In poker, hands are ranked from strongest to weakest. Every player needs to know what beats what in poker, so they can navigate the games. This knowledge is powerful, since hand strength is the basis for your strategy. 

Our guide will walk you through exactly what beats what, how each hand is made, and what odds to expect.

Use Hand Rankings to Find What Beats What in Poker

You can quickly determine the strength of each hand by checking poker hand rankings. Rankings help you to understand what beats what in online poker at a glance. 

Only one hand in poker is unbeatable (the Royal Flush), but every other hand has combinations it wins and loses to. Learning poker hand rankings helps you make solid decisions.

The Royal Flush

The Royal Flush is the best poker hand, consisting of A-K-Q-J-10, all in the same suit. This hand is rare and unbeatable. Players who receive a Royal Flush typically feel surprised but invincible, knowing they have the best possible hand. You’ll see a Royal Flush about once every 30,940 hands in Texas Hold’em.

• Chance of flopping Royal Flush with any hole cards: 0.000154%
• Chance of completing a Royal Flush by the river (with four parts on the flop): 4.29%

What Beats a Royal Flush?

A Royal Flush cannot be beaten by any other hand in poker. It is the highest-ranking hand, and no other combination can top it. Players should feel confident and bet without fear when holding a Royal Flush, knowing their hand is unbeatable and will win the pot.

What Does a Royal Flush Beat?

A Royal Flush beats every other hand in the poker hand rankings, from a Straight Flush down to a High Card.

The Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is the second-best hand in poker. The hand is five consecutive cards of the same suit. Examples include 5-6-7-8-9 of hearts. It’s a rare, formidable hand that is unlikely to lose. Players holding the hand should only be wary of opponents with better Straight Flushes, including a Royal Flush.

• Chance of flopping a Straight Flush: 0.02%
• Chance of completing a Straight Flush by the River (with four parts on the flop): 4.29%

What Beats a Straight Flush?

A Royal Flush and a better Straight Flush beat this hand. For example, you hold 4-5 of hearts, the flop reads 6-7-8 of hearts, giving you a Straight Flush. However, your opponent has 9-10 of hearts – a better Straight Flush!

What Does a Straight Flush Beat?

A Straight Flush dominates hands like Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, and lower holdings. Players with this hand are almost always in excellent shape to win the pot, barring the rare occurrence of facing a Royal Flush or better Straight Flushes.

Four of a Kind

Four of a Kind, called Quads, is a hand with four cards of the same rank, such as four 7s or four Kings. This hand is incredibly powerful and typically leads to winning the pot. What beats Quads in poker is rarely a concern, but it isn’t unbeatable, so always pay attention to the board.

• Chance of flopping Four of a Kind: 0.177%
• Chance of Four of a Kind by the River if you flop Three of a Kind: 4.29%

What Beats Four of a Kind?

When looking for what beats 4 of a kind in poker, only a Straight Flush and a Royal Flush come out on top. However, the hand can also lose to a better Four of a Kind. For example, you hold J-J, the board shows 4-K-J-K-J, giving you Four of a Kind Jacks. However, your opponent holds K-K – a better Four of a Kind – Kings!

What Does Four of a Kind Beat?

Four of a Kind beats hands like a Full House, Flush, Straight, and lower. This makes it a very powerful hand, and players holding it are usually in a strong position. Barring unusual encounters with Royal & Straight Flushes or better Four of a Kind hands, Quads will win the pot.

Full House

A Full House is three cards of one rank and two cards of another, such as three 8s and two 4s. It’s a strong hand that can dominate many others. Full Houses are more common in poker than the higher ranks above, but offer an excellent chance of winning most pots.

• Chance of flopping a Full House with two unpaired hole cards: 0.0918%
• Chance of completing a Full House by the River after flopping Two Pair: 16.5%

What Beats a Full House?

Only Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and a Royal Flush should be a worry when looking for what beats a full house in poker. However, a better Full House can also beat yours. For example, you hold J-K, the board is K-J-J-A-A, giving you a Full House called Aces full of Jacks. Your opponent holds A-K – a better Full House of Aces full of Kings! 

What Does a Full House Beat?

A Full House beats hands like a Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. Although it’s a powerful hand, it will still be outdone by higher-ranking hands.

