Hold Em Winning Hands

1. Winning Hands For Texas Holdem
2. Texas Hold Em Winning Hands Printable
3. Scatter Hold'em Winning Hands Printable
4. Texas Hold Em Winning Hand Odds
5. Texas Holdem Poker Winning Hands

Learning how to play Texas Holdem is pretty easy. It only looks complicated because there are so many rounds of action. But other than the action preflop and at showdown, each round is the same. So once you get the general idea of the game, it’ll be easy to pick it up.

Poker Hands – FAQ. Question 1: What is the best hand in poker? The strongest possible hand in poker is the Royal Flush. This is made by holding the Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit. Question 2: What is the worst starting hand in Hold’em? In terms of pot-equity, the worst starting hand in Hold’em. Jan 20, 2021 In Texas Hold'em your final best 5-card hand can use both your hole cards (the two cards dealt to you face down at the beginning of the hand), one of your hole cards or none of your hole cards to make up your final hand. Texas Hold’em: The best starting hand is a pair of Aces. Official Poker Hand Rankings Know your poker hand order. A poker hand consists of five cards, which fall into several categories. Below is the complete list of poker hands, from highest to lowest. Please note that hand rankings for Short Deck are slightly different. Find out more about the short deck poker hand rankings on the dedicated page.

This page will explain the basics behind Texas Holdem poker, including the rules, betting, winning hands and terminology.

An Example Hand of Texas Holdem – Game Play & Rules

Here is an example hand of Texas Holdem. This should give you an idea as to the rules and how the game plays.

Winning Hands For Texas Holdem

The Blinds & Hole Cards

Before the cards are dealt the blinds are posted. The small blind posts the small blind and the big blind posts the big blind.

Once the blinds are posted the dealer deals each player two cards face down, one card at a time, starting with the small blind and working around the table clockwise. These are the players hole cards.

Preflop

After the hole cards are dealt the first betting round begins. The betting round begins with the player to the immediate left of the big blind, also known as the player under the gun. The options are to call, raise or fold.

Once that player acts the action will continue clockwise around the table. Each player will have the option to call, raise or fold. It keeps going like this until all but one player has folded, winning the pot outright, or until 2 or more players called.

When the action gets to the blinds, they will only need to call the difference between what they posted and the current bet. For example, if you’re playing $2/$4 and the current bet is $12, the small blind would only have to call $10 and the big blind $8 to see the flop.

The Flop

The flop is the first 3 community cards that players can use to make their 5 card poker hand. The dealer will usually burn one card, and then turn over 3 cards in the center of the table. After this another betting round starts.

The betting round will start with the first player to the left of the dealer button that’s still involved in the hand. The options are to check or bet (players can fold too, but checking is free).

Betting will continue clockwise until each player has acted. Depending on the action, players will have the option to check (if there is no betting), call (if someone bet), fold (if someone bet) or raise (if someone bet).

The Turn

The turn is the 4th community card. The turn will play just like the flop.

The River

The river is the 5th, and last, community card that players can use to make their hand. The river will play just like the flop and turn.

Unless all but one player folded during the betting round, once all players have acted there is a showdown to determine the winner. If there was no betting on the river then the first player to the left of the dealer button will need to flip up his or her hand. If there was betting on the river then the player who made the bets/raises (not the caller) will be the first to show. Then going clockwise around the table each player can show their hand (if they think they have the best hand) or muck (if they don’t think they have the best hand).

The player with the best 5 card poker hand, using any combination of their hole cards and community cards will win the hand and pot.

After the chips are awarded, the dealer button is moved one seat to the left. The 2 players to the left of the dealer button will post the blinds and a new hand of Texas Holdem will be dealt.

Texas Holdem Betting

The betting is usually what trips people up when learning how to play Holdem. This section will explain how Texas Holdem betting works, depending on the betting type being used.

No Limit Betting

No Limit Texas Holdem, or NLHE, is the most common form of Holdem nowadays. The betting rules for NLHE are simple:

• Raises must be at least twice that of the current bet. For example, if you wanted to make a raise in a $2/$4 game, the minimum raise would be $8. It can be $9, $15 or even $11.25 — it can be whatever you have the chips for, as long as it’s 2x the current bet.
• A player can move their entire stack “all in” at any time.

Limit Betting

Limit or “fixed limit” betting is a little bit more complicated. Using $2/$4 blinds as an example, here is how the betting works:

• The blinds are half of the small and big bet. So with blinds of 2/4, the small bet would be $4 and the big bet $8.
• Preflop and on the flop the small bet is used. So each bet and raise would be $4. If one player made a bet of $4 and you wanted to raise, you’d make it 8 total. If a player after you wanted to raise, it’d be to $12 total, then $16 and so on.
• The turn and river is the same as preflop and the flop, except for that the big bet is used. So each bet would be in increments of $8.
• Most poker rooms/sites have a cap of how many raises can take place per round. It depends on where you play, but it ranges from 3 to 5. After the cap has been reached, the only options are to fold or call until another the next round.

