Royal flush is considered to be the premier poker hand; however, it rarely appears. A close second would be straight flush.
Beyond two pairs, adding suited connectors and ace suits can add depth to your starting poker hands and make them harder for opponents to read. For a quick visual of which hands beat one another see our useful Poker Hand Rankings chart.
Royal Flush
If you are lucky enough to hold a royal flush you will possess the ultimate poker hand. A royal flush consists of four consecutive suits of Ace, King, Queen and Jack that form one complete sequence – which has odds of 649,739:1.
Straight Flush A straight flush consists of five cards in sequence but with mixed suits – for instance 7-4-2-A-K-J – in consecutive order but without being identical to any specific suit – that are ordered but don’t match up exactly with each other (e.g. 7-4-2-A-K-J). It is the second strongest poker hand but can’t compare to royal flush in terms of power.
Three of a Kind is an exceptional poker hand and one of the most sought-after. Consisting of any three matching cards from different suits, three-of-a-Kind usually wins when two or more players hold it simultaneously.
Straight Flush
Straight flush is a poker hand composed of five consecutive cards of one suit in succession and can only be outdone by royal flush or another straight flush; an ideal straight flush would comprise 10 through Ace cards consecutively in sequence.
Pocket Aces, often referred to as “ace magnets”, is one of the best starting poker hands available to you, giving you an advantage against other players by raising aggressively before the flop and maneuvering and bluffing effectively for victory against them.
The next best poker hand is AK suited. This broadway hand can be extremely effective at dominating raised and re-raised pots, featuring open-ended straight and flush draws as well as dominating other Broadway hands – an excellent starting hand when looking to increase your bankroll.
Four-of-a-Kind
Four-of-a-Kind (also called Fours-of-a-King or Quads in poker terms) is a poker hand composed of four identically valued cards but not necessarily in sequence, beating other poker hands such as full house or two pairs. The kicker (the fifth card) determines its strength – a higher kicker makes this hand stronger while lower ones may render it less so.
Four of a Kind is an exceptional poker hand and should not be overlooked if it occurs to you. It beats two pairs and three of a kind but falls short of being as desirable as a Straight Flush or Royal Flush as its frequency is much less frequent; thus granting a higher rank than both full houses or two pair hands.
This poker hand can win you lots of money. To maximize its effectiveness, pair suited connectors and aces into your opening hand to add depth and make it harder for opponents to put you on their hand.
Full House
Full House (three of a kind and pair) is an extremely strong poker hand that ranks third highest, but still can beat four-of-a-kind and straight hands.
While not as potent as its Royal Flush counterpart, a Straight Flush remains an effective playing hand for skill and strategy-based games. Before engaging in such an activity it’s wise to become acquainted with all the available poker hand rankings and probabilities before commencing play.
A Full House is a poker hand that comprises three cards of equal rank and two pairs with different card values, ranking fourth on the Poker Hand Rank Chart just after Straights and Three of a Kinds respectively. Also commonly referred to as Boat or Full Package, this uncommon hand should be pursued if given the chance as it can catch opponents unawares and offer considerable potential advantage over time.