In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called hands, according to the rules of the game. Each hand has a rank, which is compared against the ranks of other hands participating in the game. The poker hands from highest to lowest are as follows:
- Royal Flush: This is the best hand available in poker, featuring five consecutive cards of the same suit, in order of value from 10 through to ace.
- Straight Flush: This hand features five consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Four of a Kind: This hand consists of four cards of the same rank.
- Full House: A full house contains three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.
- Flush: This hand includes five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
- Straight: A straight consists of five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
- Three of a Kind: This hand contains three cards of the same rank.
- Two Pair: This hand features two pairs of cards of the same rank.
- One Pair: A pair of cards of the same rank.
- High Card: This is the lowest-ranked hand available, where the highest card in the hand is considered the best hand.
Its important to note that the players "playing hand" in Texas hold em, for example, is the best 5-card poker hand available from their two hole cards and the five community cards.
