Texas Holdem Rankings for All 169 Starting Hands. Ever since the early days of Texas holdem poker, players have attempted to analyze and organize the 169 possible two card starting hands found in the game.
Poker hand rankings can, admittedly, be a little confusing at first when you start playing poker. However, with a little practice, you will know the rankings of all the different poker hands like the back of your hands. In fact, anyone that plays poker regularly will have the rankings etched in their minds and they don’t even have to think about it anymore, they just know. Heck! You could wake them up from a slumber and ask them what hand beats what in Poker and they will be able to tell you.
So, if you are someone still trying to get the hang of all the different poker hands and their rankings, worry not. It will come with time and it will come sooner than you think. However, we have composed an article that you can use for quick reference to help you along your way and to make the learning curve slightly more gradual.
Poker Hand Rankings Chart. Print out this free poker hand rankings chart – and always know the best winning poker hands. Poker hands are ranked in order from best to worst. Poker Hand Rankings Chart P o ke r h a n d s a r e r a n ke d i n o r d e r f r om b e s t t o w o r s t. P r i n t e d f r o m h t t p s: / / l u ke ko w a l d. The rules of poker are simple and the way the hands are ranked is very straight forward. In total there are 10 different kinds of hands you can have. These hands are ranked from top to bottom from the Royal Flush to the single high card. The rules of poker are simple and the way the hands are ranked.
While referring to the rankings provided in this article, it must be noted that poker is a game of with a rich history that dates all the way back to the 16th century. Therefore, there are now several different versions of poker. The ranking system may not be the same in all versions. Having said that, this ranking system is the most commonly used and applicable to all the major and well known versions of Poker such as Texas hold em’, Chinese Poker, Chicago, Poker Menteur and PaiGow Poker. Therefore, these rankings are referred to as the ‘Standard’ Poker Hand Rating.
So, without any further ado, let us dig into the standard poker hierarchy and take a closer look at the different hands and where they stand in comparison to other hands or combinations.
Standard Poker Hand Ranking
Contents
- Standard Poker Hand Ranking
Firstly, let us address the basic question of what a Poker hand is. A Poker hand is a combination of five cards that the player has. The rankings of the various hands themselves have been enumerated below. A hand which is ranked higher will beat a hand ranked lower and the highest ranked hand will take the pot at the end of the betting rounds (provided that the player did not fold the hand).
While one standard deck of 52 cards is sufficient to play Poker, virtually all casinos and Poker rooms use two decks because this allows for the game to flow faster and for more possible potential combinations.
What beats what in Poker? Ranking hands from highest to lowest
Straight Flush
In a poker game where there are no wild cards in play or use, a straight flush is going to be the highest ranked hand that you can possible have. In other words, there is no other hand that anyone else can have that can beat a straight flush. So what cards do you need for a Straight Flush? Well, a straight flush requires not only five cards in numerical sequence, but these five cards should also belong to the same suit.
For example – Jack of clubs, 10 of clubs, 9 of clubs, 8 of clubs and 7 of clubs would make for a straight flush. Likewise, 5 of hearts, four of hearts, 3 of hearts, 2 of hearts and Ace of hearts is also a straight flush.
However, you can further distinguish between two straight flushes as to which one is ranked higher than the other. For this, you just need to look at the highest card in which straight flush, and which ever hand has the higher highest card will be the straight flush that wins. The highest straight flush that you can have is called a royal flush.
A royal flush will consist of the cards A, K, Q, J, and 10 which all belong to the same suit. Another thing to remember about a straight flush is that it cannot loop over, that is, it 4 of diamonds, 3 of diamonds, 2 of diamonds, Ace of diamonds and King of diamonds cannot be considered a straight flush.
Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is the second most highly ranked hand in the standard rankings. Four of a kind, as the name suggests is when the hand comprises of four cards which are all of the same rank. Thus, this could be four jacks or four queens, or four kings, or four 10’s. Obviously, they will be of different suits. The fifth card can be anything and it is called the kicker.
You can also further distinguish two four of a kind hands as one being higher than the other. This depends on the rank of the four cards. For example, 7 of hearts, 7 of diamonds, 7 of clubs and 7 of spades is considered higher that say 4 of clubs, 4 of spades, 4 of diamonds and 4 of hearts because of the fact that 7 is higher or greater than 4.
Full House
A full house is a hand which is also sometimes referred to as a boat. In a full house, all five cards in the hand are considered and evaluated. It is known as a full house when the hand comprises of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
For example, a 6 of hearts, 6 of spades, 6 of diamonds, a 7 of clubs and 7 of hearts is considered a full house. It is essentially a three of a kind and a two of a kind both in just one hand.
Flush
A flush is another hand wherein all five cards in the hand are considered. A flush is when you have five cards that may be of different ranks, but all five belong to the same suit.
For example, a 5 of hearts, a King of hearts, a 3 of hearts, an Ace of hearts, and a 2 of hearts will be considered a flush since they all belong to the same suit – Hearts!
Straight
A straight is like a flush, but instead of the suit being the same, the ranks need to be the same in a Straight. So, if you have a sequence of five cards which is unbroken, but of different suits, then you are said to be holding a straight.
For example – 10 of hearts, 9 of diamonds, 8 of spades, 7 of clubs, and six of hearts is a straight since the numerical sequence is intact even though the suites are all mixed up.
Three of a kind
A three of a kind is a hand wherein of the five cards, you have three cards which have the same ranking. The suits can be different in a three of a kind. The other two cards in your hand maybe anything, and it does not really matter unless there is another player on the table who also happens to have a three of a kind, in this case, the other two cards in the hands are considered and the player with the higher other two cards will emerge victorious.
