The rank of hands remains the same no matter which type
of poker game you play.
In a nutshell, a poker hand consists of five cards. Poker hands fall into one
of several categories, such as flush, straight, or two pair. The player with the
highest ranking hand is the winner.
Royal Flush
A royal flush is an ace high straight flush.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is a five-card straight, all in the same suit.
Four of a Kind - Quads
Quads, or four of a kind, are four cards of equal rank.
Full House or Full Boat
A full house, or full boat, contains a set (three) of cards of one rank
and a pair of another rank.
Flush
A flush is any five cards, all of the same suit.
Straight
Five cards of sequential rank. Every possible straight will contain
either a 5 or a 10.
Three of a Kind or Set
Three cards of the same rank.
Two Pair
A two pair is two cards of one rank and another two cards of another
rank.
Pair
One pair is two cards of the same rank.
Some games are called Hi/Lo Games (Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and Omaha Hi/Lo)
because to win the pot, not only do you need to consider the rank of hands
explained above (Hi) but also the lowest hand (Lo). The pot is then split
between two winning hands: the high one and the low one.
We've covered the high hands above. A low hand is a hand that contains five
different cards inferior or equal to 8. Ex: A- 2- 4- 7- 8
Games in which the pot is split between the best high
hand and the best low hand include Omaha Hi/Lo and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. Hi/Lo games are
played with an 'eight qualifier' for the low hand, where a player must have five
unpaired cards lower than eight in order to win the low part of the pot.
Straights and flushes do not count toward a low hand, and aces are treated as
the lowest card. Hands with five cards of equal rank share the low pot equally,
regardless of suit.
In Hi/Lo games the best possible low hand is a
5-high straight, called a wheel or a bicycle. Should two or more players have
wheels/bicycles, the low portion of the pot is split. All wheels/bicycles are
equal regardless of suit.
A Wheel - Bicycle
If nobody gets five different cards inferior or equal to eight, then there is
no low hand and only the highest hand is taken into consideration to elect the
winner. There will only be one winner and the pot won?t be split.
Content courtesy of
PartyPoker.com