Flush

A Flush in poker consists of five cards of the same suit, but not in consecutive order. It can be made from any five cards from a single suit, such as 2-5-8-J-Q of spades. You should feel reasonably confident when holding this hand.

• Chance of flopping a Flush with two suited hole cards: 0.8
• Chance of hitting a Flush by the River with four cards to the Flush on the flop: 35%

What Beats a Flush?

What beats a flush in poker comes down to a few hands: a Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush. A Flush can also lose to a better version of itself. For example, a Queen-High Flush loses to an Ace-High Flush. The highest cards in your flush are important.

What Does a Flush Beat?

A Flush beats a Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. If you hold a Flush, you’re in a strong position, but you’ll want to watch out for higher Flush hands and boards that pair.

Straight

A Straight in poker is five consecutive cards, regardless of suit, such as 4-5-6-7-8. It’s a solid hand, but when it comes to what beats a straight in poker, there are several better-ranking hands.

• Chance of flopping a Straight (when holding two connecting cards): 1.3%
• Chance of a Straight by the river when flopping an open-ended draw: 32%

What Beats a Straight?

A Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush all beat a Straight. Again, be aware of better versions of your hand. For example, your 4-5-6-7-8 straight will lose to a 5-6-7-8-9 straight.

What Does a Straight Beat?

A Straight beats hands like Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. It’s a medium-strength hand, so try not to get carried away, especially if the board pairs or indicates a strong possibility of a Flush.

Three of a Kind

Three of a Kind means three cards of the same rank, such as three 7s or three Kings. It’s a solid hand, with a few different names. Two hole cards and one community card are sometimes called a Set. One hole card and two community cards are called Trips. Each is Three of a Kind and has the same ranking value.

• Chance of flopping Three of a Kind (when holding a pocket pair): 11.8%
• Chance of Three of a Kind by the river (when holding a pocket pair): 19.2%

What Beats 3 of a Kind?

A Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush all beat Three of a Kind. Better Three of a Kind hands also beat yours. So, while a Set or Trips might look attractive, there could be plenty of other hands beating your Three of a Kind. 

What Does 3 of a Kind Beat?

Three of a Kind beats Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. It’s an average hand in many situations, often giving players confidence to bet aggressively, but it remains vulnerable to many other hands.

Two Pair

Two Pair consists of two sets of matching ranks, such as 8-8 and 5-5, with a fifth card as the kicker. It’s a decent hand that often wins many situations but can be vulnerable to a whole host of stronger hands. If multiple players have Two Pair each, the highest pair determines the winner.

• Chance of flopping Two Pair with a pocket pair: 16.1%
• Chance of Two Pair by the river with two unpaired hole cards: 8.33%

What Beats Two Pair?

Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush all beat Two Pair. This moderate hand can look attractive, but it loses to many other better hands.

What Does Two Pair Beat?

Two Pairs beat One Pair and a High Card. While not the strongest hand, it provides a reasonable chance to win occasionally, especially if the pairs are high-ranked.

One Pair

One Pair consists of two cards of the same rank, such as two Queens, with three unrelated side cards. It’s one of the most common poker hands but not particularly strong. The value of One Pair depends on the rank – higher pairs (Aces, Kings) are more potent than lower ones.

• Chance of flopping One Pair: 29%
• Chance of hitting One Pair by the river with any hole cards: 48.7%

What Beats a Pair?

Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush all beat One Pair. Since it’s a relatively weak hand, it’s usually played cautiously. 

What Does a Pair Beat?

A Pair only beats a High Card or another lower pair. While it can win, it’s not a hand to rely on for frequent success.

High Card

A High Card is the weakest poker hand, occurring when you don’t have a Pair or better. With no connection to community cards, the highest card in the hand determines its strength. For example, if you hold A-10-7-5-2, you have “Ace-High.” High Card hands rarely win unless all other players also have no pairs or better.

• Chance of flopping a High Card (no pair or better): 50.1%
• Chance of holding only a High Card by the river: 48.7%

What Beats a High Card?

Every poker hand beats a High Card, including One Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush. A High Card is the lowest possible ranking hand in poker.

What Does a High Card Beat?

A High Card can only win when all opponents also have a High Card, in which case the highest-ranked card determines the winner. If multiple players have the same High Card, the second-highest (kicker) is used to break the tie.

