Understanding poker hand rankings is essential for any player looking to succeed in the game. Whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or any other variant, knowing which hands beat others allows you to make better decisions during play. In this article, we’ll break down the official poker hand hierarchy from Master Poker Malaysia the strongest to the weakest, with easy-to-understand examples for each.

Royal Flush

The highest possible hand in poker. It consists of the A, K, Q, J, and 10, all of the same suit.

Example:
🂡 🂭 🂮 🂫 🂪 (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten of spades)

Beats: Every other hand.

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit. It’s just below a Royal Flush.

Example:
🂞 🂝 🂜 🂛 🂚 (9 to King of hearts)

Note: A straight flush with 5-6-7-8-9 of the same suit is valid too.

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same rank, plus any fifth card.

Example:
🂡 🂡 🂡 🂡 🂮 (Four Aces and a Queen)

Nickname: Quads

Full House

Three cards of one rank and two cards of another.

Example:
🂭 🂭 🂭 🂦 🂦 (Three Queens and Two Sixes)

Also known as: A “boat”

Flush

Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.

Example:
🂱 🂡 🂮 🂩 🂫 (All spades, but not sequential)

Tip: Highest card determines strength if multiple players have a flush.

Straight

Five sequential cards of different suits.

Example:
🂠 🂡 🂢 🂣 🂤 (Ace to 5 straight)

Note: Aces can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5).

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank, plus two unrelated cards.

Example:
🂦 🂦 🂦 🂡 🂫 (Three Sixes with an Ace and a Jack)

Nickname: Trips or a set

Two Pair

Two different pairs and one unrelated card.

Example:
🂭 🂭 🂫 🂫 🂢 (Pair of Queens and Jacks)

Tip: The higher pair is used to compare against opponents.

One Pair

A single pair and three unrelated cards.

Example:
🂨 🂨 🂡 🂫 🂤 (Pair of Eights with Ace, Jack, and Five)

High Card

No combination formed. The highest card determines the hand’s strength.

Example:
🂡 🂭 🂧 🂩 🂤 (Ace high)

Used when: No one has any better hand.