Hand Chart Poker: What are the best hands in poker?

Poker is, without a doubt, one of the most popular games and pastimes in the world. Hundreds and thousands of gamers play poker online these days where Royal Flushes, Full Houses and all sorts of winning combinations have landed players some great prizes. It’s important to understand the poker hand rankings to ensure you play the game to your advantage.

Starting with the most important hand chart poker has to offer, we have all of the possible hands you could win with in order of best to worst. The Royal Flush, which is a run of Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, that are all of the same suit, sits right at the very top of the table. As the poker ranking card shows, the Straight Flush is second best, with Four of a Kind following afterwards.

It’s a good idea to look out for advantageous cards in your hand, for example, suited connectors (consecutive cards of the same suit) can increase your odds of achieving a straight or flush. Equally, if you already have a pair of cards in your hand, like two aces or kings, you’ll be in a strong position. For example, a full house beats a flush, and a four of a kind is the third best hand in the game.

Using a hand chart can be helpful for new players who are still learning the game, as it can help them make more informed decisions about which hands to play and which to fold. However, it's important to note that hand charts are not set in stone and should be used as a general guide rather than a strict rule. Experienced players may deviate from the hand chart based on factors like position, stack sizes, and opponent tendencies.

How you use these hands is, of course, up to the player, with online poker allowing you to potentially bluff a hand as average as a Two Pair all the way to a big jackpot, providing you’ve got the nerve.

Once the final card or cards are unveiled, poker players have the chance to bet or check and match the bets already placed. Our theoretical player might fancy taking the risk that their existing three-of-a-kind will win as a strong hand in poker in its own right, whilst also being hopeful that the hand could still improve.

Your position at the table could influence how you play. If you are in an early position or middle position at the table, you do not have as much information about the other players. Playing later in the order gives you the advantage of seeing your opponents’ strategies and potentially getting an idea of what hands they might hold.

These constant sums and weighing up of odds, not only of your hands to play but also of what other players might have, are what makes poker games so captivating.

Best order of hands in poker

Learn more about poker

Any of the above hands could be a really strong start to a round. Check our advanced poker strategy for some tips and tricks on how to navigate these hands, be that during online poker or poker played in a brick-and-mortar casino.