The Rules of Poker

The aim of poker is to get the best ‘hand’ possible, you bet against other players if you think your hand might beat the other players hands.

Each player is dealt 5 cards. The best hands are listed below in order of best to worst.

Straight FlushIf you have consecutive cards in the same suit for example all of your cards are hearts and they run through the numbers for example Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5.

4 of a kind
If you have 4 cards of the same rank for example you might have 4 kings and one jack, or 4 fives and 1 ten.

Full House
If you have 3 cards of one rank and 2 cards of another for example 3 jacks and 2 twos.

Flush
If all 5 cards are the same suit, any cards in any order as long as they are the same suit.

Straight
If you have 5 cards in sequential order, for example 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King of any suit.

3 of a kind
If you have 3 cards of the same rank for example 3 twos and 2 other cards.

2-pair
If you have 2 cards of the same rank and another 2 cards of the same rank for example you have 2 threes and 2 kings.

Pair (2 of a kind)
If you have 2 cards of the same rank for example 2 tens and a mixture of other cards.

High Card
If you have nothing else in your hand your highest card is your hand, for example if you have an ace or queen.

Kicker
If two players tie the hands will be judged on the remaining cards for which hand has the highest remaining cards. For example a pair of fours with a ten and a seven would beat a pair of fours with a five and a six.

Ties
The higher hand wins for example

Straight, flush, straight-flush – the highest rank card wins
2-pair, pair, 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind – which ever matched cards is highest if it is still a tie then use the kicker card/cards to decide

Full house
Look at the set of three first the highest wins if the set of threes is tied look at the set of two.

If the hands a completely tied then the money is split between the winning players.