Introduction

In Texas Hold'em, you do not compare seven cards directly. You build the best five-card poker hand from your two hole cards and the five community cards, then compare that hand to your opponent's best five.

This page is a complete hand rankings chart for Texas Hold'em: strongest to weakest, quick "does X beat Y?" answers, kicker rules, split pots, and mistakes that cost beginners money at showdown.

Poker hand rankings chart (strongest to weakest)

One-line memory aid:

Royal flush → straight flush → four of a kind → full house → flush → straight → three of a kind → two pair → one pair → high card.

Does this hand beat that? (quick answers)

Higher-ranked categories always beat lower-ranked categories, no matter how "pretty" the weaker hand looks.

How winners are decided (same category)

The chart above lists each hand type. This section covers how to compare when two players make the same category—especially the hands you will see every session.

Full house, flush, and straight

• Full house: compare the three-of-a-kind rank first (Q-Q-Q-J-J beats J-J-J-A-A), then the pair if trips tie.
• Flush: compare the highest card, then the next highest, down to the fifth. Ace-high beats king-high.
• Straight: compare the top card (J-10-9-8-7 beats 9-8-7-6-5). Wheel: A-2-3-4-5 is only 5-high—not ace-high—and loses to any higher straight.

Three of a kind, two pair, and one pair

• Three of a kind: compare trip rank, then kickers. A set is a pocket pair plus a third on the board; trips is one hole card matching a paired board—same category, different ways to make it.
• Two pair: top pair → second pair → kicker (A-A-3-3-9 beats K-K-Q-Q-A).
• One pair: pair rank → kickers highest to lowest. See the image example below for queen pair vs queen pair.

Four of a kind and rare hands

Higher quads beat lower quads. If quads are entirely on the board, kickers decide among players who cannot beat the board. Royal and straight flushes follow the chart order; straight flushes compare the top card of the straight.

Ties, kickers, and split pots

When two players share the same hand category, compare the cards that form the hand, then kickers—side cards left over after the pair, trips, or two-pair structure is built.

If both players have the exact same best five cards, the pot is split. This is common when the board alone is the nuts and no hole cards improve it.

Common beginner mistakes at showdown

"I have a flush" but opponent has a full house

A flush is strong, but full house > flush > straight. Check the category first, not how exciting your cards look.

Kicker losses with one pair or two pair

Top pair with a weak kicker often loses to the same pair with a better kicker. This is one of the most common beginner leaks.

Treating the wheel as ace-high

A-2-3-4-5 is a straight, but only 5-high. It loses to 6-5-4-3-2 and every higher straight.

Thinking you must use both hole cards

You may use zero, one, or two hole cards. If the board is best, everyone still in can be playing the same five board cards.

FAQ

Do card suits rank for tiebreaks?

Not for one pair, two pair, trips, or high card. Suits only matter when a flush or straight flush is being compared—and then you are already inside the flush category.

Can everyone tie because the board is the best hand?

Yes. If the five board cards are the strongest five for every player still in, everyone plays the board and the pot is split (unless someone can make a higher category using hole cards).

What if I have a flush draw but a made straight on board?

Count your best five again. A completed straight beats an incomplete flush draw. At showdown, only the strongest made five-card hand matters.

Summary

Texas Hold'em hand rankings from strongest to weakest:

1. Royal flush
2. Straight flush
3. Four of a kind
4. Full house
5. Flush
6. Straight
7. Three of a kind
8. Two pair
9. One pair
10. High card

Same category → compare ranks and kickers. Identical best five → split pot. Always choose the strongest five from seven cards.