When comparing two poker hands, the following set of
rules pertain to a five card hand:
Individual cards are generally ranked A, K, Q, J,
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
These card ranks are often used to evaluate hands
that may match one another in the categories listed
below. For example a pair of Queens beat a pair of
sixes. In lowball games, the Ace usually moves to
the lowest ranked, again making it the best card.
Suits have no value.
The suits of the cards have no bearing in the
quality of a hand. A flush is a flush whether it is
diamonds or spades.
A poker hand is ranked first by category, then by
individual card ranks.
The minimum qualifying hand in any category defeats
all hands in a lower category. For example, the
lowest tow pair hand, a pair of deuces and a pair of
threes tops all hands with one pair or no pairs.
Only when two hands fall in hte same category are
individual card ranks used to break ties.
And of course, the order in which cards are dealt is
unimportant.
A poker hand consists of the cards dealt and is
independent of the order in which cards are
received.
The categories for a basic five card poker hand
ranking from worst to best are:
No pair (for example, J-Q-9-3-2)
One pair (for example, A-K-K-4-9)
Two pair (for example, 4-4-6-6-3)
Three of a kind (for example, 9-9-9-K-J)
Straight (for example, 7-8-9-10-J)
Flush (five cards of any one suit)
Full house (for example, 5-5-9-9-9)
Four of a kind (for example, 10-10-10-10-K)
Straight flush (for example, 5-6-7-8-9 of one
suit)
Royal straight flush (only A-K-Q-J-10 of a single
suit)
Many variations on the game of poker include lowball
or low poker where players strive not for the
highest ranking of the above combinations but for
the lowest ranking hand. Other variations use hands
of only three cards, either high or low. Three-card
high hands are generally broken into two separate
games, one including straights and flushes, the
other without. Without straights and flushes, there
are only three types of hands, either no pair, one
pair, or three of a kind. In three card poker with
straights and flushes, the probability changes from
that of five card poker. If you add straights and
flushes, the order of hands should be changed to
reflect the correct probabilities: in increasing
order they are no pair, one pair, flush, straight,
three of a kind, and straight flush. This is the
order used in a poker game called Mambo stud.
Other variations include poker games with certain
cards removed form the deck or with specific cards
that are considered wild and can be use in any
manner possible. Removing specific cards can cause a
flush to rank above a full house, because having
fewer cards of a suit available makes a flushe even
more difficult to obtain. It is important to read
the rankings carefully when using any variations
that reduce the number of cards dealt or the number
of cards in the deck.
