategic opportunities during poker games.

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