Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and luck. In order to win at poker, you need to know which hands are the best. In this article, we will go over the best poker hands and what makes them so valuable.
First, let’s go over the rankings of poker hands from highest to lowest. The highest ranking hand is a royal flush. This consists of an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit. Next is a straight flush which consists of any five cards in a row of the same suit. After that is four of a kind which is four cards of the same rank (such as four queens). A full house comes next which consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank (such as three jacks and two sevens).
Next is a flush which consists of any five cards in the same suit. After that is a straight which consists of any five cards in a row (such as 7-8-9-10-Jack). Three of a kind comes next which is three cards of the same rank (such as three fives). Two pair follows that which consists of two pairs each with cards of the same rank (such as two jacks and two eights). One pair comes next which is one pair with two cards of the same rank (such as two kings) followed by high card where no other hand matches.
Now that we have gone over the ranking system let’s look at each hand in more detail and why they are considered valuable.
Royal Flush: This hand is extremely rare but it’s also unbeatable. It requires having an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten all in the same suit.
Straight Flush: This hand isn’t quite as rare as a royal flush but it’s still very strong. It requires having any five cards in numerical order all in the same suit.
Four Of A Kind: This hand is also known as quads. It’s a very strong hand that consists of four cards of the same rank.
Full House: This hand is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. It’s a strong hand because it’s hard to make but not as rare as some of the other hands.
Flush: This hand consists of any five cards in the same suit. It’s not as strong as a straight flush or higher but it can still win if no other players have a better hand.
Straight: This hand is made up of any five cards in numerical order. It’s not as strong as a flush or higher but it can still win if no other players have a better hand.
Three Of A Kind: This hand is also known as trips. It’s made up of three cards of the same rank and it’s not quite as strong as some of the other hands.
Two Pair: This hand is made up of two pairs each with cards of the same rank. It’s not quite as strong as three of a kind or higher but it can still win if no other players have a better hand.
One Pair: This hand consists of one pair with two cards of the same rank. It’s not very strong but it can win if no other players have a better hand.
High Card: If none of the above hands are made then high card wins by default. That means whoever has the highest ranking card in their hand wins.
In conclusion, understanding which poker hands are valuable is essential if you want to win at poker. Knowing when to fold and when to bet depends on what you’re holding and what your opponents might have, so keep these rankings in mind when playing your next game!
