Poker Hands - What beats what?

Suicide Kings, One-Eyed Jacks, Aces over Eights and a Full House, for every poker hand out there you’ll find a hundred different ways of naming it. If you find yourself forgetting what beats what when the cards are called, review these hands, ranked in order from highest to lowest. Next time you’ll know whether to fold or raise the stakes.

Royal Flush
Odds: 649,739/1
Possible hands: 4
The Royal Flush is the Holy Grail of poker hands, and you could go your whole life without ever seeing one. But if you happen to get dealt a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace all in the same suite, and you’re not dreaming, it’s time to start counting the pot because it’s going to be yours.

Straight Flush
Odds: 72,192/1
Possible hands: 36
The Straight Flush is a little (but not much) easier to come by than its royal cousin, and consists of five cards in numerical order, all of the same suite. The hand can’t wrap around (i.e., K, A, 2, 3, 4), and in the case of two straight flushes at the table, the hand that ends with the highest ranked card takes home the cash.

Four of a Kind
Odds: 4,164/1
Possible Hands: 624
In a game without wild cards, a Four of a Kind is almost guaranteed to shut down the competition. As its name implies, the hand consists of four cards of the same numerical value, one from each suite. As with all poker hands, the higher card value wins out with multiple fours-of-a-kind are laid on the table.

Full House
Odds: 693/1
Possible Hands: 3,744
Compared to the hands above, you’ll see Full Houses quite a bit if the game goes on long enough. The hand is made up of five cards, with three of a kind and a pair. If there’s more than one Full House, the three of a kind is used to determine the ties breaker followed by the pair. This means that a J-J-J-7-7 beats an 8-8-8-5-5, which in turn beats an 8-8-8-3-3.

Flush
Odds: 508/1
Possible Hands: 5,108
It sounds fancier than it really is, but a well-timed flush has been responsible for increasing the winnings of many a poker player. Unlike a Royal Flush, a standard Flush requires five cards all of the same suite, but of any numerical value. In a tie, the highest card wins.

Straight
Odds: 254/1
Possible Hands: 10,200
Five cards in numerical order, regardless of suite. Just like a Straight Flush, the cards have to number between 2 and Ace.

Three of a Kind
Odds: 46/1
Possible Hands: 54,912
Three cards of the same rank of any suite with two cards that aren’t a pair.

Two Pairs
Odds: 20/1
Possible Hands: 123,552
Two sets of pairs with a fifth unrelated card. This often gets confused among novices as beating a Three of a Kind, but a Three of a Kind beats Two Pairs every time.

One Pair
Odds: 2.4/1
Possible Hands: 1,098,240
A pair of cards with the same numerical rank along with three non-matching cards. The most common hand in poker, it can take guts to make a stand with just a pair. It’s paid off, though, especially if your skills at bluffing are above par.

High Card
Odds: 1/1
Possible Hands: 1,302,540
If everyone is dealt nothing but garbage, no matter how rarely this actually happens, then the player showing the highest card when the bets are called wins the pot.

Rick “Stone Face” Ellers started playing poker while he was a paratrooper stationed in Fort Bragg, NC. He currently writes part time for PokerListings.com where you can learn about the exciting World Series of Poker and find great information about Online Poker Rooms.

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A Beginners Guide To Texas Holdem Strategies

If you are going to learn to play poker, then you must learn to play Texas Holdem. Before you jump right into a game, take a moment and study the following tips:

1. First, before you step into the world of an online Texas Holdem poker room, decide what you feel comfortable wagering. Never put more money into your online account than you can comfortably afford to lose.

2. Dont ever get into the habit of chasing loses. If you do, youll inevitably find yourself making bad plays, such as calling or raising when you should fold.

3. Play small tournaments or ring games before you jump into the larger tournaments. Players with a lot more experience than a beginner will dominate in these games. They read players well and can quickly determine what the best possible hand is.

4. Take notes on other players when youre playing. You will have plenty of time to do this as many players take their time in making proper play decisions. Its smart to take notes on the other players every time you play because you are likely to come across them again in another tournament. Use what you have learned about them, against them.

5. Practice reading the flop, the turn, and the river. Know what the best possible hands are at any given time.

6. Do not play loose poker online. Your bluff will be called.

7. For the most part, while learning to play online Texas Holdem, play the top ten starting hands, and play a tight game of poker.

8. Avoid playing multiple games at a time, your better players dont do it and you shouldnt either.

Above all else, have fun and learn how to play your hands by watching other players in tournament play. If players show their cards at the end of the hand, make quick notes and try to learn their betting patterns.

David Walker runs free bets and UK poker websites. A free email course: "Seven Days to Better Betting" is available at both of these websites.