Hand Rankings
It's time to brush up on those all important hand rankings. Here's a list of the possible hands and how they rank, together with a short definition and, in the hope that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, an example image.
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High cardThe highest ranked card is an Ace, and the ranking runs from the Ace down through the picture cards all the way to 2. |
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PairAny two cards of the same rank, for example two Queens. The ranking of pairs mirrors that of the cards in general, so the strongest pair is a pair of Aces and the weakest a pair of 2s. |
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Two PairTwo sets of cards of the same rank, for example two queens and two sixes. |
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Three of a kindAlso called trips, this is where you have three cards of the same rank, for example three sevens. |
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StraightFive cards in sequential rank order, for example 8, 9, 10, Jack and a Queen. An ace may be used as both a high and a low card. |
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FlushFive cards of the same suit, for example five diamonds. |
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Full houseA combination of a pair and three of a kind. |
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Four of a kindFour cards of the same rank, for example four Queens. |
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Straight FlushA straight (see above) but with all the cards in the same suit. |
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Royal FlushThe daddy of all poker hands, a royal flush is a straight flush involving the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. |
