Fundamentals
Poker hand rankings
Almost every high-hand game uses the same ladder. Lowball games invert it, and Badugi uses a different object entirely. Learn the high ladder cold, then learn which games throw it away.
High-hand ladder (best to worst)
- Royal flush — A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit
- Straight flush — five suited in sequence
- Four of a kind — quads, with a kicker
- Full house — three of one rank plus a pair of another
- Flush — five of one suit, not in sequence
- Straight — five in sequence, mixed suits. Aces high or low, not both (A-2-3-4-5 and 10-J-Q-K-A are straights; Q-K-A-2-3 is not)
- Three of a kind — a set (you hold a pair and hit one) or trips (one on board, one in hand, in Hold'em)
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
Kickers and chops
When two players make the same category, the next unused card down the ranking decides it. Ace-king and ace-seven both flop an ace: the king kicker wins unless the board has already paired or the seven makes two pair. If the five cards in play are identical, the pot is chopped. Suits never break a tie in Hold'em or Omaha high.
Games that do not use this ladder
Razz is 7-card stud played for low, A-2-3-4-5 the nuts, pairs and high cards bad. 2-7 triple draw is lowball where aces are high and straights/flushes count against you, so 7-5-4-3-2 unsuited is the nuts. Badugi is four cards of different suits and ranks, low wins, 4-3-2-A rainbow the nuts. Do not carry Hold'em ranking into those games — that is a paid leak.
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