The Ranks of Poker Hands

The talent involved in playing poker is actually simply the luck of the draw, mostly. Winning is not only dependent on how the player reads the cards but also on what cards are dealt. Having a working knowledge of all the different types of hands that can be dealt is very helpful.

If a player knows the different ranks of a hand it makes it easier to put together a winning hand. There are basically nine different hands that can be made. The higher on the list the player gets gives the player a better chance of winning.

A high card, one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a flush, a straight, a full house, four of a kind, and a straight flush are the ranks of poker hands. It is redundant to say that a royal straight flush is the highest hand possible since this is just a straight flush with all face cards. Either way, a straight flush is almost impossible to get dealt.

Getting a high card, such as an ace, is easy to do, but winning with a high card isn't easy to accomplish. This is simply because with the odds of getting a pair in a game such as Texas Hold'em where there is a community group of cards is high. In a 52-card deck, there is a 42% chance of getting a pair.

The chances of getting two pair in the last five cards are much lower than getting a pair. The chances of getting two pair are just under 5%. With this hand, the player has to be careful because if they have a pair of twos and a pair of face cards, another player with two pair might beat them if that player has a matching pair of face cards and a higher pair of number cards.

There is also just under a 2% chance of getting a three of a kind which beats two pair. In community poker, if the window has a pair already showing, it is safe to assume that another player has three of a kind. Bet accordingly especially if the other player begins to bet more aggressively.

With a straight, the ace plays a dual role. The ace can be considered either the highest card or the lowest. With a king, queen, jack and ten, the ace plays the higher role, but with a 5, 4, 3, and 2, the ace then becomes like a 1 card.

At less than four tenths of a percent, the odds of getting a straight are tricky. Expecting a card to show up in the window is trying for an inside straight, like having the 7, 8, 10, and jack and waiting for the 9. this is a very tricky situation as it is very unusual for the player to get an inside straight.

With only two tenths of a chance to get a flush, it is a hard hand to receive. A flush is a hand that has five cards that are all of the same suit such as hearts or spades. If there are three or more cards of the same suit in the window, it is a safe bet that another player has a flush.

A full house is an exciting hand to draw. This is because it is very rare to pull a full house because there is a less than .15% chance. It is having a set of three of a kind and a pair, which is almost always a winner.

The chances of getting a four of a kind or a straight flush are extremely tiny. It does happen but extremely rarely. Remembering the chances of getting these different hands helps the player in betting and also in bluffing, especially during a community game where everyone can see five available cards.

By: Poker Joker

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