A hand should always have five cards. On some games with more than five cards are available to each play, the best five card combination of the said cards must be played. The ranking is not affected when you have cards that do not belong in the hand.
Individual cards are being ranked by A as the highest, and follows, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 as the lowest card. The A can appear low if the A is part of a straight or straight flush. Individual cards are being used to rank the cards on hand which are on the same category.
Hands should be ranked first by category, followed by individual card ranks which even the lowest hand that may qualify on some categories that defeat the hands in all lower categories. Take note that only between the two hands on the same category are cards ranked. This is used to break ties.
Hand Categories
Straight flush is a kind of hand that contains 5 cards in sequence, all of the same type. Such hands are being compared by their card which is to be ranked to be the highest. We can consider it a tie if a straight flush on each player has the same suits (e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of hearts ties with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of clubs). Aces can be played either low or high in straight flushes. For example, A, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is considered as a 5-high straight flush or can be called as steel wheel. A, K, Q, J, 10 of any type is known as the royal flush, which is rather considered as the highest ranking standard poker hand.
Four of a kind or “quads” is another type of poker hand which consists of 4 cards of the same rank, and one unmatched card of any rank. Quads which have higher ranking cards will defeat the lower ranking ones. There is a possibility that two or more players can obtain the same quad which acts as a kicker. If two hands have the same kicker, they call it a tie and the pot is split.
Full house or full boat is a hand which contains three matching cards of one rank, and two matching card of the same rank. In between two full houses, a hand wins if the three cards have the higher rank than the other (e.g. 10, 10, 10, 4, 4 defeats 2, 2, 2, 4, 4). If two hands have the same three cards, the winner will be determined if a player with a higher pair wins (e.g. 3, 3, 3, 10, 10 defeats 2, 2, 2, 3, 3).
Flush contains five cards of the same type, but not in the rank sequence. If they have high card hands, they usually compare it to know which one is the winner. If the two flushes contain the same five rank cards, they declare it as a tie and split the pot.
Straight contains five sequential cards but not determined by their suit. The two straights with the same high card have equal value.
Three of a kind which can be called trips or set, is a hand which contains three cards of the same value, plus any two unmatched cards. The higher value three of a kind defeats the lowered value of another three of a kind (10, 10, 10, 2, 3 defeats 3, 3, 3, 5, 7).
Two pairs is a hand which contains two cards with same value and another two cards with the same value and any one unmatched card. When determining the winner between the two hands, the higher rank of each hand is first compared (e.g.10, 10, 5, 5, 2 defeats 5, 5, 3, 3, 10). If both hands contain the sane top pair, they compare it to the second one (e.g. 10, 10, 7, 7, 2 defeats 10, 10, 5, 5, 3). And if both hands have the same two pairs, the kicker is compared to determine the winner (e.g. 5, 5, 4, 4, A defeats 5, 5, 4, 4, 10).
One pair is a hand which contains only a pair and three unmatched cards. Higher pair defeats the lower pair. If the two pairs have the same value, the kicker is used to determine the winner.
High card or no pair is a hand which no cards have the same rank, not in sequence, and not have all the same suit. High card can win if the other players fold or even do a showdown. Two high card hands are being ranked by comparing the highest ranking card. Online poker gives you strategies on how to play the poker game.