Pot Limit Betting

Pot Limit is the least common betting type used in Holdem. It’s also pretty easy to understand.

• The minimum bet must be that of the big blind. The minimum raise must be 2x the big blind. So at blinds of $2/$4, the minimum bet is $4 and the minimum raise would be $8 (or 2x the last bet or raise).
• The maximum amount a player can bet is determined by the amount in the pot. If there is $20 in the pot at a game of $2/$4 Limit Holdem, you can make a bet as large as $20. Assuming you bet $20, the player after you can wager as much as $40 ($20 from you + the $20 that was in the pot before you bet). The bigger the pot gets the more that can be wagered.
• There are no betting caps. Players can continue to raise until each player has folded or called, or until everyone is “all in.”

What Hands Win in Texas Holdem

Texas Holdem uses the standard poker rankings chart to determine the winning hand. In order of best hand to worst:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House (Boat)
• Flush
• Straight
• 3 of a Kind (Trips or Set)
• Two Pair
• Pair
• High Card

In Texas Holdem if 2 or more players have the same hand, the winner is determine by who has the highest of that hand. For example, if 2 players had a flush, one a 9 high flush and the other a J high flush, the J high flush would win.

If 2 or more players have the exact same (high) hand, then the pot is split between those players.

Suits do not break ties in Texas Holdem. It’s not possible to have more than one suit in Texas Holdem, anyway, as there aren’t enough cards in play.

Texas Holdem Terms

Here are some commonly used terms in Texas Holdem. They should help you understand this page a little better, as well as the chit-chat that might go on while you play.

Blinds – The blinds are forced bets made before the cards are dealt. It’s “dead money,” so it encourages action.

Small Blind – The small blind is the player to the immediate left of the dealer button. This player puts in the small blind, which is usually the smaller of the two forced bets, and about half the big blind. For example, in a $2/$4 Holdem game, $2 would be the small blind.

Big Blind – The big blind is the player to the immediately left of the small blind, or two seats to the left of the dealer button. This players puts in the forced big blind before the players are dealt their cards, which is usually twice the small blind. In a $2/$4 game, the big blind would be $4.

Hole Cards – Hole cards are the cards dealt to each player.

Under the Gun – This is the term used for the player first to act (usually to the immediately left of the big blind) pre-flop.

Flop – First 3 (of 5) community cards.

Turn – Fourth community card dealt. Dealt following the betting action on the flop.

River – Fifth, and final, community card. Dealt following the betting action on the turn.

Showdown – Where one or more players show their hands to see who wins the pot. Follows the betting action on the river.

Muck – When a player throws their hand away (folds), usually without showing it.

Win More Games With This Guide - Recommended by Professional Poker Players

Download and print out our poker hands ranking chart, or save it to your phone.Keep it nearby when playing so that you always know the ranking of hands frombest to worst.

• Win More
• Beat Your Friends at Home
• Become a Better Player

Official Poker Hands Ranked From Highest to Lowest

Learn the order of poker hand rankings quickly so you can improve your game

Poker Hand Combinations Explained

Poker hands fall into one of ten categories. The highest is a royal flush, followed by a straight flush, then four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and finally a high card.

The highest hands are the least common, with a royal flush and straight flush with the highest value cards, being exceedingly rare.

What Are Poker Suits?

A deck of cards is divided into four suits. All card suits have the same value in most poker games, but there are rare exceptions. For example, if you’re splitting an uneven pot in a high-low game where you tied your hand with another player, the remaining chip can be given to the player whose suit ranks higher. Usually spades ♠ rank highest and clubs ♣ rank lowest.

The four suits can vary from country to country - German decks contains bells instead of diamonds ♦, for example - but traditionally the four suits are as follows (in descending order of usual value for games that rank suits):

Black suit, depicting a medieval weapon.

Texas Hold Em Winning Hands Printable

Red suit, showing a heart.

Red suit, represented by a geometric diamond shape.

Black suit, represented by a three-leaf symbol.

Video Tutorial: Poker Hand Rankings

Top 10 Best Starting Hands In Texas Hold'em Poker

The key to being good at Texas Hold'em is knowing your hands and knowing what's playable.

This one is a poker classic. The strongest starting hand in poker, pocket aces are a strong pre-flop favorite over any other two cards and a 4:1 favorite over almost any hand. You will be dealt 'pocket rockets', as they are also known, on average once every 221 hands, so it makes sense to get excited about them pre-flop. However, it's worth remembering that their likelihood of winning goes down as more players enter the pot, so the fewer opponents you're up against the better.

