Ranking and Scoring Poker Hands

(Casinos Guides)

Information about Ranking and Scoring Hands

Most casino poker hands comprise just five playing cards and are ranked according to specific rules. The highest ranking playing card is always the ace, following in a logical order, first by the court cards of king, queens and jacks, and then the numbered playing cards, in a descending order. In the game of poker, 2s are always ranked as the lowest playing card.

Poker hands are ranked in the following order:

• Royal Flush - ace, king, queen, jack and 10, all in the same suit (all suits are ranked equally)
• Straight Flush - all five cards in the same suit, numbered consecutively (straight flushes with higher value cards are ranked highest)
• Four of a Kind - four cards of the same value, together with any other card (four aces rank as the highest four of a kind)
• Full House - three cards of the same value (known as three of a kind), together with two cards of the same value (known as a pair)
• Flush - five cards of the same suit, in any order (higher value cards in flushes rank highest)
• Straight - five cards of any suit, in a numerical order (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten is the highest possible straight)
• Three of a Kind - three cards of the same value, and any other two cards (three aces in three of a kind ranks highest)
• Two Pairs - two pairs of cards, together with another card (identical hands outrank each other depending upon the value of the single card, with ace being the highest value)
• One Pair - two cards of the same value (a pair of aces ranks highest and a pair of 2s ranks lowest)
• Highest Card - lowest ranking hand, where no other hands are held, the highest value card wins (ace high ranks highest)