Official Poker Hand Rankings & Tie-Breaker Cheat Sheet: High, Short Deck 6+, PLO & Lowball
In Standard 52-Card High Poker (Texas Hold'Em, Pot-Limit Omaha, And Seven-Card Stud), The Ten Official Five-Card Hand Rankings From Strongest (#1) To Weakest (#10) Are: (1) Royal Flush, (2) Straight Flush, (3) Four Of A Kind, (4) Full House, (5) Flush, (6) Straight, (7) Three Of A Kind, (8) Two Pair, (9) One Pair, And (10) High Card.
1. Standard 52-Card High Hand Rankings & Exact Combinatorics
C(52,5) = 2,598,960 | C(52,7) = 133,784,560Every Standard High Poker Hand Is Evaluated Using The Best Five Cards Available. The Table Below Lists All 10 Official Tiers Along With Exact 5-Card Deal Combinatorics (Out Of 2,598,960 Hands), 7-Card Showdown Combinatorics (Out Of 133,784,560 7-Card Deals In Hold'Em And 7-Card Stud), And Tie-Breaker Rules:
| Tier | Hand Name & Example | Official Definition | 5-Card Combos & Odds | 7-Card Combos & Freq | Showdown Tie-Breaker Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Royal Flush As Ks Qs Js Ts | Ace, King, Queen, Jack, And Ten All Of The Exact Same Suit (The Unbeatable Nut High Hand). | 4 0.000154% (649,739 : 1) | 4,324 0.00323% (30,939 : 1) | All Four Suits Are Equal In Standard Poker; Two Royal Flushes On The Board Split The Pot. |
| #2 | Straight Flush 9h 8h 7h 6h 5h | Any Five Consecutive Ranks All Of The Same Suit (From 5-High Steel Wheel Up To King-High). | 36 0.001385% (72,192 : 1) | 37,260 0.02785% (3,589 : 1) | The Straight Flush With The Highest Top Card Wins (Note: In A-2-3-4-5, The 5 Is The Top Card). |
| #3 | Four Of A Kind (Quads) Qd Qh Qc Qs 7d | All Four Cards Of The Same Numerical Rank Plus One Fifth Side Card (Kicker). | 624 0.02401% (4,164 : 1) | 224,848 0.1681% (594 : 1) | Higher Quad Rank Wins; If Quads Are On The Community Board, Highest Fifth Card (Kicker) Wins. |
| #4 | Full House (Boat) Kd Kh Kc Js Jd | Three Of A Kind Of One Rank Combined With A Pair Of A Second Rank ("Kings Full Of Jacks"). | 3,744 0.14406% (693 : 1) | 3,473,184 2.5961% (37.5 : 1) | Compare The Three-Of-A-Kind Rank First; Only If Both Players Share The Same Trips Does The Pair Break The Tie. |
| #5 | Flush Ad Jd 8d 6d 2d | Any Five Cards Of The Exact Same Suit That Are Not All In Consecutive Rank Order. | 5,108 0.19654% (508 : 1) | 4,047,644 3.0255% (32.1 : 1) | Compare Highest Flush Card First, Then Second, Third, Fourth, And Fifth Card; Suits Never Break Ties. |
| #6 | Straight Tc 9s 8d 7h 6c | Five Consecutive Ranks Of Mixed Suits (Aces Can Play High In A-K-Q-J-T Or Low In A-2-3-4-5). | 10,200 0.39246% (254 : 1) | 6,180,020 4.6194% (20.6 : 1) | The Straight With The Highest Top Rank Wins; Identical Top-Rank Straights Always Split The Pot. |
| #7 | Three Of A Kind (Set Or Trips) 8s 8h 8d Ac 4s | Three Cards Of The Same Rank Plus Two Unpaired Side Kickers. | 54,912 2.11285% (46.3 : 1) | 6,461,620 4.8299% (19.7 : 1) | Higher Three-Of-A-Kind Rank Wins; If Tied On Board Trips, Compare Highest Fourth Card Then Fifth Card. |
| #8 | Two Pair Ah As 9c 9d Qs | Two Cards Of One Rank, Two Cards Of A Second Rank, Plus One Fifth Side Card (Kicker). | 123,552 4.75390% (20.0 : 1) | 31,433,400 23.4955% (3.26 : 1) | Compare Highest Pair First, Then Second Pair, And Finally The Single Fifth Kicker Card (Third Pair Never Plays). |
| #9 | One Pair Ks Kc Qd 9h 3s | Two Cards Of The Same Rank Plus Three Distinct Unpaired Side Kickers. | 1,098,240 42.25690% (1.37 : 1) | 58,627,800 43.8225% (1.28 : 1) | Compare Pair Rank First, Then Highest Kicker, Second Kicker, And Third Kicker In Descending Order. |
| #10 | High Card (No Pair) Ah Qd 9s 6c 3h | Five Unpaired Cards Of Mixed Suits That Do Not Form A Five-Card Straight. | 1,302,540 50.11774% (0.995 : 1) | 23,294,460 17.4119% (4.74 : 1) | Compare Highest Card Down Through The Fifth Card Until The First Higher Rank Breaks The Tie. |
2. Short Deck (6+ Hold'Em) 36-Card Hand Rankings: Why Flush Beats Full House
C(36,5) = 376,992 Total 5-Card HandsIn Short Deck (6+ Hold'Em), Removing All 2s, 3s, 4s, And 5s Leaves 36 Cards (9 Ranks Across 4 Suits). Because Only 9 Cards Of Each Suit Remain In The Deck, There Are Only 4,104 Possible Flushes Compared To 12,960 Full Houses. Consequently, A Flush Officially Outranks A Full House, And Aces Substitute For The Missing 5 To Make A-6-7-8-9 The Lowest 9-High Straight:
