Whether you’re a weekend home-game player or grinding online tables, a clear poker hands chart is one of the simplest tools that separates confused callers from confident winners. In this guide I’ll walk you through every hand rank, the real odds behind making those hands in Texas Hold’em, practical examples from real gameplay, and how to use this knowledge in different formats: cash games, sit-&-gos, and multi-table tournaments.
If you want a quick clickable reference, use this link: keywords. I’ll also show how to read and apply that reference in live decision-making so it becomes more than memorization.
Why a poker hands chart matters more than you think
On the surface a poker hands chart seems like rote memorization — Royal flush on top, high card on the bottom — but its real value is context. It gives you a hierarchy to evaluate the relative strength of your final five-card hand, and that hierarchy informs decisions from preflop selection to river shoves.
I learned this the hard way at my first casino tournament: I’d memorized the order, but not the probabilities. Bluffing with a weak “ace-high” versus a board that favored straights and flushes got me eliminated. Understanding frequency — how often opponents hit sets, straights, or flushes — changed my ranges and saved chips. If you internalize both rank and likelihood, your reactions go from guesswork to calculated responses.
Official ranking: the poker hands chart (from best to worst)
| Rank | Hand | Description | Typical rarity (Texas Hold’em, 5-card final hand) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit | Extremely rare (~0.000154%) |
| 2 | Straight Flush | Five consecutive cards of same suit | Very rare (~0.00139%) |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Four cards of same rank | Rare (~0.0240%) |
| 4 | Full House | Three of a kind plus a pair | Uncommon (~0.1441%) |
| 5 | Flush | Five cards same suit, not consecutive | Uncommon (~0.197%) |
| 6 | Straight | Five consecutive cards of mixed suits | Uncommon (~0.3925%) |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | Three cards of same rank | Common (~2.1128%) |
| 8 | Two Pair | Two different pairs | Common (~4.7539%) |
| 9 | One Pair | Two cards of same rank | Very common (~42.2569%) |
| 10 | High Card | No pair; highest card decides | Common (~50.1177%) |
Key probabilities you should memorize (practical cheat numbers)
- Chance to pair one of your hole cards on the flop: ~32%
- Chance to make two pair or better by the river when you start with a pocket pair: ~50%
- Chance to complete a flush by the river when you have four suited cards after the flop: ~35%
- Chance to hit an open-ended straight draw by the river from the flop: ~31.5%
- Probability of being dealt any pocket pair preflop: ~5.9%
These numbers are the mental math behind decisions. For example, facing a single bet on the flop with four to a flush, knowing the ~35% equity to complete means you’ll call if the pot odds justify it or fold if not. Internalizing these percentages is more impactful than memorizing every marginal line in a solver chart.
Applying the chart: preflop hand selection
Ranking five-card hands is one thing; choosing starting hands is another. A practical preflop starting-hand approach tailored to position makes the chart actionable:
- Early position (EP): Play tight. Strong hands only — premium pairs (A-A, K-K, Q-Q), A-K, A-Q suited. These hands survive multiway pots and play well post-flop.
- Middle position (MP): Open up suited broadways (A-Js, K-Qs), mid pairs, and suited connectors occasionally (9-8s, 8-7s).
- Late position (CO/Button): Broaden your range: weak aces, more suited connectors, low-to-mid pairs for set mining, and speculative hands that benefit from position.
- Blinds: Defend selectively, prefer hands with post-flop playability (suited, connected, or strong broadways).
Think of your preflop decisions as buying options. A suited connector costs less to play and gives you more ways to hit disguised big hands; a premium pair is like owning a plain, stable asset — less upside but crucially reliable.
Examples from real hands
Example 1 — Cash game, heads-up pot: You hold A♠J♠ on the button. Faces preflop raise from BB and call. Flop: K♠8♠2♦ — you have ace-high with the nut-flush draw. Opponent size is half-pot. With ~35% to make your flush and potential to bluff if missed, calling is optimal; raising could build the pot when you make the flush but may overcommit when you miss. Balancing call/raise here depends on reads and stack depth.
Example 2 — Tournament bubble: You hold 9♦9♣ in middle position. Two callers before you, short-stacked player shoves. On the bubble, avoid calling wide. Your pair is decent, but where short stacks shove wide ranges, calling is often correct because your pairs perform well against shoving ranges. Stack preservation and tournament ICM influence the decision.
Combining chart knowledge with reads and board texture
A poker hands chart tells you which five-card holdings beat others but not how likely opponents are to hold them on a given board. Board texture — coordinated vs. dry — changes the meaning of the same hand. For instance:
- Dry board (A♣7♦2♠): Top pair is strong against most ranges; strong medium pairs have equity.
- Coordinated board (9♠8♠7♣): Even middle pairs are vulnerable to straights and two-pair combinations; flush and straight possibilities inflate opponents’ ranges.
Always ask: “What five-card hands does my opponent range include here?” Use the chart to rank those hands and compare to your line. The opponent’s bet sizing, position, and recent behavior further narrow likely holdings.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Mistake: Overvaluing strong high-card hands on wet boards. Fix: Consider the number of combos that beat you and the likelihood they continue betting aggressively.
- Mistake: Folding too often in late position. Fix: Leverage position to widen your range and pick up pots preflop.
- Mistake: Misreading kicker situations. Fix: In multiway pots, kickers matter less; focus on pair strength and board threats.
- Mistake: Ignoring pot odds and implied odds when chasing draws. Fix: Use the percentages above — if pot odds are worse than your draw odds, fold.
Tools and next steps to level up
To translate the poker hands chart into consistent profit, use these tools and methods:
- Equity calculators and solvers for study sessions. Run scenarios with ranges rather than single hands to understand optimal lines.
- Hand history review: Tag hands where your ranking vs. opponent ranges led to incorrect calls or folds. Recreate the pot with a solver and identify differences.
- Practice drills: Memorize core percentages and practice making pot-odds calculations under time pressure. This reduces hesitation during live play.
- Use reputable references and training sites. For an accessible quick reference, check this link: keywords.
Responsible play and bankroll alignment
Knowing the poker hands chart is useful only when your bankroll and mindset support it. Play within limits that let you make rational decisions; when money is too tight, risk aversion or tilt will distort your choices and negate the value of your technical knowledge. Set session stop-loss and win goals and stick to them.
Conclusion: Make the chart functional, not decorative
A poker hands chart is your foundation. The next layers are probabilities, position, opponent tendencies, and the patience to fold when the math and range analysis demand it. Memorize the ranking, internalize the key percentages in this guide, and practice applying them in specific board textures and formats. Over time, the chart stops being something you read and becomes an instinctive filter that speeds up correct decisions.
Final action plan:
- Memorize the chart above and the core draw percentages.
- Practice preflop ranges by position for 30 minutes a day for a week.
- Review recent losing hands against the chart and analyze whether rank, odds, or reads were misapplied.
Use the resources linked earlier to keep a compact reference at your fingertips: keywords. With disciplined study and application, the poker hands chart will transform from a static list into a living decision-making tool that improves your win rate across games and stakes.
