When it comes to playing poker, one of the most important things to know is the ranking of hands. In this article, we will explore five different types of poker hands: Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush.
Flush
A flush is a hand that consists of five cards with the same suit, regardless of their value. For example, if you have five hearts, including the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, 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 a hand that consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, if you have 2-2-3-3-4, you have a full house. Full houses are ranked higher than flushes.
Four of a Kind (Poker)
Four of a kind is a hand that consists of four cards with the same value. For example, if you have four Aces, including the 2, 3, and 10, you have four of a kind.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is a hand that consists of five cards in sequential order, all with the same suit. For example, if you have the cards 2-3-4-5-6 of hearts, you have a straight flush. Straight flushes are ranked higher than full houses and four of a kind.
Royal Flush
A royal flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker. It consists of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all with the same suit. If you have this hand, you will win any game or tournament without exception.
Special Rules and Additional Information
There are some special rules to keep in mind when playing poker:
- The Ace in a Straight: The Ace can be used as either the highest or lowest card in a straight.
- Heads-Up Poker Rules: 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 dealing out the community cards, the dealer will burn (remove) the top card from the deck to prevent players from using that information to their advantage.
Additional Guides
If you have mastered the basic rules of Texas Hold'em poker and want to learn more, we recommend checking out our additional guides, which provide tips and strategies for advanced players.