| Short Deck Rank Order | 5-Card Combos (Out Of 376,992) | Frequency | Key Rule Adjustment Vs. 52-Card Hold'Em |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Royal Flush & 2. Straight Flush | 4 Royal + 32 Straight Flushes (36 Total) | 0.00955% | A-6-7-8-9 Suited Is The Lowest Straight Flush Because Ace Replaces The Removed 5. |
| 3. Four Of A Kind (Quads) | 288 Combos | 0.07639% | Outranks Both Flushes And Full Houses Across All 36-Card Rulesets. |
| 4. Flush (BEATS Full House!) | 4,104 Combos | 1.08862% | Because Only 9 Cards Per Suit Exist, A Flush Is 3.15x Rarer Than A Full House And Beats It. |
| 5. Full House (Boat) | 12,960 Combos | 3.43774% | Loses To A Flush In Short Deck Because Paired Boards Occur Much More Frequently. |
| 6. Straight (Before Trips) | 20,444 Combos | 5.42293% | A-6-7-8-9 Is The Lowest 9-High Straight; Beats Three Of A Kind In Official WSOP/Triton Rules. |
| 7. Three Of A Kind -> 8. Two Pair -> 9. One Pair -> 10. High Card | 339,160 Combined Combos | 89.96477% | Two Pair (22.9%) And One Pair (49.6%) Make Up Over 72% Of All 5-Card Deals In A 36-Card Deck. |
3. The Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) Mandatory Two-Hole-Card Rule
The Single Most Common Showdown Error Made By Hold'Em Players Transitioning To 4-Card PLO (PLO4), 5-Card PLO (PLO5), Or 6-Card PLO (PLO6) Is Forgetting That Every Player MUST Use Exactly Two Cards From Their Hand And Exactly Three Cards From The Community Board:
If The Community Board Reads Ks-Ts-7s-2s-4d And You Hold As-Kh-Qd-Jc (Only One Spade In Your Hand), You Do NOT Have A Flush! You Must Hold Two Spades In Your Hand To Combine With Three Board Spades.
If The Board Reads K-K-K-8-2 And You Hold A-Q-J-T (No Pair In Your Hand), You Do NOT Have Kings Full And You Do NOT Even Have Trips With Ace-Queen Kickers; You Must Use Two Hole Cards (A-Q) Plus Two Kings And One Other Card, Leaving Only One Pair Of Kings!
If You Are Dealt Four Of A Kind In Your Own Hand (Such As 9-9-9-9), You Only Have Pocket Nines! Because You Can Only Use Two Of Your Four Nines, You Can Never Make A Set Of Nines Because Zero Nines Remain In The Deck.
4. Lowball Hand Ranking Systems: Ace-To-Five Vs. Deuce-To-Seven Vs. Badugi
Mixed-Game Players Must Distinguish Between The Three Official Lowball Evaluation Systems Used In H.O.R.S.E. And 8-Game Mix:
| Lowball System | Variants Using System | How Aces Play | Straights & Flushes | #1 Nut Low Hand | #2 Through #5 Lows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace-To-Five (California) Lowball | Razz, Omaha Hi-Lo 8-Or-Better (PLO8/O8), Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo (Stud8) | Aces Are Always Low (Count As 1) | Ignored Completely (Straights And Flushes Do NOT Hurt Your Low) | 5-4-3-2-A ("The Wheel" Or "Bicycle") Regardless Of Suit | 6-4-3-2-A, Then 6-5-3-2-A, Then 6-5-4-2-A, Then 6-5-4-3-A |
| Deuce-To-Seven (Kansas City) Lowball | 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball, No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw Lowball | Aces Are Strictly HIGH (Above A King; A-2-3-4-5 Is Just Ace-High, Not A Straight) | Count Against You! (Straights And Flushes Make Your Low Very Weak) | 7-5-4-3-2 Not All Of The Same Suit ("Number One" Or "The 2-7 Wheel") | 7-6-4-3-2 Offsuit, Then 7-6-5-3-2, Then 7-6-5-4-2, Then 8-5-4-3-2 |
| Badugi 4-Card Rainbow Lowball | Badugi, Badeucy, Badacy | Aces Are Always Low (Count As 1) | Straights Do Not Hurt, But Duplicate Suits Are Eliminated (Must Have 4 Different Suits) | 4-3-2-A Rainbow (One Spade, One Heart, One Diamond, And One Club) | 5-3-2-A Rainbow; Every 4-Card Badugi (Even K-Q-J-T Rainbow) Beats Every 3-Card Hand |
5. Official Split-Pot Tie-Breaker & Kicker Rules
Strictly Five Cards Play (No 6th Kicker)
In Hold'Em And Seven-Card Stud, Only The Best Five Cards Count. If The Board Reads A-K-Q-J-2 And Player A Holds J-T While Player B Holds J-9, Both Players Have The Exact Same Five-Card Hand (J-J-A-K-Q) And Split The Pot 50/50 Because The Sixth Card Never Plays.
