Are you new to poker or someone who is still trying to figure out a winning strategy? One of the first things most poker beginners should do is go through the top 10 poker hand rankings, which are the best possible hand combinations that enhance your chances of winning at the poker table. It is common for poker players to think that the game is theirs if they manage to get a full house in poker or even a straight one.
You need to be thorough with most of these hand sequences so that while you are under pressure during a game poker, you can still manage to form the most suitable hand sequence that gives you the best chance to win.
Straight Flush & Royal Flush
You are said to have got a straight flush for your pack of five cards when they are consecutive and of the same suit. For example, a series of cards like 10,9,8,7 and 6 (all belonging to hearts) is said to be a straight flush. And when your straight flush is A, K, Q, J, and 10 (all the same suit), then you are said to have a royal flush in poker. The royal flush is the strongest possible poker hand ranking, while the straight flush (which is not a royal flush) is considered as the second strongest poker hand.
And as is the norm in poker, the stronger the hand, the less is the probability of occurring. So, you can say that you have hit the jackpot if you manage to form a royal flush or a straight flush on the poker table! Say if two players on the table hold a straight flush poker, the player whose highest rank card is higher emerges as the winner.
Four of a Kind
This hand sequence is the third-best poker hand ranking possible where you get four cards of the same rank (like all four aces or four kings or four 10s), and the fifth card can be anything. There is a possibility where two players can come up with ‘Four of a Kind,’ in which case the player whose four cards are of a higher rank will be the winner.
Full House
You are said to have a full house in poker when you have three of a kind and a pair. This means your five cards could be something like this – KKK and AA, i.e., three kings and two aces. Of course, the suit does not matter here! When two players hold a full house on the table, the one with higher three of a kind (higher rank) wins. If the three of a kind is of the same rank for both players, then the player holding the higher pair wins. The full house is the fourth-best poker hand ranking.
OFC Poker
When all the five cards you hold are of the same suit, irrespective of the numerical order, then you are said to hold an OFC Poker. It means having non-consecutive cards of the same suit as K, 10, 9, 7, and 5 of spades. It is the fifth strongest poker hand sequence. In the case of two players having flush, the one with the greater high card wins.
Straight Poker
In straight poker, you hold consecutive cards of different suits. This is how it is different from straight flush (consecutive cards of the same suit) and flush poker (non-consecutive cards of the same suit). An example of straight poker is 10,9,8,7, and 6 (with a mix of spades and hearts).
Bear in mind that while getting any of this poker hand ranking can be down to some luck, but how you use it at the poker table is purely dependent on your poker skills!