Royal Flush
The is the best possible hand you can get in standard five-card Poker is called a royal flush. This hand consists of an: ace, king, queen, jack and 10, all of the same suit. If you have a royal flush, you’ll want to bet higher because this is a hard hand to beat.
Straight Flush
Any five-card sequence in the same suit (e.g., 8, 9, 10, Jack and Queen of clubs; or 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of diamonds). If another player has a flush, they can beat yours if their cards are a higher number than yours.
Four of a Kind
All four cards of the same value (e.g., 8, 8, 8, 8; or Queen, Queen, Queen, Queen) is known as a four of a kind. It’s hard to draw a four of a kind which makes it a very good hand.
Full House
Three of a kind combined with a pair (e.g., 10, 10, 10 with 6, 6; or King, King, King with 5, 5) is called a full house.
Flush
Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence (e.g., 4, 5, 7, 10 and King of spades) are referred to as a flush.
Straight
Five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit (e.g., 7 of clubs, 8 of clubs, 9 of diamonds, 10 of spades and Jack of diamonds) is known as a straight.
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same value (e.g., 3, 3, 3; or Jack, Jack, Jack). While this is a lower ranking hand, it’s more commonly pulled than flushes or full houses. When you’re betting, it’s good to remember what hands are most the most common.
Two Pair
Naming conventions in poker are pretty easy, for example, two separate pairs (e.g., 2, 2, Queen, Queen) is known as a two pair.
Pair
Two cards of the same value are known as a pair (e.g., 7, 7).
High Card
If a Poker hand contains none of the above combinations, it’s valued by the highest card in it.
A Note About Bluffing
Whether you’re playing for real money or not, poker is by nature a game of gambling. With each hand, you must decide if you’re going to bet or not. You can fold at any point before being told to show your cards. If you fold, you lose any chance of winning the pot. After each player is dealt their cards, then the bluffing begins. Other players will be studying your body language trying to figure out your hand. It’s up to you to decide what emotions you want to portray. A good poker player knows how to hide her true feelings about her hand. If you have a weaker hand, it might be a good idea to act overconfident and cocky in an attempt to get the other players to fold. If your hand is strong, you could act nervous in the hopes that the other players will bet more to increase your potential winnings. This kind of behavior is called bluffing and it’s a fun part of poker games.