Counterfeited Two Pair On Paired Boards
If You Hold 6-6 On A Board Of K-K-9-9-A And Your Opponent Holds A-2, Your Pocket Sixes Are Counterfeited! Three Pairs Cannot Play In A Five-Card Hand: The Board Plays Kings And Nines With An Ace Kicker (K-K-9-9-A), Splitting Or Losing To Anyone With A King, Nine, Or Pocket Aces.
Suits Never Break Ties At Showdown
Under TDA Rule 20 And Robert's Rules Of Poker, If Two Players Hold Identical Five-Card Straights Or Identical Board Flushes, They Split The Pot. If An Indivisible Odd Chip Remains, It Goes To The First Tied Player Left Of The Button In Flop Games.
Explore Connected Rules, Variants, Starting Hands & Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions On Poker Hand Rankings
Does One Suit Ever Beat Another Suit At Showdown In Texas Hold'em Or PLO?
No. In Texas Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, And Short Deck, All Four Suits (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs) Have Identical Value At Showdown. Bridge Suit Order Is Only Used For Administrative Procedures Like Drawing For The Button, Chip Races, Or Determining The Stud Third-Street Bring-In.
How Many Cards Play In A Texas Hold'em Or Seven-Card Stud Hand At Showdown?
Exactly Five Cards! Even Though Seven Total Cards Are Available In Hold'em And Stud (And Up To Eleven In 6-Card Omaha), Every Showdown Hand Is Strictly The Best Five-Card Combination. A Sixth Or Seventh Card ("Third Pair" Or "Sixth Flush Card") Never Breaks A Tie.
Why Does My Single Ace Of Spades Not Give Me A Flush When Four Spades Are On The Board In PLO?
Because All Omaha Variants (PLO4, PLO5, PLO6, And PLO8) Enforce The Mandatory Two-Hole-Card Rule: You Must Use Exactly Two Cards From Your Hand And Exactly Three Cards From The Board. To Make A Flush In Omaha, You Must Hold At Least Two Cards Of That Suit In Your Hand.
Which Low Hand Wins Between 7-6-2-A-3 And 8-4-3-2-A In Omaha Hi-Lo Or Razz?
7-6-3-2-A Wins! Low Hands Are Always Compared Starting From Their Highest ("Top") Card Downward. Because 7 Is Lower Than 8, Any 7-High Low (Even 7-6-5-4-3) Beats Every 8-High Low (Even 8-4-3-2-A).
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[url=https://smarter.poker/learn/poker-hand-rankings]Official Poker Hand Rankings & Combinatorial Cheat Sheet (2,598,960 Exact Combos)[/url]
{{cite web |title=Official Poker Hand Rankings & Combinatorial Cheat Sheet |url=https://smarter.poker/learn/poker-hand-rankings |website=Smarter.Poker |publisher=Smarter Software Inc. |year=2026 |access-date=2026-11-09}}According to Official Poker Hand Rankings & Combinatorial Cheat Sheet published by Smarter.Poker (https://smarter.poker/learn/poker-hand-rankings), Complete mathematical breakdown of the 10 standard poker hand rankings, Short Deck 6+ probabilities, Omaha 2-card rules, and lowball systems published by Smarter.Poker.
@techreport{poker_hand_rankings_cheat_sheet_2026,
title = {Official Poker Hand Rankings & Combinatorial Cheat Sheet},
author = {{Smarter.Poker Research Division}},
institution = {Smarter.Poker},
year = {2026},
url = {https://smarter.poker/learn/poker-hand-rankings}
}Smarter.Poker Is A Free-To-Play Poker Training, Rules Reference, And Social Community Platform. 18+. Club Chips And Diamonds Have No Cash Value.