Playing the Board: When Nobody Has a Hand

In Texas Hold’em, “playing the board” occasionally determines what beats what in poker. This usually occurs when the board cards create a hand combination, and no player can improve it with their hole cards.

For example, if the board reads A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit, every player has a Royal Flush. Since no one has a better hand, the pot is split. The same thing would happen if the board showed A-A-10-J-9 and no players held a card higher than an 8 and had no pair.

Strategically, playing the board can lead to bluffing opportunities in poker. If an opponent is unaware of the chop, an aggressive bet may force them to fold, securing a pot you would have split.

Who Wins When Players Have the Same Poker Hand?

In poker games like Texas Holdem, Omaha, and 5-Card Omaha, when players have the same hand, answering what beats what in poker can be more complex. In a showdown, players sometimes hold the same hand. When this happens, the winner is determined by kickers – side cards that break ties. Kickers come into play when players have hands like identical pairs, two pairs, or Three of a Kind, where the highest unmatched card determines the winner.

For example, if two players hold A-K and A-J on a board of A-7-5-9-2, both have a pair of Aces. However, the player with A-K wins because their kicker (the King) is higher than the Jack. If all cards are identical, the pot is split.

Straight Flush vs Straight Flush

When two players have a Straight Flush, the one with the highest-ranking top card wins.

For example, Player A holds Q♠-A♠, and Player B has 6♠-7♠. The board shows 2♠-3♠-4♠-5♠-J♠. Both players have a Straight Flush, but Player B wins with a 7-high Straight Flush over Player A’s 5-high.

Four of a Kind vs Four of a Kind

If two players have Four of a Kind, the higher-ranking four cards determine the winner.

For example, Player A has Q♣Q♦, and Player B holds 10♠10♦. The board shows Q♠Q♥10♣10♥5♦. Player A wins with four Queens, beating Player B’s four Tens. If both have the same Four of a Kind, the highest kicker decides the winner.

Full House vs Full House

A Full House is ranked first by the three matching cards, then by the pair.

For example, if Player A holds 9♦9♠ and Player B has 8♣8♠, and the board is Q♣9♥8♦7♠7♠, Player A wins with Nines full of Sevens, beating Player B’s Eights full of Sevens.

Flush vs Flush

The Flush with the highest top card wins. If those match, the second-highest card is compared, and so on.

For example, Player A has A♦J♦, and Player B has K♦10♦. The board is 7♦8♦Q♦4♦2♦. Player A wins with an Ace-high Flush over Player B’s King-high Flush.

Straight vs Straight

A Straight is ranked by its highest card – the higher Straight wins.

For example, Player A has J♠Q♠, and Player B has Q♦K♦. The board is 8♣9♦10♥J♠A♠. Player B wins with an Ace-high Straight, beating Player A’s Queen-high Straight.

Three of a Kind vs Three of a Kind

When both players have Three of a Kind, the higher Set or Trips wins, if tied, the highest kicker is used.

For example, Player A has 7♠7♦, and Player B has 9♣9♠. The board is Q♦9♥7♣5♠2♦. Player B wins with three Nines over Player A’s three Sevens.

Two Pair vs Two Pair

The highest pair is compared first; if tied, the second pair is checked. If both are identical, the kicker decides the winner.

For example, Player A has K♠10♠, and Player B has Q♣10♥. The board is A♠10♣K♣Q♦5♠. Player A wins with Kings and Tens, beating Player B’s Queens and Tens.

Pair vs Pair

When two players have a pair, the higher pair wins. If tied, the highest kicker is used.

For example, Player A has J♠J♦, and Player B has 10♠10♦. The board is 7♠8♣K♣5♦2♥. Player A wins with a pair of Jacks over Player B’s pair of Tens.

High Card vs High Card

If no player has a pair or better, the highest card wins. If tied, the second-highest card is used, and so on.

For example, Player A has A♠10♦, and Player B has K♣Q♠. The board is 9♥8♦7♠5♣2♦. Player A wins with Ace-high, beating Player B’s King-high.

Practice Poker Hand Ranking in Real Games

The best way to master what beats what in poker is through practice. Play regularly, analyze showdowns, and you’ll soon be an expert in poker hand rankings.

Ready to test your skills? Join CoinPoker and put your knowledge of what beats what in poker to the test! Play real hands, apply strategies, and make the right calls. We’ve got a 150% deposit bonus up to $2,000 waiting for you, too!

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