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Poker is a complex game of skill, bluff and a fair amount of luck. Complex though it may be and however many variations of the game there are (countless) the winning hands are the same in each.
Winning Poker Hands In Weakest To Strongest Order
High Card
At the very worse the value of your hand will be determined by the highest card you are holding - the High Card. In a hand consisting of 2,3,5,7,Q the best you can do is offer the queen as a potential winner - your highest card (and a likely loser!).
Pair
Just as it sounds a pair is two cards of the same value for example two kings or two aces. A pair will beat a high card but will be beaten by a higher value pair or any of the following combinations.
Two Pair
As it sounds - two pairs. For example, a hand consisting of 2,3,3,4,4 can offer a two pair as a winning hand.
Three Of A Kind
Three cards of the same value - for example 1,K,K,K,4 gives three of a kind on kings.
Straight
A straight is a run of cards in sequence order but not of the same suit. So for example, 2,3,4,5,6 is a straight. Remember a straight is a sequence where at least one of the cards is not in the same suit as the others.
Flush
All cards of the same suit. For example, 3,6,8,5,J of hearts give a heart flush.
Full House
A full house is a pair and a three of a kind. For example 2,2,9,9,9 is a full house.
Four Of A Kind
Simply four cards of the same value. Four kings, for example.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is a five card sequence of the same suit - basically a straight which is also a flush! For example, 7,8,9,10,J would be a straight if at least one of the suits were different and a straight flush if they were all the same suit.
Royal Flush
The best hand possible is the royal flush. This is a 10,J,Q,K,A in sequence order, all of the same suit. A royal flush beats all other hands and doesn't come around too often!
Other Determinants
There are a few variations on this throughout the poker world. For example, in some games certain cards may be termed as "wild" which means they can be substituted for any other card as if it were that card. Deuces Wild is a popular video poker machine where the 2 substitutes for anything for example and all the above hands can be made by substitution.
It should also be noted that where two players have exactly the same value hand there are different rules on what should be done. Some games will look at the next value of cards in the hand, so the remaining high card comes into play to determine an outright winner, whilst others just split the pot.
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