Reviewing the Hands

Mastering the hand rankings of poker is quite easy to remember. All you have to do is write them on the back of your hand or your shirt. I was just kidding; it is really easy to remember since there are only a few set of cards that can make you either break or make.

Let’s start from the highest to the lowest cards of all.

• The highest set of cards that you may be able to make is a straight flush. It is when you have five cards that are sequentially in order and are of the same suit. The highest possibility of all is the royal flush, when you are able to get the King, Queen, Jack, Aces and 10 all of the same suit.

• The next one is four of a kind. It is simply when you have all the same cards of different suits.

It is possible that two players are able to get this kind of combination. This thing happens when both players have pocket cards that are pairs of different numbers (i.e., one player has a pair of 6 and the other a pair of 3).

Then when the community cards appear, it is the same as both the pairs the player is holding. Both of them have four of a kind. The winner of this hand will the player with the higher value of four of a kind (i.e., in this case the 6 four of kind wins).

Another situation that could happen is when the community cards are 4 of a kind. When this situation arises, the player with the highest kicker or additional card is declare the winner

• Full house – this is able to happen when a combination of two pairs and three of a kind is made.

This combination can be made in the following situations. When the pocket card you have been holding are pairs and the community cards reveal a three of a kind.

Another situation is when you are holding an ace and 5 of flower. Then the community card reveals 2 aces and one more different suit of 5.

• Flush – it is basically 5 cards in the same suit. This happens when you hold pocket cards that are of the same suit and at least 3 of the community cards are of the same suit as well. If the players have the same set of suits, the player with the highest card value wins. I.e., when one of you is holding a 3 and a 5 of the same suit and the other is holding a 7 and a king of the same suit, the player with the king wins.

• Straight – it is when you have five cards of sequential order that are not the same suits. The higher the value of the top card the higher the straight is. The highest straight that can be made is when you have Aces, kings, queens, Jacks and a 10. The lowest possible combination of straight is the set of Aces, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

• Three of a kind – this may occur when your pocket cards are a pair and the third card needed appears on the community card. Or when a pair appears on the community cards and you have the third same card. If both players have got three of a kind, the player with the highest value of three of a kind wins.

• Two Pairs – when you have a pocket cards that are already pairs and a different set of pairs appear on the community cards. Another situation in example is when you have a 5 flower and an 8 of hearts, and then the community card shows us a 5 of diamonds and an 8 of spades. If same players have got two pairs, the player with the highest pairs wins.

• One pair - a player may have two same pocket cards or may have a pair depending on the community card.

• High card – if none of the combination has been made, the player with the highest card wins. If both have got the same high hands, the next card follows and so on.

•Split pots –the money is split when players have the same five hand combination because suits are not ranked in poker.

Hope that these rankings of cards may help get you more informed and better as the time goes on. If you think that you can already become a professional poker player by just mastering these combinations, it may take more than that. It may take you a whole lot of luck and strategy as well.