But if another player keeps betting into you and he has a stronger hand than yours, your hand is no longer considered strong.īy contrast, if you have just one pair, but your opponent gives you free play at the pot, it might be a sign that you have a promising hand, and you should continue betting. While it’s true that poker hand rankings never change, sometimes a poor hand becomes more valuable while a good hand turns into something less dominant because of the difference between absolute value and relative value.įor example, a two pair’s absolute value is considered a good one. The absolute and relative value of poker hands This “hierarchy” was first developed in the early 19th Century when people started playing five-card draw first. Note that the rankings mentioned above apply to a wide variety of poker variants, from Omaha and Seven-Card Stud to Texas Hold ’em. Some professionals even call it a sport since the long-term outcome largely depends on aptitude and skill rather than luck. In fact, if you want to succeed and win money at poker (or even make a living out of it), you have to develop mathematical skills and logical reasoning that are beyond an average person’s level. However, unlike many casino games, you need to rely more on solid skills and strategy to win than luck and your lucky charm. Professional poker players memorize the poker hands ranking and the “what beats what” hierarchy so they can decide the best strategy to play their hands. Winning is not just about poker hands ranking

And ultimate, a royal flush beats a straight flush.a straight flush defeats a four-of-a-kind.a four-of-a-kind is better than a full house.a straight is better than a three-of-a-kind.a three-of-a-kind is better than a two pair.Meanwhile, the rest of the hand rankings work as follows: So when you get a Royal Flush–FYI, many professional poker players haven’t been dealt a five-card Royal Flush even after years of playing–nothing can beat you. In short, there’s a significantly higher chance of you getting struck by lightning than getting this hand twice.

You can also use the cheat sheet below that shows the order of poker rankings, from the strongest to the weakest:Īs you can see on the list of poker rankings, the Royal Flush is the strongest and rarest hand in poker that the chances of you getting this is one in 2,598,960 hands. So why not read our list of best hands to learn to help you take your game to the next level? If you want to know what beats what in poker, you must first learn the poker hands rankings, from best to worst.

List of what beats what in poker