In poker, you need to make the best hand possible to have a higher chance of winning. But do you know that the ranking of hands varies from one poker variant to another? If not, check out the list of poker hands in different games.
If you have played poker at least once in your life, you already know a lot about poker hands. The ranking of poker hands shows the strength of different hands you can make during the game. Also, it plays one of the most crucial roles in the player’s decision-making. The better hand you have, the higher chances of winning you usually have. That’s how it usually works in most poker games.
However, the ranking of poker hands in different games varies depending on the rules. In such popular games as Hold’Em or Omaha the strongest hand wins, but there are also poker variants with completely different rules. Players need to know how to rank hands in most poker games before playing them.
Poker hands in different games
The number of poker variations you can find at online casinos is countless. Therefore, we will not cover all poker games that exist. We will consider the five most popular variants of poker that attract millions of players. They are Texas Hold’Em, Pot-Limit Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Razz, and Omaha Hi-Lo.
Texas Hold’Em
Texas Hold’Em is the most popular poker form. It is widely played in casinos of all types. Therefore, learning poker hands rankings in this game is essential as you are highly likely to start your poker journey with it.
In Hold’Em, poker hands are formed with two hole cards and three community cards. Here are poker hands in Hold’Em ranked from the best to worst:
- Royal Flush. The strongest combination in Hold’Em. It consists of 10, J, Q, K, and Ace, all of the same suit.
- Straight Flush. It is a combination of five consecutive cards (except for 10, J, Q, K, and Ace) that are united by the same suit.
- Four of a kind. This one is a combination of four identical cards of the same rank.
- Full House. Three of a kind plus a Pair form a combination called Full House.
- Flush. This combination includes five cards in a random order but of the same suit.
- Straight. Straight is a combination of five consecutive cards but of different suits.
- Three of a kind. Three cards of the same rank in a hand are called Three of a kind.
- Two pairs. This one is a combination of two pairs or two cards plus two cards of the same rank.
- Pair. Two cards of the same rank.
- High card. The weakest combination in Hold’Em is known as the strongest single card.
Pot-Limit Omaha
Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) is another popular poker variation that is present at most casinos and gambling sites. PLO allows making up poker hands with one hole card and four community cards or with two hole cards and three community cards.
The poker hands rankings in PLO are the same as in Hold’Em: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a kind, Two pairs, Pair, and High card. Download our poker hands cheat sheet to memorize the order of hands faster.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo is a common variation of Omaha where the pot is split between the highest and lowest hands. Therefore, players with both strong and weak hands have a chance to win.
For strong hands, follow the standard hand rankings: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a kind, Two pairs, Pair, and High card.
For weak hands, the best low hand is a combination of A-2-3-4-5. For making up the lowest hand, follow the Ace to Five lowball hand ranking system, where straights and flushes don’t count, while Aces are equal to 1.
7-Card Stud
Although this game is not as popular as Hold’Em or Omaha, it is still frequently played in casinos and tournaments that you can find on our page with the latest online poker promotions. Hence, learning about poker hands in different games couldn’t omit the 7-Card Stud.
In 7-Card Stud, the best five-card poker hand, out of seven cards, wins the pot. The hands ranking in this game is standard: from Royal Flush being the best combination and High Card being the worst one. The full list of winning hands in 7-Card Stud is the following: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a kind, Two pairs, Pair, and High card.
Razz
Razz is the most interesting game on this list. Its rules differ from all poker variations mentioned above, primarily because of the hands ranking. In Razz, players need to make a combination of five cards out of seven cards following the Ace to Five lowball hand ranking system.
The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible hand. It means that straights and flushes don’t count and the Ace is low, just like in Hi-Lo Omaha. So, the best winning hand in Razz would be a combination of 5-4-3-2-A.
