Poker Hand Rankings
As previously mentioned, the game of Poker is based around rankings, or more specifically, a collective group of cards that together form a certain ranking. If a player does not hold a collection of cards that form a ‘hand’, then their highest ‘individual card’ is used, with Ace being the most prominent, followed by King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, and so on.
So, in Texas Hold ‘Em, players look to create the highest ‘five card hand’, the rankings from best to worst are as followed. A ‘Royal Flush’, five cards of the same suit, running from 10 through to Ace, e.g (10,J,K,Q,A of Hearts). Next is a ‘Flush’, any five ‘running’ cards of the same suit e.g (6,7,8,9,10 of Spades), followed by ‘4 of a Kind’, four cards of the same value, e.g (4,4,4,4,3). Next down the rankings is a ‘Full House’, which is three cards of the same value, alongside two further cards of the same value, e.g (7,7,7,6,6). Following this, is a ‘Flush’, five cards of the same suit, in any order, e.g (3,4,9,J,7 of Diamonds). Next is a ‘Straight’, five running cards of any suit, e.g (10,J,Q,K,A of mixed suits). A ‘Straight’ is followed by ‘3 of a Kind’, which is three cards of the same value, e.g (3,3,3,7,J). Moving into the lower echelons of the ranking system, the next hand is ‘2 Pair’, two cards of the same value, alongside two further cards of the same value, e.g (4,4,K,K,7). ‘2 Pair’ is followed by ‘1 Pair’ which is simply two cards of the same value, and the lowest possible hand is simply a ‘High Card’ or ‘Individual Card’ that was mentioned previously, e.g in a hand of (Q,6,8,5,9), the hand would be merely the Queen as the ‘High Card’. In the normal format of Poker, especially Texas Hold Em’, there is usually no preferential ranking to suits – this varies in particular countries, for example, Poker players in Italy regard Hearts as the superior suit, followed by Diamonds, Clubs and lastly, Spades. It should also be noted that a ‘Wild Card’ (usually the Joker in a standard pack) is often used, whereby the holder can use it as a substitute for any other card, usually to make up a ‘hand’.