Knowing the poker hands in order is the first step. The next is identifying the best five cards and deciding what happens when two players have the same type of hand.
This guide covers standard high-hand Texas Hold’em, not short-deck or lowball variants. The exercises below are original teaching examples, not reports of games played in Manila.
Read the cards before comparing hands
A rank is a card’s value: ace, king, queen, jack, ten, and so on. A suit is clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades, written here as ♣, ♦, ♥ and ♠.
A board consists of the shared community cards. Hole cards are the two private cards dealt to each player, while showdown is the comparison of remaining players’ hands after betting ends.
In Hold’em, select exactly five cards from the seven available: your two hole cards and the five on the board. You may use both hole cards, one, or neither; our Texas Hold’em rules walkthrough follows that process through a complete hand.
The external PokerStars hand-ranking reference documents the standard ranking system. It is cited for rules, not as a platform recommendation or a statement about Philippine licensing.
Poker hand rankings: strongest to weakest
The examples in this table each show a complete five-card hand. A royal flush is the highest straight flush, conventionally given its own row in beginner charts.
| Order | Hand | Five-card example | Why it outranks the next category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | It is the highest possible straight flush. |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five consecutive cards share one suit. |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ 2♠ | Four matching ranks outrank a full house. |
| 4 | Full house | 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ K♣ K♠ | Three matching ranks plus a pair outrank a flush. |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 3♦ | Five cards of one suit outrank a straight. |
| 6 | Straight | 8♠ 7♦ 6♥ 5♣ 4♠ | Five consecutive ranks outrank three matching ranks. |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ A♣ 4♠ | Three matching ranks outrank two pairs. |
| 8 | Two pair | J♠ J♥ 5♦ 5♣ A♠ | Two matching pairs outrank one pair. |
| 9 | One pair | 10♠ 10♥ A♦ 8♣ 3♠ | A matching pair outranks an unpaired hand. |
| 10 | High card | A♠ J♦ 8♥ 6♣ 3♠ | With no higher combination, compare individual ranks. |
These are ranking rules, not predictions about the next deal. An ace-high hand cannot beat a pair simply because its highest individual card is an ace.
A repeatable method for tie-breakers
Use a scratch list when practising:
- Write each player’s strongest category.
- Write the five cards that actually form it.
- Compare the category first, then the relevant ranks.
- Ignore any sixth or seventh card.
A kicker is a side card used to resolve certain equal combinations. For example, compare the pair before its side cards, and the higher pair before the lower pair in a two-pair hand. A straight uses all five cards, so an extra ace outside that straight does not become a kicker.
Worked examples: who wins, and why?
Try answering each exercise before reading its explanation. The point is to build a five-card hand explicitly rather than judge the two private cards in isolation.
Example 1: the second kicker decides
Board: K♣ 9♦ 7♠ 4♥ 2♣ Player A: K♦ Q♠ Player B: K♥ J♣
A uses K-K-Q-9-7; B uses K-K-J-9-7. A wins because the pairs match and queen outranks jack at the first differing side card.
The 4 and 2 do not enter either selected hand. When comparing, read the complete ordered result rather than just saying “both have kings.”
Example 2: the higher pair comes first
Board: A♣ K♦ 8♠ 5♥ 2♣ Player A: A♦ 2♥ Player B: K♣ 8♦
A makes A-A-2-2-K; B makes K-K-8-8-A. A wins: aces are the higher top pair, even though B’s lower pair is stronger than A’s lower pair.
Example 3: a full house is compared by its three first
Board: Q♠ Q♥ 6♦ 6♣ 2♠ Player A: Q♦ A♣ Player B: 6♥ K♣
A makes Q-Q-Q-6-6; B makes 6-6-6-Q-Q. A wins because three queens outrank three sixes; the ace outside A’s full house adds nothing.
Example 4: a flush can reach the fifth card
Board: A♥ J♥ 8♥ 4♥ 2♣ Player A: 7♥ K♠ Player B: 6♥ Q♣
A’s flush is A-J-8-7-4; B’s is A-J-8-6-4. A wins at the fourth comparison, seven against six; neither unrelated hole card belongs to the flush.
Example 5: the board removes the apparent advantage
Board: A♣ A♦ K♠ K♥ Q♣ Player A: J♦ 4♠ Player B: 9♥ 8♦
Both select A-A-K-K-Q entirely from the board. They tie: A’s jack is a sixth card, not a replacement for the stronger queen already available. Watch for traps here — if A’s hole cards were J♦ 10♠ instead, they would form the straight 10-J-Q-K-A, which beats two pair and wins outright. Always rebuild the best five from all seven cards before declaring a tie.
The external WSOP Online house rules describe splitting a pot when the eligible hands tie exactly. Ask the dealer about odd-unit allocation and any separate side pots in an actual game.
Three details beginners often miss
- An ace can be low in a straight: A-2-3-4-5 is five-high, whereas 2-3-4-5-6 is six-high and stronger. Q-K-A-2-3 does not form a straight; the sequence cannot wrap around.
- Suits do not break showdown ties: a spade flush does not outrank a heart flush solely because of its suit. Compare the five ranks instead.
- Your best hand can change: adding a turn or river card may replace cards you previously selected. Rebuild the best five after each new board card rather than keeping your earlier answer.
Use the chart as preparation, not a spending plan
You can practise these exercises without wagering. Write the two five-card answers before checking the result, then change one board card and calculate again.
For a visit, use our first live poker guide for Manila to check eligibility and room procedures. Actual admission requirements and operational details vary by venue — confirm with the poker room directly.
FAQ
Does a flush beat a straight? Yes, in standard high-hand Hold’em. For how shared cards build either combination during play, read our Texas Hold’em example hand.
Must I use both hole cards? No: you may use two, one or none. The rules walkthrough explains how the shared board and private cards combine.
Does the larger private card always break a tie? No; it must belong to the best five-card hand and matter in that category’s comparison. Follow the worked comparison examples above, especially the shared-board exercise.
Are these rankings different in cash games and tournaments? Conventional full-deck Texas Hold’em uses the same rankings in both. Their entry terms and timing differ; see cash games vs poker tournaments.
This guide is for information only. 18+. Play responsibly.