Two pairs
A two pair is when you have one pair of cards that are equal in rank and another pair of cards that are also equal in rank.
For example, this hand is considered as a two pair – 4 of spades, 4 of hearts, 3 of clubs, 7 of clubs and 7 of diamonds.
Pair
When you have two cards in your hand that are of the same rank, you are said to have a pair.
Knowing what beats what in poker or Texas Hold’em is an important early step in learning the game. To help you out, I have provided for you an attractive printable or downloadable “cheat sheet” for both 5 card hand rankings as well as top 24 pre-flop starting hands.
Poker hands ranked from best to worst:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
To make things easier on you, I have included some handy charts that can be used to reference during play or even printed out.
Poker Hand Rankings Chart
Never forget what beats what again. Feel free to save this to your phone/tablet/computer or print the chart out.
Click below to download a high-quality PDF that includes a printable copy of both the showdown and pre-flop hand rankings.
The Top 24 Hold’Em Starting Hand Rankings
To help you out, I have also included the top 24 no-limit hold’em starting hands to give you a further idea of what beats what in poker. I based this list on both raw equities as well as post-flop playability.
I have used over 10 years of experience in both tournaments and cash games to compile this info. You get to benefit from my hard work!
![Ranking Poker Hands Printable Ranking Poker Hands Printable](/uploads/1/3/6/7/136725349/343148191.png)
How These Hands Were Determined
I took a look at a few of the pre-flop hand ranking charts out there and, while most appeared to get it right for the most part, there seemed to be something off.
The thing is, everyone always does pretty well on the top 5 or 6 hands. However, after that things get a bit murkier.
![Ranking Ranking](/uploads/1/3/6/7/136725349/884170490.gif)
So, what really matters when it comes to weighing hand strength? I decided to take a close look at the problem. Using the knowledge I’ve gained over the past few years, I tried to come up with a better way of codifying hand rankings.
Determining the Overall Playability of Each Hand
I decided to go about it from a logical standpoint. When deciding whether to play a hand or not, what are the factors a strong player considers before acting?
So, I decided that there are basically two main factors to consider in determining the strength of a particular pre-flop hand. And, since equity is the tool we use to rank the value of hands I just had to figure out what type of equities matter most and then apply it to each factor.
Once I was able to define which equities to consider, it just took a bit of math.
1. Pre-Flop Equity
The first equity I decided to factor in is a hand’s raw pre-flop equity. I mean, sometimes you need to get all-in before the flop, right?
Of course, some hands will get all-in more frequently than others but for the sake of simplicity, raw equity against a strong range will give us a decent enough metric to come up with a comparative ranking.
2. Post-Flop Equity
Secondly, we need to factor in how a hand does post-flop. There’s no doubt, that certain hands play much better after the flop than others.
To calculate how well a hand does after the flop I looked at what post-flop hands tend to get all-in most of the time in a post-flop scenario. This includes the strongest made hands, including top pair and better, as well as strong draws.
Once I was able to figure out what hands are likely to get all-in, I just had to figure out the equity of every hand versus that range on a random flop.
Compiling the Final List
Doing these kinds of calculations by hand would be extremely difficult and time-consuming. Luckily, there is a software program called Cardrunner’s EV that does the math for me.
After I figured out both the raw pre-flop equity and the likely flop equity of each hand, I just used excel to average them. That data was used to compile the rankings.
Here are the final equity percentages:
Which Poker Starting Hand Ranges Should I Use?
Knowing which hands to open raise is important to your success. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Free Basic Poker Strategy Charts
I have built charts that provide you profitable opening ranges from every position. As a bonus, the charts also include what to do at every decision point possible for playing a 20 to 40 big blind stack.
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The guide will give you an excellent starting point for playing No-Limit Texas Hold’em and will get you off on the right foot by allowing you to play fundamentally sound poker right now!
FAQ
What if my opponent and I have the same hand at showdown ?
If more than one player has the same hand then you have to follow the tie-breaker rules to determine the winner.
If two or more players have a flush or straight
In the case where two players have a flush or straight, the person who has the highest card in their hand wins. For example, T9876 beats 76543.
If two or more players have a full house
In the case of multiple full houses, the player with the highest “trips” as part of their full house wins. For example, TTT22 beats 555AA.
What if two or more players have the same pair or two pair?
If multiple players have exactly the same two pair, the highest kicker is used to determine the winner. For example, JJ66Q beats JJ66T.
The same process is used for one-pair. The next highest kicker is used. If that is the same, you use the next highest kicker. So on and so forth until the tie is broken. For example, AAK85 beats AAK84.
Who wins if more than one person has the same high card?
Similarly to one pair and two-pair hands, you use the next highest kicker to determine the winner. You keep moving on to the next kicker until a winner is determined. For example, KT763 beats KT753.
Which is better, trips or two-pair?
Three of a kind beats two-pair. It also beats a pair and high card.
Which is better, a flush or a straight?
Poker Hands Ranking Printable Chart
A flush beats a straight. It also beats three of a kind, two pair, a pair, and high card.
What is the worst hand in poker?
The worst hand against multiple players is 72 offsuit. The worst hand heads-up is 32o.
What are the odds of getting a Royal Flush in Texas Hold’em?
Ranking Poker Hands Printable
A royal flush is extremely rare. You can only expect to get a royal flush once every 650,000 hands. That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. Personally, I have played well over 5 million hands and have only had one royal using both cards.
Final Thoughts
Ranking Of Poker Hands Printable
I hope this article has helped you learn more about how hand rankings work in poker. If you want to learn about basic poker strategy, be sure to check out my detailed no-limit hold’em basic tutorial.