Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings: From High Card to Royal Flush
In Texas Hold'em each player has two hole cards and shares five community cards; the best five of those seven cards wins. Before anything else, you need the hand rankings by heart. This guide lists them from best to worst, explains kickers and split pots, and walks through a hand from the blinds to the showdown.
Hand rankings (best to worst)
| Hand | Rank | Example and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 1 | ♠10 ♠J ♠Q ♠K ♠A: ten to ace in one suit, the best straight flush. |
| Straight flush | 2 | ♥5 ♥6 ♥7 ♥8 ♥9: a straight in one suit. |
| Four of a kind | 3 | Q Q Q Q + any card. |
| Full house | 4 | 8 8 8 + K K: three of a kind plus a pair. |
| Flush | 5 | Five cards of one suit, not in sequence. |
| Straight | 6 | Five consecutive ranks, any suits. |
| Three of a kind | 7 | Three of a rank. |
| Two pair | 8 | J J + 4 4 + any card. |
| One pair | 9 | Two of a rank. |
| High card | 10 | Nothing; the highest card plays. |
Aces are high, twos are low. In a straight the ace can also play low: A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight (its top card counts as 5), and 10-J-Q-K-A is the highest. Wrap-arounds such as Q-K-A-2-3 are not straights. Suits have no rank and never break a tie.
Comparing the same hand: kickers
When two players have the same type of hand, compare the main part first, then the remaining cards (kickers) in order. Only when all five cards match is it a tie:
| Hand | Compare | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Straight (flush) | Top card | The highest card of the straight. |
| Four of a kind | Quads → 1 | The four first, then the fifth card. |
| Full house | Trips → pair | The three of a kind first, then the pair. |
| Flush / high card | 5 cards | Highest card first, then the next, and so on. |
| Three of a kind | Trips → 2 | The three first, then two kickers. |
| Two pair | High → low → 1 | Higher pair, lower pair, then the kicker. |
| One pair | Pair → 3 | The pair, then three kickers in order. |
Remember: only the best five cards count. A sixth or seventh card never matters, however high.
How a hand plays out
- Blinds: the player left of the button posts the small blind, the next player the big blind (the small blind is half the big blind).
- Pre-flop: everyone gets two hole cards. Action starts left of the big blind: fold, call or raise.
- Flop: three community cards, then a betting round starting with the first active player left of the button.
- Turn: a fourth community card and another betting round.
- River: the fifth community card and the last betting round.
- Showdown: everyone still in shows their cards; each uses the best five of their seven.
- No limit: you can bet or raise up to all your chips at any time (all-in).
- Minimum raise: a raise must be at least as big as the previous raise (and at least one big blind).
- Side pots: when someone is all-in, the pot is split into a main pot and side pots by how much each player put in. Each pot is decided separately, and an all-in player can only take the pots they contributed to.
MacePlay plays no-limit Hold'em at six-seat tables, with no antes. Heads-up, the button posts the small blind, acts first before the flop and last after it.
Worked examples
Example 1: the same two pair, decided by the kicker
Board: K♠ 7♥ 7♦ 2♣ 9♠. Player A holds A♥ K♦; player B holds K♣ Q♣.
- A's best five: K K 7 7 + A (two pair, ace kicker).
- B's best five: K K 7 7 + Q (two pair, queen kicker).
The two pairs match, and the ace kicker beats the queen: A wins.
Example 2: the lowest straight
Board: A♠ 2♥ 3♦ 4♣ 9♠. Player A holds 5♥ K♣; player B holds 5♦ 6♠.
- A: A-2-3-4-5, the lowest straight (top card counts as 5).
- B: 2-3-4-5-6, top card 6.
Both have straights and B wins. Many beginners assume the ace makes it bigger; in a wheel it is the opposite.
Example 3: the board plays, split pot
Board: 10♠ J♥ Q♦ K♣ A♠ (a straight). Player A holds 2♣ 3♣; player B holds 9♦ 9♥. Both players' best five are the board's 10-J-Q-K-A, so the pot is split; B's pair of nines does not play.
Example 4: all-in and a side pot
Three players: A has 1,000, B and C have 3,000 each. A goes all-in for 1,000, B raises all-in to 3,000, and C calls.
- Main pot: 1,000 from each player, 3,000 in total, contested by all three.
- Side pot: the extra 2,000 each from B and C, 4,000 in total, contested by B and C only.
At showdown A has A A, B has K K and C has Q Q. A has the best hand and takes the main pot; the side pot is between B and C only, so B takes the side pot.
Common questions
Which is higher, a flush or a straight?
A flush. The rarer the hand, the higher it ranks, and flushes are rarer than straights.
Two flushes in different suits: who wins?
Suits do not count. Compare ranks from the highest card down; if all five match, split the pot.
Do I have to use my hole cards?
No. You can use two, one or none of them (as in example 3); only the best five of seven count.
What happens to odd chips in a split pot?
Leftover chips go out one at a time, starting with the winner closest to the left of the button.
Play Texas Hold'em in MacePlay
MacePlay's Texas Hold'em is a no-limit six-seat table set in a Riviera yacht club at night. Main and side pots are handled automatically, and every player's cards are revealed at showdown. Choose from beginner, standard and high-roller rooms; AI players fill empty seats.
MacePlay is for adults 18+ and for entertainment only. Virtual coins have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash or goods.
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No-limit Texas Hold'em at six-seat tables, with side pots handled for you.
