What is the order of poker hands from highest to lowest?

The order is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card.

What is the best hand in poker?

The best hand is a royal flush: A-K-Q-J-T of the same suit. No other poker hand can beat it in standard Texas Holdem.

Does a flush beat a straight?

Yes. A flush beats a straight in standard poker hand rankings. A flush is any five cards of the same suit, while a straight is five consecutive ranks.

How do kickers work in Texas Holdem?

A kicker is an extra card used to break ties when players have the same pair, two pair, three of a kind, or high-card hand. The highest unused card decides the winner.

Poker Hand Rankings Full Guide: Best Hands from High to Low

Poker hand rankings full chart from royal flush down to high card

This is the full Texas Holdem hand hierarchy. Learn it first, then every strategy decision becomes easier.

Rank	Hand	Example
1	Royal Flush	A-K-Q-J-T same suit
2	Straight Flush	9-8-7-6-5 same suit
3	Four of a Kind	K-K-K-K-7
4	Full House	J-J-J-8-8
5	Flush	A-J-8-5-2 same suit
6	Straight	9-8-7-6-5 mixed suits
7	Three of a Kind	Q-Q-Q-9-4
8	Two Pair	A-A-7-7-3
9	One Pair	T-T-A-6-2
10	High Card	A-Q-9-6-3

Tiebreaker Example

Player 1 has AQ. Player 2 has AJ. The board is A-7-4-2-9. Both players have one pair of aces, so the kicker decides. AQ beats AJ because queen is higher than jack.

Practice Drill

Before every free practice session, name the top five hands in order. After each showdown, pause and identify the exact five-card hand that won.

Casual practice with free virtual chips — solidify what you read above.

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