Royal flush
The highest straight flush.
THE DECK, DECODED
The winning order.
Standard high poker · numbered from strongest to weakest.
Straight flush
Five in a row, one suit.
Four of a kind
Four matching ranks.
Full house
Three of one rank, two of another.
Flush
One suit; not a straight.
Straight
Five ranks in a row.
Three of a kind
Three matching ranks.
Two pair
Two separate pairs.
One pair
One matching pair.
High card
None of the combinations above.
What does each hand mean?
- Royal flush
- The highest straight flush.
- Straight flush
- Five in a row, one suit.
- Four of a kind
- Four matching ranks.
- Full house
- Three of one rank, two of another.
- Flush
- One suit; not a straight.
- Straight
- Five ranks in a row.
- Three of a kind
- Three matching ranks.
- Two pair
- Two separate pairs.
- One pair
- One matching pair.
- High card
- None of the combinations above.
Lowball and Short Deck exceptions are explained in their own guides. Ties: compare the important ranks, then kickers. Suits never break ties. A–2–3–4–5 is the lowest straight; aces cannot wrap around K–A–2–3–4.
Rules reference: PokerStars hand rankings ↗. Illustrations and learning exercises by Deal Different.