In poker, having a good understanding of hand rankings is crucial to winning. In this article, we will explore the different types of hands and their relative values.

Flush
A flush is a high-ranking hand that consists of five cards of the same suit, regardless of their value. For example, if you have five hearts or five diamonds, you have a flush. If there are multiple flushes at the table, the one with the highest card wins.

Full House
A full house is another high-ranking hand that combines a pair and three of a kind. For example, 2-2-10-10-10 would be a full house.

Four of a Kind (Poker)
Also known as "poker," four of a kind consists of four cards with the same value. For example, four aces or four kings.

Straight Flush
The straight flush is the second-highest ranking hand in poker. It is similar to a flush, but all five cards must be in sequential order and of the same suit. For example, 2-3-4-5-6 of hearts would be a straight flush.

Royal Flush
The royal flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker and is extremely rare. To get a royal flush, you need the highest possible straight from 10 to ace and all five cards must be of the same suit. For example, 10-J-Q-K-A of hearts would be a royal flush.

Special Rules and Additional Information

• The Ace in a Straight: In a straight, the ace can be either before or after the two.
• Heads-Up Poker: When there are only two players at the table, the small blind is set by the dealer and the big blind is set by the other player.

Burn Cards: Before the dealer lays out the community cards, he or she burns the top card from the deck. This is done to prevent a player from seeing the next card in the sequence and gaining an advantage.

Ante: In some poker variants, such as tournaments, it is common for each round of play to include an ante. The ante serves either to keep the casino's share of the game or to increase action at the table and speed up the game by forcing players with few chips to act quickly.

Additional Information
If you have mastered the basic poker rules and want to learn more, we have additional guides that offer tips and strategies for advanced players.