22/02/2024 19:00
Poker hands and combinations
Hello and welcome to PepperMill Casino, where poker is not just any game but an exciting yet competitive game of strategy and skills. Usually poker hands seem complicated if it’s your first time playing poker or video poker, but really they’re not once you get to know them. So let’s get you all set up and ready for your next poker game with these combinations and some bonus tips too!
In any case, we promise that you will know all about poker hands after reading!
The 10 poker hands ranked from strongest to weakest.
Poker hands are a combination of your dealt cards with the other cards laying on the table. The strength of these combinations lies mainly in rarity; the rarer the combination, the higher up the rank and the stronger your poker hand. Thus, you try to combine your two received cards with what is on the table and make the highest possible hand with it to win the pot.
Royal Flush: The holy grail of the game and also the highest possible hand in the game of poker, the Royal Flush is the rarest poker combination. You form it with a 10 as the only number card along with the "Royals", namely the Jack, Queen, King and Ace. In addition, you must also form a "Flush". A flush is formed by having all the cards in the combination of the same suit. An example of what a Royal Flush could look like in suited diamonds: 10♦️, J♦️, Q♦️, K♦️, A♦️. This combination between your hands feels powerful and victory already seems to be within reach. This ultimate poker hand has about a 1 in 312,188 chance of occurring, truly a gem of the game!
Straight Flush: Alongside the Royal Flush, the Straight Flush is the next big poker hand. A consecutive sequence of numbers forms a "Straight" in poker. This can be from 1,2,3 or even 6,7,8. A straight together with the same card type forms a Straight Flush. Here you can see what a Straight Flush looks like from 3 in hearts: 3♥️️️️, 4♥️️️️, 5♥️️️️, 6♥️️️️, 7♥️️️️, the numbers can vary. Even though it is a strong hand, the other players can see the patterns and expect it. So play carefully and don't go all-in right away! This combination occurs about 1 in 72,192 times and is also very rare.
Four of a Kind: This combination is also better known as "quads", which you form by four cards of the same value, without paying attention to the kind. It may look a bit like this: 4♦️, 4♣️, 4♥️️️️, 4♠️. A Four of a Kind could be played aggressively because the others are unlikely to have a better hand, so maximize the pot and let the rest think they have a chance of winning. With a chance of about 1 in 715, this combination is also very rare.
Full House: A Full House is the name of 2 combinations in 1. On one side you have three cards of the same value and on the other side with a pair of a different value. So together you make a full hand of five cards with pairs. This combination only needs pairs of values so the suit doesn't matter here. Here’s an example of a Full House with 8’s and 7’s: 8♥️️️️, 8♦️, 8♣️, 7♥️️️️️, 7♠️. This hand is best played very carefully and closely watching the other players on their actions as they may also have the same hand or higher. Full house occurs about 1 in 693 times in a game.
Flush: This combination is formed with 5 cards of the same suit and it’s another classic hand that doesn’t occur very often. It’s not that hard to miss if you’ve encountered it, here’s what a flush in diamonds looks like: A♦️, 9♦️, 6♦️, 4♦️, 2♦️. Therefore, it is important to watch out with other cards and the possible combinations other players may have: a Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush or a Royal Flush. The chance of getting a Flush is about 1 in 508.
Straight: A Straight brings a lot of excitement to the table due to its strength and familiarity. The combination consists of 5 cards in a chronological order, regardless of suit. Here’s an example of a straight: 6♦️, 7♠️, 8♣️, 9♦️, 10♥️️️️️. It can certainly be a strong hand on the right table, but other players can also form higher Straights. So be careful when betting and watch the cards if they can suggest a higher combination. The odds of getting a straight are about 1 in 254.
Three of a Kind: This simple combination is formed by having just three cards of the same value. Here’s an example of a three of a kind: 5♣️, 5♦️, 5♠️. The suit of cards is not important here. Be aware that your opponents might have higher pairings, like a Straight or Flush and even a Four of a Kind. The odds of getting a Three of a Kind are about one in 46.
Two Pair: The Two Pair is a combination of two different pairs. This is how you form the Two Pair: A♥️️️️️, A♠️, 7♥️️️️, 7♣️. Definitely consider the odds of opponents having a higher Two Pair or even slightly higher before making big bets. The chance of getting Two Pair is about 1 in 21 which means you will see it come by more often.
One Pair: This is the lowest combination you can form with two cards. You form it by having a pair of the same value, for example: J♥️️️️, J♠️. The chance of forming a One Pair is very high, namely 1 in 2, and is therefore very common. If you have a One Pair then you should pay close attention because novice players bet money immediately if they see a combination and so opponents win easily with higher combinations.
High Card: The weakest hand in poker is the highest card in your hands. This can be any card as long as it is the highest in your hands. In most cases, High Card is going to be a king, ace or any other "royal" card. You're most likely going to lose the pot but who knows, maybe you can bluff well and grab it anyway.
Determining the value of a hand
The value of a hand is determined by a number of factors:
The rank of your hand, obviously.
Higher valued cards always beat lower valued cards. If you have the same pair as your opponent, it comes down to your highest card beside your combination. Let’s say you have a pair of 10’s and an ace and the other person has a pair of 10’s and a 8 as the highest card after it, the person with the higher card wins the pot, in this case the ace wins.
The number of cards of the same value determines how strong your hand is. The more cards of the same value, the stronger your hand and chance of winning.
Tips for playing hands in poker.
Don't play too many hands. Be picky with the hands you play and fold most hands.
Players who play later in the round have a slight advantage as they know more information about their opponents' hands and behavior. This could aid them to acknowledge the kind of hand they potentially have.
Bluffing can be an effective way to trick your opponents and win the pot. It’s the art of raising bets and making it seem like you have the strongest hand on the table, so that everyone else folds. Meanwhile you don’t have any high ranking combinations.
Poker: the game where fun and strategy come together
So, you're ready for the next poker game with this guide on the different poker hands. Memorizing these combinations is not going to be too difficult, so you will see combinations forming before they have even been formed. Play smart as this game is not always about the cards you get, but on the way you play them. Making the right moves and paying close attention will help you stay one step ahead of your opponents.
Is Poker not for you? Be sure to try the other card games like Blackjack or Baccarat.
