The strength of your starting hand in Texas Hold'em can help you determine your chances of winning, even before the remaining cards are dealt. From a pair of aces — the strongest starting hand — to a 2 and a 7, knowing the strength of your starting hand is an important part of your success at the table. When playing Texas Hold'em you need to know which starting hands are worth staying in with—and which you should fold.

• Texas Holdem Poker Hand Order
• Texas Hold'em Poker Winning Hand Order
• Texas Hold'em Winning Hand Order
• Order Poker Hands
• Texas Holdem Hands Order
• Texas Hold'em Poker Best Hand Order

Poker Hand Rankings Chart. Print out this free poker hand rankings chart – and always know the best winning poker hands. Poker hands are ranked in order from best to worst. The Straight part refers to the numbers all being in order with no missing cards from the order within the 5 card poker hand. Therefore you see above 45678 all ranked in order and all the same suit which is called a flush, together combined making the poker hand ranking of straight flush which is number 2 in the list of Poker Hand Rankings. How to Play Texas Holdem Starting Hands Pocket Aces. Although you can write volumes about detailed lines and theories on maximizing profit with this hand, other than folding there is rarely a scenario in which you can ever make a mistake with this hand (pre-flop that is).

Best Starting Hands

Having a strong starting hand can help you determine your chances of winning even before the flop is dealt. In general, you're a strong contender if your starting hand contains:

• Ace/Ace: the strongest starting hand in the game.
• King/king, queen/queen, jack/jack: high pairs set you off well.
• An ace with a face card: sets a good foundation, if the flop works in your favor.

Beyond these cards, you'll also often be happy to see cards in sequence, particularly the high cards and face cards, and pairs in your starting hand. While some of these hands aren't always deemed the ideal hands, they can sometimes pay off if you're willing to take a risk. Don't forget the added bonus if your cards are all in the same suit, too. A flush, especially a straight flush or royal flush, can often win you the game. Again, the flop will play a major role in just how strong your chances are at winning, so assess carefully and determine how much risk you're willing to take.

The specific sequence of cards and the order in which they rank is an important aspect of the game. Studying up on the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em can help improve your game and your odds at winning the pot.

A strong starting hand might also encourage you to make a strong blind (your first bet).

Worst Starting Hands

When you're dealt your starting hand, some combinations greatly reduce your chances of winning. These are generally low numbers that are not in sequence or matched. You might consider folding early if your two cards are:

• A 2 or a 3, paired with a 7 or an 8: you can't make a straight out of them.
• An ace or a face card with an unsuited low card: you're taking a risk relying on a single high card.
• Two unmatched, unsuited low cards (like 4 and 7, 5 and 8, etc.): you'll rarely win with these.

The strategy of what to hold, and why, takes a bit to master, so studying the worst starting hands in Texas Hold'em, even more, can help you improve your game.

Beginner's Advice

Play only the cards in the 10-best list and always fold those in the worst hands list. Following this strategy may improve your results. However, there's no guarantee that receiving a strong starting hand will take the round, or that a weak starting hand is a definite loss. You never know how the flop may run, and while an unsuited 2 and 4 might seem like one to deal, sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised with a two-pair or even a full house. Study up on the various hands you're aiming for.

How you approach the game will also differ based on the game itself. For example, if you're playing No-Limit Hold 'em, knowing the top No-Limit Hold'em hands can help you better understand how to play them.

As your skill increases, you'll also want to learn how position affects your Hold'em starting hand decisions. The more you learn, the more you'll realize how important your starting hands are to your bottom line. Play the good hands and fold the bad, and you'll be well on your way to becoming an expert at Hold'em.

A standard pack of 52 cards is used. The ace is the high card, but it can also be used as the low card depending on your hand.

Despite the many different types of Poker Game Variants, the ranking of Poker hands is always consistant. While online poker games are almost always played with a 52 card deck, the Joker is sometimes used for Draw style games and is never used when playing ‘flop games’ like Texas Hold’em. All poker hand rankings are made from the best five cards available, and suits are not ranked.

Hand Rankings

Below you see the hands you can get in poker. Number 1 is the best possible hand and number 11 the weakest.

1. 5 of A Kind

When using a joker or wildcards then “Five of a Kind” is the best hand in online poker. However, as already mentioned that a 5 of a kind is not available in flop games such as Texas Holdem. Cards are ranked with Ace as the highest card, and then face cards down to the two, or Deuce. Because of this a hand of five aces, with four aces and a joker, is the best possible hand in online poker.

Texas Holdem Poker Hand Order

2. Royal Flush

In online poker where the joker is not in play, then the best possible hand is the “Straight Flush.” This is five cards of the same suit in consecutive order and the same suit. (the Ace of clubs, King of clubs, Queen, Jack and Ten of clubs for example. (In Spades, Diamonds, Hearts or Clubs)

3. Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is all five cards in the same suit. For example, the Jack of clubs, 10 of clubs, 9, 8 and 7 of clubs for example. (In Spades, Diamonds, Hearts or Clubs)

4. Four of a Kind

After the Straight Flush is a “Four of a Kind,” which are four cards of the same number or value, with any card as a fifth. The higher ranking the four cards the better the hand, for example, four nines beat out four eights in online poker and so on.

5. Full House

A “Full House” in online poker is three cards of the same rank combined with another pair from a different rank, (three Queens and two fours, or three fives and two Aces). Three cards of one number or face value and two cards of another number or face value. If more then one player has a full house, the full house with the highest ranking three of a kind wins.

6. Flush

Texas Hold'em Poker Winning Hand Order

After a Full House comes the “Flush,” with five cards of the same suit is the best hand in online poker. The cards are not in consecutive order, and different hands are ranked in order of the highest card down. A Flush that starts with an Ace and then skips down to a 7,6,4,3 still beats a Queen, 10,8,6,3. If two flushes have the same cards then the pot is split.

7. Straight

A straight is five cards in sequence. Cards Can be in any suit and an ace can be used as high or low. As an example, a hand with 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of any suit constitutes a straight hand. Where there are two straights in the same game by two separate players, the player with the highest card wins.

8. Three of a kind

Three cards of the same number or face value with two additional cards. These two separate cards are called a kicker. Where two players in a game both have a 3-of-A-Kind, the player with the highest card rank wins. For example, three Kings beats three Jacks. If cards are of the same rank for example both players have 3 Jacks, then the highest kicker is used to determine the winning hand, then the second kicker if necessary. A 3-of-A-Kind is also referred to as a set or trips, however, in Texas Holdem, the 3-of-A-kind is only a set only when the player has pocket pairs with the 3rd card to make up the 3-of-A-Kind on the board.

9. Two Pair

A Pair is a two cards of the same number with another two cards consisting of another number, with one final card called the kicker. If two players have a two pair, the hand with the highest pair wins. Where both players have the same ranking cards for pairs, the kicker card determines the winning hand.

Texas Hold'em Winning Hand Order

10. One Pair

Two cards of the same number or value. The player with the highest number valued pair wins, where two players both have a Pair. Where both players have the same ranked card as a pair, the highest kicker card (3 remaining cards of different rank) determines the winning hand.

11. High card

Order Poker Hands

The hand with the highest cards wins. The Ace being the highest card with two the lowest. Where both cards have the same number ranked high card, the next high card is used to determine the winning hand.

Related Articles :

Top Poker Sites
Poker Glossary & Terms
Poker Hands Ranking Video Tutorial

Texas Holdem Hands Order

Texas Hold'em Poker Best Hand Order

Featured Gambling Guides