What beats what in poker
A higher kind of hand always beats a lower one: a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush. When two players hold the same kind, a short set of tie-breaking rules decides who wins, or whether the pot is split.
The ladder, and how each kind breaks a tie
The full ladder with an example of each is on poker hand rankings. Here is what to compare when two hands are the same kind.
| Hand | If two players have one |
|---|---|
| 1. Royal flush | Always a tie: there is no higher royal flush, so the pot is split. |
| 2. Straight flush | The higher top card. |
| 3. Four of a kind | The higher four of a kind, then the fifth card. |
| 4. Full house | The higher three of a kind, then the higher pair. |
| 5. Flush | The highest card, then the next down. Suits never break a tie. |
| 6. Straight | The higher top card. The wheel, ace-two-three-four-five, is the lowest straight, five-high. |
| 7. Three of a kind | The higher three of a kind, then the two other cards in order. |
| 8. Two pair | The higher pair, then the lower pair, then the fifth card. |
| 9. One pair | The higher pair wins; if they match, the best of the three other cards (the kickers), in order. |
| 10. High card | The highest card wins; if they match, the next highest, down to five cards. |
Seven worked examples
In Texas Hold’em your hand is the best five of your two cards and the five on the table, as in how to play poker. Each example below is checked against the same hand-ranking code that Quads uses in its lessons.
A flush beats a straight
Hand A K♠J♠9♠5♠2♠
Hand B 9♥8♦7♣6♠5♥
Hand A wins. A flush ranks above a straight, however high the straight.
Two pairs: the higher pair wins
Hand A K♥K♦4♣4♠9♦
Hand B Q♥Q♦J♣J♠A♦
Hand A wins. Kings and fours beat queens and jacks. The top pair is compared first, and the ace in the other hand does not matter.
Same pair: the kicker decides
Board K♣9♦5♠4♥2♣
Hand A A♥K♦
Hand B Q♠K♥
Hand A wins. Both players have a pair of kings from the board. Ace-king plays an ace as its kicker, queen-king only a queen, so the ace wins.
The wheel is the lowest straight
Hand A A♥2♦3♣4♠5♥
Hand B 2♥3♦4♣5♠6♥
Hand B wins. The ace counts low here, so the wheel is five-high. A six-high straight beats it.
Full house: the three of a kind comes first
Hand A 9♥9♦9♣2♠2♦
Hand B 8♥8♦8♣A♥A♦
Hand A wins. Nines full of deuces beat eights full of aces. Compare the three of a kind first; the pair only matters when those match.
Flush against flush: the highest card
Hand A A♥9♥7♥4♥2♥
Hand B K♦Q♦J♦9♦8♦
Hand A wins. Both are flushes, so the highest card decides: ace beats king.
The board plays: a split pot
Board A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥
Hand A 2♣3♦
Hand B 4♠5♦
The pot is split. The best five cards are all on the board, a royal flush, and neither player’s cards improve it. Each player’s best five is the same, so they split the pot.
Three rules that settle most arguments
- Suits never rank. See suit: hearts do not beat spades, and two hands that differ only by suit split the pot.
- Five cards only. A hand is the best five, so a kicker matters only when the five cards you play differ.
- The board can play. If the best five are all on the table, everyone can use them. This is the board plays, and the pot is split.
Questions
What beats what in poker?
From best to worst: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, a pair and high card. A higher kind always beats a lower one.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush is rarer than a straight, so it ranks higher.
Do suits matter in poker?
No. No suit is higher than another. Two hands that differ only by suit split the pot.
What is a kicker?
The extra card that breaks a tie between two hands of the same kind, such as the fifth card beside a pair.
Is the ace high or low?
Both in a straight: ace-king-queen-jack-ten is the highest straight and ace-two-three-four-five, the wheel, is the lowest. Anywhere else the ace is high.
Practise it in 5 minutes Which hand wins?, a short free lesson.
Quads is for adults, 18 and over. It teaches with play chips only: there is no real money, ever.