Ever since the inception of online casino game websites, poker has been one of the most popular options all around the world. It goes without saying that as much asthe skill set of the player is important, poker is a game of luck and fortune. However, that does not take away from the fact that good poker handsare important to win a game.
Nevertheless, to understand what a good hand in poker is, you need to be well-versed with not only the deck and card ranks but also the players at your table. This game is versatile in the sense that while it can be played with just two players, the number can go up to ten players at most. Excluding the Joker card, the whole deck is used. The card ranking is one of the most important aspects of learning the game. It starts with the highest, which is an Ace and comes down to 2, which is the lowest. That said, you should keep in mind that the ranking of an Ace card can change according to the hand you have been dealt. While good poker hands make Ace one of the highest ranks, a hand where you have 5, 4, 3, 2, and an Ace is ranked the lowest.
Rules of the game
The game begins with the dealer handing out two cards to each player and, as per the betting rounds, places five open community cards on the table. The main motive in this game is to be the player with the five best cards on the table. These five cards include two from what they were dealt and three of the community cards. This decision mainly relies on the hand rankings. There is a specific order to poker hands, with Royal Flush being the best and High Card being the worst. If you want to master this game, it is vital that you memorize these rankings of best hands in poker.
- Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is considered to be the best hand in poker & ranks top in good poker hands. This mainly consists of A, K, Q, J, and a 10, but all have to be of the same suit.
- Straight Flush
The second best hand in poker; this requires five cards of the same suit in a certain sequence. For instance, 4, 5,6,7,8 is an eight-high straight flush.
- Four of a Kind
As the name suggests, this hand requires you to have four cards that have an equal rank. However, it is not necessary that all cards are of the same suit. For instance, an Ace of all four suits along with another card of a different number will be considered four of a kind.
- Full Boat or Full House
A full boat, more commonly known as a full house, is when you have three cards of the same kind (number or value), while the rest of the two make a pair. A perfect example would be three King cards and two seven cards.
- Flush
When you have five cards of the same suit, you have a winning hand irrespective of the sequence they are in. For instance, you might have 3,5,6,8, and a queen of diamonds, and that is considered to be a good poker hand.
- Straight
Similar to flush, in a straight, you have to have five cards from any suit, but you need it all to be in sequence. A 7 of hearts, 8 of diamonds, 9 of clubs, and j of spades is a straight poker hand.
- Three of a Kind
Again very evident by the name, in this, you will have to have three cards of the same number from any suit and two cards of different numbers, irrespective of the suit. Say, if you have 3 8s but of different suits and 2 other cards being 4 of spades and 5 of diamonds.
- Two Pair
A two pair is when you have 2 groups of 2 cards with the same rank of any suit—for instance, two 3s in diamond and hearts and two 5s in spades and clubs. The fifth card is insignificant in such a hand and can be of any suit or rank.
- One Pair
Similar to a two pair, in one pair, you only have two cards that have the same rank. The rest of the three cards do not match in rank or suit.
- High Card
A high card is specifically when none of the cards in your hand match, and the table winner is judged by the values of the cards. The player with the highest card in the whole table wins.
With this knowledge, you can easily strategize your gameplay and better your winning odds. However, you should realize this is a game of luck and be patient.
