Poker Hands

There are several different games in the fascinating world of poker but most of them use the same hand rankings. Those that are really different can usually be explained in terms simple enough for anyone to understand. This is absolutely the first step in poker education. After all, if you don’t know what the target or goal is, how can you hit it?

To repeat, hand rankings are consistent across many types of poker. (Later, we’ll take a short look at a couple of games that turn the rankings upside down.) Once a player gets these guidelines down he or she can focus on becoming a good player, using strategy, bluffs and betting methods to gain an advantage. *As we look at the poker hand rankings remember the advice of several professionals: Poker is a people game that just happens to be played with cards. If that doesn’t seem clear, you will understand what they meant as you gain poker experience.

A standard deck used for poker contains 52 cards. In this case we won’t use the Joker. Here is a description of the various poker hands, together with an example.

Example	Description of poker hand
	Card values go from Ace through 10 (with the Ace counting as 1 or the lowest card). Then comes the Jack - followed by the Queen, King and the Ace again if this card can be used as highest or lowest value. If no player has a pair, the high card determines the winner.
	Next in line is the pair. The deck has four suits – spades, diamonds, hearts and clubs. Suppose you have in your hand the 2 of spades and the 2 of diamonds. You have a pair of 2s (also called deuces). A pair of Queens beats a pair of 9s, for example.
	If you have two pair in your hand you’re in pretty good shape. But be careful, there are several hands that are much stronger.
	Next comes three of a kind, sometimes referred to as a “set.” Example: three 9s or three Kings. This is usually a very good hand.
	Sometimes a player gets three of a kind and feels invincible, only to lose to a straight. This hand includes five cards in consecutive number order. Suits don’t matter with a straight. Example: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of any suit. An Ace might be used for the smallest straight Ace through 5, or the highest straight, 10 through Ace. The smallest straight has been called the “wheel” while the largest straight is sometimes called “Broadway.”
	What if you have five cards of the same suit but not in number order? You have a flush. Example: a 3, 6, 7, 10 and Ace of hearts.
	When we move to the next-best hand we’re getting into the rare atmosphere. People will sometimes win the hand with a full house. This is made up of three cards of the same rank, such as three Kings, along with another two cards of the same rank, such as two 7s. This is often referred to as a “full boat” as well.
	At the start we mentioned that there are four suits in the deck and each suit has the same number of cards. If you get the rare four of akind that means you have all four Kings or all four 8s or all four of any other card.
	The straight flush is just what it sounds like: a combination of five cards in consecutive number order and all the same suit. Example: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 all clubs.
	If you have the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all the same suit, you have the best hand – a royal flush.

In most poker games, players try to get the best five-card hand, if dealt five cards or seven cards. If two players have equal hands, there is a “kicker.” For example, suppose two players have the same pair. The highest extra card is the kicker and determines the win. This is a key to successful poker.