Scatter Hold'em Winning Hands Printable

Other Nicknames: Pocket Rockets, Bullets, American Airlines, Snake Eyes, Batteries, Needles, Two Pips

Pocket Kings, also known as 'cowboys', are a favorite against any hand (except aces). There are not many flops that should make you too worried - however, it is worth remembering that kings will only win against a hand with one ace just over two thirds of the time. You will almost always be happy to get your money in pre-flop with pocket kings.

Other Nicknames: Cowboys, King Kong, Kevin Keegan, Krispy Kreme, Ace Magnets, Elvis Presley

If you get dealt pocket queens, you are safe in the knowledge that only eight overcards are left in the deck, or even fewer if you get your money in against an opponent with an ace, a king, or ace king. You will want to play this hand strongly before the flop, raising or re-raising from any position almost all of the time, and you will still frequently run into plenty of opponents prepared to commit their money with weaker hands.

This hand is often nicknamed 'Anna Kournikova' by recreational players - it's pretty to look at, but doesn't win as much as you think it should. It is easy to fall in love with ace-king suited, and it is by no means a weak hand, winning against all pocket pairs half of the time (except for pocket aces and pocket kings). However, it is also worth bearing in mind that if you don't connect with the flop, then you just have ace-high.

Other Nicknames: Big Slick, Santa Barbara, Anna Kournikova, Big Ugly, King Arthur, Korean Airlines, Mike Haven, Walking Back To Houston

It's a classic poker saying that there are three ways to play pocket jacks, and all of them are wrong. However, this is a bit of a cliché, and the hand is a favorite or coin-flip (50:50) against any unpaired hand and a strong pre-flop favorite over any lower pocket pair. It is still a very strong hand, particularly if the pot is unraised and you look down at jacks in late-position, though you can be a little more careful if an opponent has come in for an early-position raise.

Other Nicknames: Fishhooks, Brothers, Jaybirds, Kid Dy-No-Mite, The Two Jakes, Suckers

Pocket tens are a strong starting hand and a real poker classic. They're strong enough that you don't need to hit a third ten on the flop to continue. They will still win against overcards every other time, though there are far more combinations where it is not as strong a favorite as pocket jacks. If there is a lot of action before you, it is sometimes easy to fold tens before the flop.

While this hand is an underdog against an offsuit Ace-King, it ranks higher due to its relative strength against other starting hands. Sometimes, you will find yourself in a spot where you need to fold, even after hitting a pair on the flop. However, if you completely miss the flop, it's easier to stay out of trouble with an Ace-Queen.

Other Nicknames: Big Chick, Little Slick, Mrs. Click, Antony & Cleopatra, Mrs. Slick, Rocket Queen

Weaker than its suited counterpart due to its decreased likelihood of hitting a flush, an offsuit ace-king will still win at least 40% of the time against any hand other than aces or kings. Sometimes, it is worth calling in position with this hand before the flop to keep the pot small and still get paid if you pair one of your two hole cards.

Other Nicknames: Big Slick, Santa Barbara, Anna Kournikova, Big Ugly, King Arthur, Korean Airlines, Mike Haven, Walking Back To Houston

Like a suited ace-king or ace-queen, this hand can make a royal flush. However, it is one that is worth playing more carefully; especially if a player has raised from early position. Any ace-king or ace-queen combination still has you beat if you pair your ace, so you don't want to fall in love with an ace-jack.

Other Nicknames: Ajax, Armani Jeans, Hijack, Jackass, Apple Jacks, Blackjack

Just edging out ace-ten suited and pocket nines, king-queen suited is a hand that is said to 'flop well'. It can make a large number of straights and flushes, while just hitting one pair will sometimes give you the best hand. However, you should be able to fold this hand fairly easily if the action before you suggests other players are entering the pot with a strong hand.

Poker Guides

Poker Hands Explained

Royal Flush

This is the best hand in poker. It's always A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥. It doesn't matter what suit it is, but all cards must be of the same suit. It's basically an ace-high straight flush.

Straight Flush

A straight flush is any other hand made up of five cards of sequential rank in the same suit, such as 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♠ or Q♥ J♥ 10♥ 9♥ 8♥. If two players get a straight flush, the hand with the highest-ranking card wins. A straight flush beats four of a kind.

Four of a kind

A four of a kind is made up of four cards in one rank, and the last card (or 'kicker') in another rank, such as 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 3♥ 8♥. If two players have a four of a kind, the hand with the highest-ranking four of a kind wins. If two players have the same four of a kind, the winner will be the player with the highest kicker card. A four of a kind beats a full house.

