If you are approaching the game of Texas hold'em for the first time, starting from the basic rules of the game is key. The number of possible situations and combinations is so vast that Texas hold'em can be an extremely complex game when you play at the highest levels. However, don't let the simplicity of the game mislead you. It takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.ĭiscovering how to play Texas hold'em poker is not difficult and the simplicity of its rules, gameplay, and hand-ranking all contribute to the popularity of the game. Texas hold'em is so popular that is the only poker game many players will ever learn. The strongest hand in poker is called a Royal Straight Flush, or just a Royal Flush, and it is made out of 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of a matching suit.Texas Hold'em is the most popular of all poker variations.Īll of the marquee tournaments around the world (including those played at the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, the and the European Poker Tour) feature the no-limit variation of this game. The suit of the Straight Flush is irrelevant, unless used to break a tie (multiple Straight Flushes in different suits are only possible in non-flop games, in which case the ranking of suits, from best to worst, is spades, hearts, diamonds, then clubs). Hand Description One pairing of the same card.īecause Straight Flushes are ranked by the highest card in the combo, the hand 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (a 9-high Straight Flush) will lose to the hand 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (a Jack-high Straight Flush). Hand Description Two different pairings or sets of the same card in one hand. Hand Description Three of one card and two non-paired cards. Hand Description Five cards in numerical order, but not of the same suit. Hand Description Five cards, all in one suit, but not in numerical order. Hand Description A pair plus three of a kind in the same hand. Hand Description The same card in each of the four suits. Hand Description Five cards in a row, all in the same suit. Hand Description 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace all in the same suit. The ranking is based on the highest card in the combination, so the best possible Straight Flush would be Ace-high (making it a Royal Flush). In fact, a Straight Flush can only be beaten by another Straight Flush. How Much Money Can You Make Playing Poker?Ī Straight Flush ranks as the top winning poker hand.

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