Key facts
- From highest to lowest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
- The order follows rarity. Of the 2,598,960 possible five card hands, 4 are royal flushes and 1,302,540 are high card hands, in our count.
- Suits never rank: both the Queensland and ACT rule books say all suits are equal, so equal hands split the pot.
- The ace plays high, or low only in A-2-3-4-5. There are 7,462 distinct five card hand values in total.
- Some games change the order: in three card poker a straight beats a flush, and in short deck games the ACT rules put a flush above a full house.
Poker hand rankings, highest to lowest
Ten hand types make up the standard poker order. A hand of a higher type beats every hand of a lower type, whatever the cards.
| Rank | Hand | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | Ten to ace, all one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five in sequence, all one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 4♦ | Four cards of one rank |
| 4 | Full house | K♠ K♥ K♦ 7♣ 7♠ | Three of a kind plus a pair |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 2♦ | Five of one suit, not in sequence |
| 6 | Straight | 10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ | Five in sequence, mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ K♣ 3♠ | Three cards of one rank |
| 8 | Two pair | J♥ J♣ 4♠ 4♦ A♥ | Two different pairs |
| 9 | One pair | 10♠ 10♦ K♥ 6♣ 2♠ | Two cards of one rank |
| 10 | High card | A♣ Q♦ 9♠ 5♥ 3♦ | None of the above |
The Queensland Casino Gaming Rule and the ACT's approved hold'em rules list exactly this order for standard games.
Why the hands rank in this order: the odds
The order is simply rarity. We counted every possible hand: all 2,598,960 five card hands, and all 133,784,560 seven card combinations, where you use the best five (as in hold'em games).
| Hand | Five card hands | Chance (5 cards) | Chance, best 5 of 7 cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 4 | 1 in 649,740 | 1 in 30,940 |
| Straight flush (not royal) | 36 | 1 in 72,193 | 1 in 3,591 |
| Four of a kind | 624 | 1 in 4,165 | 1 in 595 |
| Full house | 3,744 | 1 in 694 | 1 in 38.5 |
| Flush | 5,108 | 1 in 509 | 1 in 33.1 |
| Straight | 10,200 | 1 in 255 | 1 in 21.6 |
| Three of a kind | 54,912 | 1 in 47.3 | 1 in 20.7 |
| Two pair | 123,552 | 1 in 21.0 | 1 in 4.3 |
| One pair | 1,098,240 | 1 in 2.4 | 1 in 2.3 |
| High card | 1,302,540 | 1 in 2.0 | 1 in 5.7 |
Two things stand out in the seven card column. With seven cards you end up with at least one pair 82.6% of the time, and high card becomes rarer than one pair or two pair. The order still holds, because ranking is decided on five card hands. For flop, turn and river chances in actual play, see the odds guide listed below.
What beats what in poker: tie-breaks
When two hands are the same type, the cards themselves decide. The rule books spell this out: all cards count, suits never do.
| Both players hold | Winner | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Straight or straight flush | Highest top card | 9-high straight beats 7-high straight |
| Four of a kind | Higher four, then the fifth card | 8-8-8-8-K beats 5-5-5-5-A |
| Full house | Higher three of a kind, then the pair | K-K-K-2-2 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A |
| Flush or high card | Highest card, then the next, and so on | A-J-9-6-2 beats A-J-9-5-4 |
| Three of a kind | Higher three, then kickers | 7-7-7-A-2 beats 7-7-7-K-Q (shared board) |
| Two pair | Higher top pair, then second pair, then fifth card | Q-Q-J-J-10 beats Q-Q-J-J-9 |
| One pair | Higher pair, then kickers in order | 10-10-A-8-3 beats 10-10-A-7-6 |
If every one of the five cards matches in rank, the hands tie. Queensland's rules call this a stand off; in hold'em, the ACT rules split the pot equally and give any odd chip to the winner closest clockwise to the dealer button.
The ace. It is the highest card, and it can also play low, but only in A-2-3-4-5, the lowest straight. Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
How many different hands? Once you account for every tie-break, there are 7,462 distinct five card hand values in our count, from the royal flush down to 7-5-4-3-2 offsuit.
Games that change the order
The standard order above applies to Texas hold'em, Omaha, casino hold'em, ultimate texas hold'em, Caribbean stud and jacks or better. A few games bend it:
| Game | What changes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Three card poker | Straight beats flush; three of a kind beats straight | With three cards, flushes (1,096 of 22,100 hands) are commoner than straights (720) |
| Short deck hold'em | Flush beats full house | In a 36-card deck there are 480 flushes but 1,728 full houses, in our count |
| Deuces wild | Five of a kind is added and pays more than a straight flush (15 against 9 on the full pay table) | Wild cards make new hands possible |
| Pai gow poker | Five aces (with the joker) on top | The deck has one joker |
| Hi-lo split games | The lowest hand also wins half the pot | Under the ACT rules, straights and flushes do not count against a low hand |
The short deck point comes straight from the rule book: the ACT's approved hold'em rules let the casino use a reduced deck of 48, 44, 40, 36 or 32 cards, and for reduced decks they list the flush above the full house.
Every poker game we cover
Hand rankings are the starting point for all of these. Pick the game you want to learn:
- Poker against other players: texas holdem rules step by step, and omaha poker, where you hold four cards and must use exactly two.
- The maths of play: poker odds, covering outs, pot odds and the chance of hitting your hand.
- Poker against the casino: three card poker, caribbean stud poker, casino holdem, ultimate texas holdem and pai gow poker, each with its house edge worked out from the published paytable.
- Poker on a machine: video poker, jacks or better and deuces wild, with exact returns for perfect play.
Pundit tip: if you are ever unsure at the table, remember that the rarer hand always wins. Flushes beat straights because they are harder to make, and a full house beats a flush for the same reason.
Where you can play poker in Australia
Poker for money is played legally in person, at casinos whose rules are approved by the state or territory regulator; Queensland, for example, allows poker in its four casinos. Real money online poker is a different story: it is a casino-style game that cannot legally be offered to people in Australia. Our guide to online poker Australia explains the law, and if poker is costing more than it should, our gambling help australia page lists free support.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the order of poker hands from highest to lowest?
Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. A hand of a higher type always beats any hand of a lower type.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes, a flush beats a straight in standard five card poker. A flush is rarer: 5,108 of the 2,598,960 five card hands against 10,200 straights. The exception is three card poker, where a straight beats a flush.
What beats a full house?
Only four of a kind, a straight flush and a royal flush. Between two full houses, the one with the higher three of a kind wins, so K-K-K-2-2 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A.
Do suits matter in poker?
No. The Queensland and ACT casino rule books both state that all suits are equal. If two hands are identical in rank, they tie and the pot is split.
Is A-2-3-4-5 a straight?
Yes. The ace can play low in A-2-3-4-5, which is the lowest straight. It cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight, just ace high.
What are the odds of a royal flush?
In five cards, 4 in 2,598,960, or 1 in 649,740. Using the best five of seven cards, as in Texas hold'em, it is 4,324 in 133,784,560, about 1 in 30,940.
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