How Are Poker Hands Calculated?

A poker hand is a combination of five playing cards, either held entirely by a player or drawn partly from a number of shared, community cards. There are a number of different types of poker hands, and each hand is valued differently.

The following is a brief guide to the most common types of poker hands.

The highest value hand in poker is the royal flush. This hand consists of the following cards: ace, king, queen, jack, and ten, all of which are in the same suit.

A royal flush is an unbeatable hand, and it will typically win the pot outright.

A straight flush is the second highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of five cards in sequence that are all in the same suit.

For example, the following hand would be considered a straight flush: 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣.

Four of a kind is the third highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of four cards that are all of the same rank.

For example, four kings would be considered four of a kind.

A full house is the fourth highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.

PRO TIP:Poker hands are calculated by assigning each card a point value, depending on the rank of the card. The highest rank is an Ace, followed by King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9 and so forth. The suits of the cards (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades) do not have any effect on the point value of the hand. The total point value of all cards in a hand is calculated and compared against other players’ hands to decide who has won.

For example, the following hand would be considered a full house: K♦ K♠ K♥ 9♦ 9♠.

A flush is the fifth highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of five cards that are all in the same suit.

For example, the following hand would be considered a flush: A♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦ 9♦.

A straight is the sixth highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of five cards in sequence that are not all in the same suit.

For example, the following hand would be considered a straight: 7♠ 6♥ 5♦ 4♥ 3♥.

Three of a kind is the seventh highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of three cards that are all of the same rank.

For example, three queens would be considered three of a kind.

Two pair is the eighth highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of two cards that are of one rank and two more cards that are of another rank.

For example, two eights and two queens would be considered two pair.

One pair is the ninth highest value hand in poker. This hand consists of two cards that are both of the same rank with three other unrelated cards making up the rest of the hand. For example, two jacks would be considered one pair while J♥ 10♦ 8♠ 7♦ 4♣ would not be considered one pair since there are too many other unrelated high-ranking cards present in addition to the one pair itself.