Full House

A full house consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as 9♣ 9♠ 9♦ 5♣ 5♠ (nines over fives) or Q♦ Q♠ Q♣ 2♣ 2♦ (queens over twos). If two players have a full house, the person with the highest triplet wins. If the triplet is the same, the person with the highest pair wins. A full house beats a flush.

Flush

Also called a full boat, a flush is any hand where all five cards are of the same suit. They do not need to be in sequential order. For example, K♣ 9♣ 4♣ A♣ 2♣ or 5♦ J♦ 3♦ K♦ 4♦. A flush is ranked first by the highest card, then by the second highest card, and so on. A flush beats a straight.

Straight

A straight is a hand that contains five cards in sequential rank, but they can be of any suit. For example, Q♦ J♦ 10♣ 9♠ 8♥ is a straight, as is 5♣ 4♠ 3♠ 2♥ A♦. If two players have a straight, the player with the highest-ranking card wins. A straight beats a three of a kind.

Three of a kind

Sometimes called trips or a set, a three of a kind is a hand consisting of three cards of the same rank, such as 8♦ 8♠ 8♣ K♠ A♠ or Q♥ Q♠ Q♦ 2♥ 8♥. If two players have a three of a kind, the player with the highest-ranking three of a kind wins. A three of a kind beats a two pair.

Two Pair

A two pair is a hand consisting of two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and the last card of another rank, such as 9♠ 9♥ 5♦ 5♥ A♠. If two players have a two-pair, the player with the highest-ranking pairs win. For example, a pair of queens and a pair of fives would beat a pair of threes and a pair of fives. If one pair is the same, the winner is determined by the second pair. If both pairs are the same, the winner of the hand is determined by the kicker. A two pair beats a one pair.

One Pair

A one pair is simply a hand that contains two cards of the same rank, such as 6♦ 6♥ 2♥ 5♠ K♣. If both players have a one pair, the player with the highest-ranking pair wins. If both pairs are the same, the player with the highest-ranking kicker wins. A one pair only beats a high card.

Texas Hold Em Winning Hand Odds

High Card

A high card means you haven't got any of the previous hands, and so your hand will be determined by the single highest-ranking card you have. For example, if you had Q♠ 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ 2♣, you would be betting with a queen-high.

Ties And kickers

With only ten possible outcomes for a poker hand, it is of course possible that the best hand at the table (a pair of 9s, for example) will be held by more than one player. In this case, the tie is broken using a kicker.

Let's say two players at a five-card poker game have a pair of 9s, and this is the best hand of the round.

Example

The hand goes to Player A, who has a pair of 9s with an A kicker (kicker meaning the highest card not involved in the pair), which beats player B's pair of 9s with a J kicker.

In the rare event that both players have the exact same hand, 9, 9, A, 7, 5 for example, the pot would be split.

Poker Hand Trainer

Texas Holdem Poker Winning Hands

Use our brand new poker hand training tool to go from fish to shark in no time!

• Hit the 'Deal' button to get started
• Rank each of the hands, from strongest to weakest, by clicking on the + icon next to each player
• Hit 'Check Order' to see if you were correct
  In the event that you're wrong, you can choose to either try again or see the correct rankings
• Hit 'Deal' again and you'll see the next round of cards and repeat the ranking process
• Once the hand is complete you can start again with another hand

Happy ranking and good luck!

Poker Hand Rankings FAQ

The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush.It's made up of an ace, king, queen, jack and 10 in the same suit.

You can see the poker hand rankingsabove. A one pair beats a high card, a two pair beats a one pair, a three of akind beats a two pair, a straight beats a three of a kind, a flush beats astraight, a full house beats a flush, a four of a kind beats a full house, astraight flush beats a four or a kind, a royal flush beats a straight flush.Nothing beats a royal flush.

You can beat a straight with aflush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.

A full house is a strong hand,but you can beat it with a four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.

A full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush all beat a flush.

There is no highest suit in poker. They are all ranked equally.

There are 10 possible poker hands. The most valuable hand is a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush made of the highest value cards in the game.

The highest value poker hand is a Royal Flush, while the lowest is a high card. The full ranking order is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.

The ranking order of suits is spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. In popular poker games such as Texas Hold'em, there is no ranking of card suits, however suits are sometimes ranked in other games like Bridge.

The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush, which is the highest value straight flush. The worst hand in poker is a high card. The lowest possible high card five-card poker hand (if Aces are high) is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 with no flush present.

If two poker hands are the same, the winner is decided by a kicker. A kicker is the highest value card outside of the pair/three-of-a-kind etc. For example, a pair of 8s with a K kicker beats a pair of 8s with a 10 kicker. If two hands are identical, the pot is split.