What Is the Hierarchy of Poker Hands?

In poker, there is a standard hierarchy of hands. The highest hand is a royal flush, followed by a straight flush.

Three of a kind is the next highest hand, followed by a flush and a full house. A straight is the next highest hand, followed by three of a kind, two pair, and one pair.

A royal flush is an ace-high straight flush. A straight flush is a five-card straight, all in the same suit.

Three of a kind is a hand that contains three cards of the same rank, such as three jacks or three sevens. A flush is a hand that contains five cards of the same suit, such as five clubs or five diamonds.

PRO TIP:The hierarchy of poker hands is an important concept to understand when playing poker. The highest ranking hand is a Royal Flush, followed by a Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and then High Card. Knowing the different hand rankings can help you make the best decisions when playing poker.

A full house is a hand that contains three of a kind and a pair. For example, if you have three sevens and two queens, you have a full house.

A straight is a hand that contains five cards in sequence, such as 5-6-7-8-9. Three of a kind is simply three cards of the same rank, such as three kings or three fives.

Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, if you have two jacks and two tens, you have two pair.

One pair is simply one pair of two equal-ranked cards. For example, if you have two jacks, you have one pair.