Mastering Poker Hands: Understanding Combinations and Strategies for Winning

When we talk about poker hands ranking we mean all possible card combinations to win a game. A proper game strategy, adding some luck, is necessary ingredients to get the best hands.

To win in poker we must have the highest value ‘hand’. These ‘poker hands’ are classified according to the symbols and values assigned to each card. The purpose is that our five cards or part of them end up reaching the highest values. You can find a full guide to poker hands here at Pocket52.

Online poker: main rules

Playing online poker is an activity that has become very popular in the last decade. One of its advantages is that it allows the player to enter a virtual room from where he is. The experience of playing online poker is the closest thing to reality.

Online poker rules are just like playing in a room. There is a dealer in charge of dealing the cards, a table with virtual chips; and the bets of the other players.

What are poker hands?

It is called ‘hand’ because it consists of five cards. Poker hands are the combinations of the five cards to which different values are assigned. A poker hand with greater value will be the strongest and the winner of a game.

They can be of various categories, such as color, symbol or ‘symbol’, straight or double pair. A combination refers to all possible ways to form a hand. Knowing the poker hands ranking helps to have a better predictive reading of the game.

Well remember that poker is also about anticipating the rival. To intuit which hand the rival could be forming. Just as a peculiar fact: there are more than 1,300 possible combinations.

Poker Hand Classification

The main poker hands ranking have up to four classifications depending on the type of game. We are going to give more emphasis to traditional classification, as they are the most popular combinations.

Real color staircase (Royal Flush)

It is the combination of the highest value, that is, of all poker hands it is the strongest. For this reason it is also known as the ‘dream hand’. It is made up of the following five cards: A-K-Q-J-10. Furthermore, all of them must be of the same symbol.

Color ladder (Straight Flush)

It is the second hand with the highest value. The difference with the royal flush is that on the color flush the highest value card is 10. Obviously, all five cards must be the same symbol. For example: 10-9-8-7-6 of hearts; or 5-4-3-2-A of swords.

Four of a Kind

It is made up of 4 cards of the same value (different symbol). If two players form a poker at the end of the betting rounds, the game will win the one with the highest cards. For example: a hand with 7-7-7-7 will be worth more than a 3-3-3-3.

Full House

Hand made up of a trio and a couple. If there is more than one ‘full’ in the game, whoever has the best trio will be the winner. And if the tie persists in the trio, whoever has the highest value pair of cards will be considered.

Flush

The hand is made up of 5 cards of the same symbol that must not necessarily be consecutive. In the ‘color’ whoever has the highest card will win. If there is a tie, the winner is determined by who has the next card with the best value, and so on.

Straight

It is made up of 5 consecutive value cards, without the need for them to belong to the same ‘symbol’. If multiple players have ‘ladder’, whoever has the highest cards will win. Be careful, these are not circular (that is, the combination Q-K-A-2-3 is invalid).

Three of a kind

It is formed by 3 equal cards and, in the event of a tie, the highest ‘trio’ will win. And if the highest value trio also ties, whoever has the best cards will win.

Double pair

It is composed of two pairs of equal cards. If there is a tie, the highest pair between both poker hands wins. And in case of continuing tied, the second pair is compared. The fifth card of the hand could define the game if equality persists.

A pair

It is made up of two cards of similar value, whoever has the highest pair wins. In case of draws, the ‘pair’ with higher value wins. Letters of support could resolve the situation in the event of equality.

High card

In poker hands, it is the lowest. It may be the case of not forming any of the previous combinations. Then, whoever has the highest card will win the game.

What are the best poker hands?

The best of all hands, without a doubt, is the royal flush of color. This combination beats all poker hands. It is unique, therefore it is considered an invincible ‘hand’. It brings together letters A-K-Q-J-10 that must have the same symbol.

The straight flush follows in importance, for greater value. Here the highest value card is 10, with the five cards in correlative order and the same symbol. A straight flush can be formed with 10-9-8-7-6 swords. Or 7-6-5-4-3 of hearts; for example. For more information about Poker, you should visit Pocket52.