Texas Holdem Poker is among the most popular and widely played poker variants. It requires skill, strategy, and luck to come out on top in each round. To become a successful Texas Holdem player, you must understand the hand rankings you can use during play. Knowing how each hand ranks will help you make better online poker decisions and give you an edge over your opponents. In this article, we will discuss the basics of Texas Holdem Poker and the various hand rankings used in online poker games.
Overview of Texas Holdem Poker
Texas Holdem Poker is played with two hole cards (cards dealt face down) and five community cards (cards dealt face up). To create the strongest hand, players must combine their hole cards and any three of the five community cards.
At the start of each round, blinds are placed by two players to initiate action on the table. The first round of betting starts with the player left from the big blind position who can either raise or call. Then, three community cards, collectively known as ‘The Flop,’ are placed on the board. This round is followed by another betting round before another card (‘The Turn’) is shown on the board. Lastly, a fifth card (‘The River’) is revealed before another betting round before players reveal their hands to decide on a winner.
Hand Rankings in Texas Holdem Poker
To become an expert at Texas Holdem Poker, you must understand the hand rankings of the game. Players use these hand rankings to determine which player has the best poker hand and who will win that round or tournament. Here are the different poker hands ranked from strongest to weakest:
Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is a poker hand comprising five consecutive cards of all the same suit, with an Ace being the highest. This combination is considered the best possible poker hand and is unbeatable in almost all circumstances.
Straight Flush
This hand is a combination of five consecutive cards that are all of the same suits but with no Ace as its highest card (for example, 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ would be a straight flush). This combination is still among the strongest hands, albeit not as strong as a Royal Flush.
Four-Of-A-Kind
A four-of-a-kind consists of four cards with equivalent value (e.g., four Kings) and one additional card for your kicker (which does not have to match in rank). It ranks slightly below a Straight Flush and can also be called Quads or Quadruplets.
Full House
A Full House consists of three cards with identical values (e.g., three Jacks) and two other cards that share another matching rank (e.g., two Nines). This type of poker hand ranks higher than Two Pair and Three Of A Kind and should never be underestimated when playing online or live poker games!
Flush
A Flush contains five non-consecutive cards that are all of the same suit (e.g., J♥ 10♥ 8♥ 6♥ 2♥). While this type of hand does not generally rank as highly as other hands, such as Three-Of-A-Kind or even Two Pair, it is still quite valuable if you draw it during play and can often lead to victory if played correctly!
Straight
A Straight contains five non-consecutive cards in numerical sequence without having any card from its suit included (e.g., 5♦ 4♣ 3♥ 2♦ A♠). Although this type of hand ranks lower than others on this list, it can still provide players with a strong chance at victory if they manage their bets correctly and can succeed at bluffing their opponents when they need it most!
Three-Of-A-Kind
A three-of-a-kind consists of three matching cards plus two sides/kicker cards that do not share any ranking between them (e.g., K♦ K♣ K♥ Q ♥ 4♦). This type of poker hand ranks lower than most on this list but can still offer players an opportunity for success if played well enough!
Two Pair
A two-pair features two sets of two matching cards plus one side/kicker card that does not share any ranking between them (e.g., 10♦ 10♠ Q ♥ Q ♣ 4♦). While this type of poker hand typically fares worse than some on this list, it can still prove successful under certain circumstances if players can bluff their opponents properly during play!
One Pair
A one-pair consists solely of two matching cards plus three side/kicker cards that do not share any ranking between them (e.g., J♦ J♥ 8 ♦ 6 ♥ 4 ♣ ). This type of poker hand usually fares poorly compared to many others on this list. However, it can still secure success under particular circumstances where players have managed their bets effectively during play!
High Card
A high card features no pairs among its five chosen cards and must rely solely on its highest-ranking card for strength. For example, K♦ 10 ♦ 9 ♥ 8 ♦ 5 ♣ would constitute a High Card with K being its strongest component, followed by the 10, then 9, and so on. This type of hand is usually considered the weakest on this list but can still win if appropriately played by using bluffs to scare off your opponents during playtime!
Conclusion
No matter your skill level, Texas Holdem Poker is an exciting game to play. With a wide variety of hand rankings and strategies, the possibilities of what can happen on the poker table are endless! If you’re ready to put what you’ve learned to practice and start playing online poker today, GG Poker is a great place to get started. Play Texas Holdem online by signing up today!