Hold Em Winning Hands
Hold Em Winning Hands Rating: 3,6/5 5365 votes
So what are the winning hands in poker?
Knowing the odds of improving your hand after the flop is one of the most important things to remember in Hold’em. These Hold’em odds, combined with the reading of your opponent(s). The best starting Texas Holdem poker hands are called premium hands. While the definition of a premium hand varies from one poker expert to the next, a solid core of hands that are considered the best by everyone are AA, KK, QQ, AK, and JJ. Four of these five hands often won’t improve on the flop, so it’s important to seize the advantage.
- Trashy – Hands like Q5o, J6o, 52o and 84o are among the weakest starting hands in Texas Hold’em and should never be played as a raise first in. The majority of Texas Hold’em starting hands are in this category, so it’s important to get into the habit of only selecting appropriate hands to play from each position.
- Official Poker Hand Rankings Know your poker hand order. A poker hand consists of five cards, which fall into several categories. Below is the complete list of poker hands, from highest to lowest. Please note that hand rankings for Short Deck are slightly different. Find out more about the short deck poker hand rankings on the dedicated page.
In most poker varieties, the players use some of the cards they hold and combine them with some of the community cards to form the best possible five-card hand. In Texas Hold’em, for example, each player holds two cards, and there are five community cards when all cards are dealt. Each player can use one, two, or even none of his hole cards in combination with the community cards to form the best possible hand. If two or more players hold hands of equal values, they split the pot and share whatever amount is in it.
For example, let’s say that there are three players holding
- Player A: Q♣Q♠
- Player B: A♠10♦
- Player C: 7♦6♦
And the board is : A♣Q♦J♦9♣8♠
- For player A, his best possible hand (using both of his hole cards) is three of a kind Q♣Q♠Q♦A♣J♦
- For player B, his best possible hand (using only one of his hole cards) is a straight Q♦J♦10♦9♣8♠
- For player C, his best possible hand (using none one of his hole cards) is ace high A♣Q♦J♦9♣8♠
The value of the hands somehow reflects how difficult or rare it is to form them. In the example above, the straight is the highest ranked hand (also the rarest), so player B wins. Let’s take a look at all the hand rankings.
Hand Rankings (ordered by increasing value)
| Hand | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 10. High card | Unrelated and unpaired cards | |
| 9. One pair | Two cards of the same rank | |
| 8. Two pair | Two different pairs | |
| 7. Three of a kind (or set) | Three cards of the same rank | |
| 6. Straight | Five consecutive cards | |
| 5. Flush | All cards of the same suit | |
| 4. Full house | Three of a kind with a pair | |
| 3. Four of a kind (or quads) | Four cards of the same rank | |
| 2. Straight flush | Five consecutive cards, all of the same suit | |
| 1. Royal flush | Ace-High Straight Flush |
High card
This holding is the lowest possible. It means that you have not paired your cards, and your cards are unrelated, so no straight or flush either. When two or more players have “high cards,” the one holding the highest cards wins, ace being the highest and deuce the lowest. So, if someone holds has an ace (called ace-high), he wins an opponent having king-high. If the highest card of both players is the same, then the second-highest card counts, and so on.
One Pair
Having one pair is the second in value and wins only x-high hands. Between players holding one pair, the one with the highest pair wins. If two players have the same pair, the one holding the highest side card, also called a kicker, wins.
Two Pair
Two pair is better than one pair. Between players holding two pair, the one holding the highest pair wins. If two players hold the same high pair, then the second pair counts and then the kicker (the fifth card).
Three of a Kind
Holding three of a kind (three cards of the same rank) is wins over two-pair. Once again, the highest three of a kind wins, and if there is a tie, the kickers count (the remaining two cards of the five-card holding).
Straight
On top of three of a kind comes the straight. It consists of five consecutive cards. Between players holding a straight, the one with the highest cards wins.
Flush
A flush wins a straight. To make a flush, all of the five cards have to be of the same suit. If more than one players have a flush, the one with the highest cards wins. The type of suit (♥♦♠♣) does not play a role in the ranking.
Full House
A full house beats a flush. It consists of three of a kind and a pair. Between players having full houses, the one that has the highest three of a kind wins. In a tie, the pair becomes decisive.
Four of a Kind
Four of a kind wins a full house. Between players having four of a kind, the one that has the highest four of a kind wins. In a tie, the player with the highest kicker wins the hand.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is both a straight (five consecutive cards) and a flush (cards of the same suit). Between players holding straight flushes, the one with the highest cards wins. The type of suit (♥♦♠♣) does not matter for the ranking.
Royal Flush
A royal flush is the best possible hand! It is a straight flush with the highest card being an ace. If you hold a royal flush you have nothing to fear 🙂
Check out our recommended online poker sites!
Texas hold ’em poker winning hands
The sequence of winning hands in poker is the single most important thing to know and memorise. Otherwise how will you know if you are winning the hand or on the losing end? This is important to understand if you want to make money in the casino or the reach the final table in a tournament. Sure, skill comes into it after that, and a Texas Hold’em winning poker strategy, but luck plays enough of a part that you can bypass those aspects if you recognise when you have a chance on the table. A good strategy for beginners Texas Holdem poker and part of learning how to get better at poker is to sit down and remember the types of hands below, the winning poker hands. For winning hands in Omaha poker check here.
Don’t forget that the best poker hand is made of a total five cards from any or all of the five cards on the table and the two in your hand. So the cards laid out below represent that, not just the cards on the table. So if you want to know how to be a better poker player this is the start.
Winning hand sequence; starting from the best,
Texas Hold Em Winning Hand Odds
1: Royal Flush.
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten all of one suit, ie diamonds or hearts or clubs or spades. A rare hand, the best hand in p0ker, statistically you are only likely to see one every 650,000 hands. If you do flop, turn or river a Royal Flush, you need a good strategy to get the most chips off other players. This is where you need the best poker tournament strategy you can get. Your play depends on how the other players on the table are betting. If they are loose and call everything, you can raise or even go all in and try and get them to call you. But if they are tight you need to play it wisely and let them make the running, re-raise them if you get the chance, draw them into your winning web.
2; The straight flush.
Five cards all of the same suit, in sequence.
3; Four of a kind.
Known as quads, four cards of the same value. If you have one or two of them you will win. If there are four of the same cards on the board, whoever has the highest card to go with them will win, ie ace, and if two people have the highest card its a split pot.
4; Full house.
This hand consists of two cards of one value and three or another. If the three cards are kings and the two cards are sevens, its called Kings full. Whichever value cards is the most, they are the full hand. Any three / two card combination will do it.
5; The flush.
No Limit Hold Em Winning Hands
A flush is five or more cards of one suit. If two people have a flush the one with the hightest card in the flush wins the hand. And if you have ever wondered if a flush beats three of a kind, now you know, it does.
6; Straight.
For a straight you need five cards in sequence. They can be of any suit. 6,7,8,9,10 is an example. Any straight needs to have a five or a ten in it. Sometimes people get confused about what is better, a straight or a flush. Even though a straight seems harder to get than a flush, its the flush that wins over a straight, every tine.
Texas Hold Em Winning Poker Hands
7; Three of a kind.
Three cards all the same rank.
8; Two pairs.
Any two pairs of two cards.
9; Pair.
Two cards of the same value, such as 77 or KK.
10; High card.
If no one makes a hand out of all the cards that come down and the cards in their hand, then the highest card will win. The best highest card is an ace, but it could be a four depending how the hand plays out.