Texas Hold’em Poker Hands Rankings

Most experienced online casino gamers are familiar with the famous Texas Hold’em poker. It’s one of the most played variants of poker game. Due to the wide recognition and engagement by gamblers, hardly will you find a reputable online casino that doesn’t offer Texas Hold’em. In the game, there are several poker hands rankings that you would like to know before playing.

The famous game involves two cards, which are dealt with the face down and five community cards in three stages. Each step involves a series of three cards, a final card, and an extra single card. After dealing the cards, the player who owns the best hand without being folded at the end of the betting rounds wins all the money for that specific hand.

If you are new to the concept of Texas Hold’em poker game, learning the rules and the poker hands are crucial.

The experienced gamers will also benefit from the preflop poker hand odds. Without knowing how the hands rank, you might lose many bucks before you can find your way around the game.

However, rather than losing your hard-earned money, it is possible to get off to a good start by reading this article. Herein, we’ll discuss the poker hands ranking in the right order, Texas Hold’em hand ranking rules, among other vital details. Enjoy reading.

 

The Best Texas Hold’em Poker Hands Rankings in Order

While Texas Hold’em is an exciting poker game to enjoy, it’s vital to learn the poker hands rankings and rules. These rules and rankings will come handy in progressing during gameplay.

Also, it is useful for how you approach the game. So, the few minutes spent learning the list of poker hands is already a reasonable effort towards having successful gaming.

Below is a list of the poker hands ranking in the right order.

1. Royal flush: Obviously, this is the best hand in the poker game. It includes Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and a 10 with a similar suit (A♣ K♣ Q♣ J♣ T♣).
2. Straight flush: This hand is constituted by five cards having the same suit in a row. However, it must not include A-high. A good example is T♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠.
3. Four of a kind: As for this hand, players need a combination of four cards having the same rank. Here is a good instance: 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ 4♣.
4. Full House: This hand requires three cards having the same rank and a pair. J♥ J♦ J♣ 5♥ 5♣ is an example.
5. Flush: This entails five cards having a similar suit, which are not in the same row. For instance, you can have K♥ Q♥ 8♥ 5♥ 3♥.
6. Straight: Here is a hand that includes five cards in a row. You can have 5♥ 6♦ 7♣ 8♣ 9♦.
7. Three of a kind: This hand demands having three cards with the same rank and two cards showing different suits. Here is an example 9♥ 9♠ 9♣ 6♥ 3♠.
8. Two pairs: Players need a combo of two different pairs. For instance, you can hold 4♣ 4♠ 7♣ 7♠ K♣.
9. One pair: All you need are two cards having a similar rank and three random cards. A♦ A♥ J♣ 7♦ 3♥ is an example.
10. High card: Here is the least ranked hand among the lot. It involves having two cards with similar ranks and zero combos. For instance, you may hold K♥ Q♠ 8♣ 3♠ 2♦.

Advisably, you should go through the poker hands ranking a few times to get familiar with them. Also, it is recommendable to try free trials of Texas Hold’em on different casinos. This will help get accustomed to the poker hands ranking.

 

Poker Hands Rules and the Kicker

Texas Hold’em comes with some essential rules, which you should have in mind. First off, you can experience a situation in which players hold a similar combo. Nevertheless, a winner must be chosen for a specific poker hand. 

In a circumstance where two players hold one pair hand, the player with higher pair will be considered the winner. For instance, a player holding KKxxx wins against a player with JJxxx.

In some situations, two players may hold the same pair. For instance, KKJ72 and KKQT3 have two cards with similar rank (K). In this case, the kicker concept has to be adopted.

This means that the win goes to the player with the highest non-pair hand. In the example given earlier, the poker hand (KKQT3) is the higher kicker as Q is greater than J. Thus, the player will take down the pot.

In the case of having similar top non-pair cards such as KKQT3 and KKQ94, the second high card will be compared. If the second-high card is the same, then you should consider the third high card.

In the rarest situation where the five cards are the same, the players will split the pot.

Sometimes, players may also hold similar two pair hands. For instance, two players may express JJ55Q and JJ55K. Here, the player with the king will take down the pot.

 

Other Poker Hands Rules to Keep in Mind Include:

• If two players have two pairs, the win goes to the player with the highest pair. In a situation where the highest pair is similar, the next thing is to compare the lower pairs. Suppose the lower pairs are also the same, then you decide with the kicker.
• In a situation where the two players hold a flush, the win goes to the player holding the higher one.
• Suppose two players hold a straight, the win goes to the player bearing the higher card combo.
• If both players bear a full house, the win goes to the player bearing the higher three cards with the same rank.
• Suppose the players have nothing, the win goes to the player holding the highest card. If the highest cards are similar, you have to compare the second one. If they are the same, you consider the third or fourth until you find the higher card.

 

Best Preflop Poker Hands Odds

You have probably recognized the best hands in a poker game and the rules involved at this stage. Now, let’s proceed to the preflop strategy. Afterwards, we’ll talk about hand selection.

From the poker hands ranking, it’s evident that pocket aces (AA) are the best hand preflop. However, this hand is only realistic in one out of 221 times. Thus, it’s inadvisable to wait for a premium holding. Instead, you should have a solid game plan in place.

First, it’s essential to know the hands to play if you want to have a successful poker gaming. As you read further, you’ll learn about some hands that you can play in different positions.

Besides, due to Texas Hold’em’s various formats and antes, a player can engage multiple holdings in cash games and multi-table tournaments (MTTS).

Below is the poker hands match-up to consider.

 

Hand Combination	Chances of Winning 1st Hand in Percentage	Chances of Winning 2nd Hand in Percentage
AA vs KK	82%	18%
KK vs AK	69%	31%
TT vs KQ	56%	44%
T9s vs 22	54%	46%
AJ vs 98	62%	38%
AT vs KQ	60%	40%
A8 vs J9	57%	43%

 

It is worth noting that using the advanced strategies for Texas Hold’em may be quite challenging for the newbies. However, mastering the poker hands rankings odds is a great way to begin. With time, you’ll become more conversant with the gameplay and how to use the odds to your advantage.

 

Top 10 Best Starting Poker Hands List

At the beginning of Texas Hold’em, it’s vital, to begin with, the right hands preflop. Understandably, you can sometimes lose track of the best poker hands to play, most especially if you are new to the game. However, the list below will come handy if you ever need to recheck the best starting poker hands. 

1. Pocket Aces (A, A)
2. Pocket Kings (K, K)
3. Pocket Queens (Q, Q)
4. Pocket Jacks (J, J)
5. Ace King Suited (A, K)
6. Pocket Tens (10, 10)
7. Ace-King Off Suit (A, K)
8. Ace-Queen Suited (A, Q)
9. Pocket Nines (9, 9)
10. Ace-Jack Suited (A, J).

Other strongest hands that may come handy include:

1. Suited Broadway: (K, Q) (K, J) (Q, J)
2. Pocket pairs: (8, 8) (7, 7) (6, 6)
3. Off Suit Broadways: (K, Q) (K, J) (Q, J)

 

Conclusion

Texas Hold’em is indeed a highly rewarding game. However, the gameplay can be quite tricky, especially if you are not familiar with the rules and poker hands ranking.

Thus, learning the poker hands rankings, odds, and the rules is non-negotiable if you want to earn considerably from betting on the poker game. But with this guide, you have a useful knowledge to commence your gaming experience on Texas Hold’em.

Always remember to concentrate on getting the maximum expected value with your poker hands.

More importantly, avoid playing unreasonable holdings as much as possible. Good luck!

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