Poker is a popular card game that involves strategy, skill, and a bit of luck. One of the most important aspects of poker is understanding the different types of hands that can be formed with five or seven cards. In this article, we will explore two pair, one pair, and high card hands in detail.

Two Pair

A two pair hand consists of two cards of the same rank and a third card of a different rank, with no additional pairs. The most common example of a two pair hand is when you have two kings and two nines, along with a fifth card that doesn't match either of these pairs (e.g., K♣ K♠ 9♠ 9♥ 5♥). This hand is often referred to as "Kings over nines" or simply "Kings up."

In five-card poker, there are 123,552 possible two pair hands. The probability of getting a two pair hand is approximately 1 in 47.

One Pair

A one pair hand consists of two cards of the same rank, with three other cards that don't match either of these pairs (e.g., 4♥ 4♠ K♠ 10♦ 5♠). The highest pair wins over lower pairs, and if two hands have the same pair, the kicker card is used to determine the winner.

In five-card poker, there are 1,098,240 possible one pair hands. The probability of getting a one pair hand is approximately 1 in 2.3.

High Card

A high card or no pair hand consists of five cards that don't form any of the above-mentioned hand types (e.g., K♥ J♥ 8♣ 7♦ 4♠). In this case, there is no winning hand, and the highest card in each hand determines the winner.

The lowest possible high card hand is 7, also known as "seven-high" (e.g., 7♠ 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ 2♣).

In five-card poker, there are 2,598,960 possible high card hands. The probability of getting a high card hand is approximately 1 in 10.

Frequency and Probability

The frequency and probability of each hand type vary depending on the number of cards dealt. In seven-card poker, for example, two pair hands occur about 23.5% of the time, while one pair hands occur around 43.8%. High card hands are less common, occurring approximately 17.4% of the time.

****, understanding the different types of poker hands is crucial for players to make informed decisions at the table. Two pair, one pair, and high card hands are all important hand types that can be formed with five or seven cards. By knowing the frequency and probability of each hand type, players can improve their chances of winning and increase their overall game strategy.

References

• "Glossary". PokerTips.com.
• "7-Card Poker Hands". Brian Alspach.
• Sklansky, David. Small Stakes Hold 'Em (1st edition).
• "Trips Poker Term — Definition of the Poker Term Trips". About.com.