Poker hands are ranked as follows, from highest to lowest:

Royal Flush: Five cards in sequence, of the same suit, beginning with Ace – Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten.

Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence, of the same suit. Example – 8, 7, 6, 5, 4.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, irrespective of the suit, plus a single card. Example – 5, 5, 5, 5, 3. This hand is ranked first by the four cards and then by the single one.

Full House: Three cards made up of one rank, and two cards of another. Example: 8, 8, 8, 5, 5. This hand is ranked first by the three cards and then by the pair.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Example – Jack, 9, 7, 3, 2 of Spades. This hand is ranked by the top card and then in descending order.

Straight: Five cards in sequence, irrespective of their suits. Example – Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7. The Ace can serve as one above the King or as a one.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank and then two cards of different ranks. Example – 7, 7, 7, 5, Queen. This hand is ranked first by the three cards and then by the other two cards.

Two Pair: This hand comprises two cards of the same rank, two cards of another rank and a single, unconnected card. Example – King, King, 3, 3, 9. This hand is ranked by the top pair first, followed by the lower pair and finally by the single card.

One Pair: This hand comprises two cards of the same rank and three other cards of different ranks. Example – 9, 9, King, 4, 2. This hand is ranked first by the pair and then by the single cards in descending order of value.

High Card: If players do not qualify for any of the hands as specified above, their hands are ranked according to the value of their single cards from highest to lowest. So, for example, a single King will beat the opponent’s single Jack, and so forth.

Players are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the hand rankings of poker before setting off to play for real money. One of the most common mistakes made by beginner players is to ‘jump in at the deep end’ and hope to learn the hand rankings during their real money gaming sessions. Hand rankings can be memorized from poker books or internet sites, or they can be practiced for free at poker sites through the ‘play for fun’ option.