From High Card to Royal Flush: Poker Hands Ranked

Here at Bally Casino, we're all about delivering the ultimate American gaming experience to the UK. And it doesn't get more American gaming than poker! A historic staple on casino floors Stateside, poker tables offer thrilling entertainment that's packed with chances to flex your playing skills.

See, unlike slots or baccarat, poker is a card-based game rooted in strategy – meaning y'all have a say in how the game plays out, and who will end up crowned the champ. The aim of the game is simple: Form the best hand of the bunch (or make everyone believe you have) to win.

Don't sweat it if you don't know much about poker hands, though! We've got you covered. Shipped straight from our top online casino writers in the Bally Casino team, you can find all you need to know right here.

From bluff-worthy to best 

Before we dive into which poker hands are the best of the bunch, let's break down what we mean by a 'hand'. Poker hands are formed of five cards that are pulled from a standard playing deck(s) of 52 cards. All the suits are involved, but there's no crowning suit that'll tip the scales – hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs are all equal in online poker.

Some combinations of cards are worth more and therefore offer greater odds of taking home the chips, while others might leave you needing to test your bluffing skills. Keep scrolling to see the full list of poker hands and how they're ranked.

High Card

Kicking things off with the lowest of the low, we've got the humble High Card. If none of your cards match, either with each other or the community cards, then the next move will come down to whoever's holding the highest value card in their hands - hence the name, 'High Card'.

Cards are ranked from Ace being best to 2 being worst in poker games, making Ace the trump card for players, but don't go thinking it's as simple as that. Nuh-uh! If more than one player holds the same highest card, then eyes will shift to the next highest card in your hand, and so on, until one player comes out on top.

Odds of creating a High Card hand: 50.1177% 

Pair

To form a Pair hand, you'll need two cards worth the same value. Two 5s, two Jacks, two Aces – the exact card value doesn't matter unless another player holds the exact same Pair. If that happens, then the player holding the highest value card alongside their Pair wins the prize pot.

Odds of creating a Pair hand: 42.2569%

Two Pair

Want to know what's better than one Pair? Two Pairs! This one's an easy one to figure out, folks. Take the same concept as in the single Pair hand and apply it here, except the goal is to have the highest value sets of matching cards.

Odds of creating a Two Pair hand: 4.7539%

Three of a Kind

Take your Pair and add another matching card – now you're playing with a Three of a Kind hand. This hand requires just three matching cards. Any more and you're entering into Full House territory, which is a story for in two paragraphs' time.

Odds of creating a Three of a Kind hand: 2.1128%

Straight

The more cards involved in the hand, the higher it's ranked. The Straight involves all five cards sitting in your hand and beats all the Pairs, Two Pairs, High Cards and Three of a Kinds around the table.

To have a Straight, you need five cards in sequential order, all with different suits. So, 3 of Diamonds, 4 of Clubs, 5 of Hearts, 6 of Diamonds and 7 of Clubs would class as a poker Straight.

Odds of creating a Straight hand: 0.3925% 

Flush

Don't worry if you haven't got any matching cards. If your cards are all the same suit, you'll still have a poker hand – and a pretty good one too, bud! The only rule with a Flush is that you need to have five cards from just one suit.

Odds of creating a Flush hand: 0.1965% 

Full House

What happens when you combine a Pair with a Three of a Kind? Say hello to the Full House. This hand is a big name in the casino world because it's one of the top-ranking hands available in poker and is seriously hard to beat.

You'll need one pair of matching cards, plus three matching cards to claim a Full House for your chance to scoop the prize pool.

Odds of creating a Full House hand: 0.1441%

Four of a Kind

Just three hands can beat your Full House, and one of them is the Four of a Kind. Like the Three of a Kind hand, the rule here is that you need to end up with four identical cards. We're talking four 3s, four 9s or even four Kings.

The odds of finding four matching cards are slim but not impossible, so keep your cards close to your chest, folks.

Odds of creating a Four of a Kind hand: 0.024% 

Straight Flush

Put a Straight and a regular Flush together and you'll be sitting pretty at the poker table. A Straight Flush is formed of five cards from the same suit, in sequential order. This might be a rare hand but that doesn't mean two players can't be dealt a Straight Flush at the same time. If that happens, then the player with the highest value card will win the poker pot.

Odds of creating a Straight Flush hand: 0.00139% 

Royal Flush

Supposedly named after the cards that form the heart of this hand, we prefer to think the 'Royal' element of the Royal Flush is because it makes you feel like a King (or Queen!) if you're lucky enough to land it. The Royal Flush beats a Straight Flush hand, and every other hand around the table too. Get this hand and your chances of winning the pot are hard to beat.

Wanna know the difference between a Royal Flush and Straight Flush? To complete a Royal Flush, your hand needs to feature an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 from the same suit.

Odds of creating a Royal Flush hand: 0.000154% 

Put your poker skills to use 

Now you're up to speed with the hands available, y'all can flex your newfound skills online with our awesome collection of poker games!

Featuring iconic Texas Hold'em tables, slick dealers and incredible entertainment, our poker lobby will have you feel like you're sitting smack-dab in one of our action-packed land-based casinos. Exciting chances to bag a prize? You bet. Option to talk to your fellow players? We got you.

And there's more. We've got friendly, low-stake tables, special prize community tournaments and even free poker games available to play. So, whether you're a poker newbie or you're looking to roll out your latest poker strategy, there's a game for you.

Intrigued? Hit that 'Join Now' button to play poker online and see for yourself.

Check out the Bally Casino blog for more insights into popular casino games and how you can enjoy awesome rewards.