Probably the best known and most popular card game in the world is and remains poker. This applies to both the land-based casino as well as the online casino that is getting more popular and attracts more people. But people also like to play poker extensively at home. Ultimately, however, it does not matter where poker is played, because in the end it is always the hand in hand that decides. Of course, the question arises as to which cards are used to win a poker tournament.
What is the value of the hand in your hand?
The wealth of variants regarding the different types of poker in the world is very large. As well as the popularity of the card game that made normal people rich when they got a lucky hand. Accordingly, the individual poker games function differently. For example, there are variants in which the player has only two cards face down, which are then combined with the revealed cards in the center of the table. This variant is called hole cards. There are also variants in which the player receives five cards face down or even seven cards. However, all variants have one thing in common: the highest hand is always decisive for winning. To do this, you need to know exactly the different poker hands.
The different card combinations and their meaning
Royal Flush
The Royal Flush is the card combination that usually stands for a sure win of the poker round. The Royal Flush is made up of a straight of 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of one suit. If several players have a royal flush in their hand, the pot is divided among the players.
Straight Flush
The straight flush is also a straight. It is made up of consecutive cards of the same suit. Unlike the royal flush, the straight flush does not start with a 10, but with a card below it. If two players have a straight flush on their poker hand, the poker hand with the higher cards wins in this case. However, the pot is split if the players have the same card values.
Four of a kind
Translated, this means: four of a kind. The name already reveals that four equal values are needed here, for example four nines, four kings, etc.. These are then quadruplets or Four of a Kind in English. The player can only win if no other player has a higher value on the poker hand. If more than one player has four of a kind, the player with the highest value wins again.
Full House
Many people already know the full house from other card or dice games. It consists of a pair and three of a kind. This means that two and three identical cards of different suits are meant here. If more than one player has a full house on their poker hand, then the higher values of the triple are looked at first and then the value of the pair. So the full house with three queens and two sevens wins before the one with three tens and two aces.
Flush
Also among the good poker hands is the flush, although it is not quite as high-ranking as a straight or royal flush. If you have five cards of the same suit in your hand, you have a flush. This means that a player must have five cards of spades, hearts, diamonds or clubs in his hand. If more than one player comes up with a flush, the value of the cards again decides.
Straight
Unlike the straight or the royal flush, there is also a simple straight, which is also called a straight. This straight is not formed by the same suit of cards. The straight is ranked 6th in the poker ranking. The straight can be formed with any consecutive card values. Here the Ace has a very special value. It can be used both as the smallest value, for example, in the sequence with 2,3,4,5 the ace would then be the 1, or in a straight that looks like this, 10, Jack, Queen, King, then the ace would be at the end. This means that the ace can be used as the lowest as well as the highest value.
Three of a kind
Three of a kind is the 7th card in the poker rankings, with three cards of equal value. If more than one player has three of a kind on their poker hand, the first and then the second card is decisive.
Two pairs
Two pairs means, as the name already suggests, that here two pairs of cards decide on the win. Again, it would be conceivable that several players have this hand. In this case the highest pair of a hand decides. However, if this value is the same, then the value of the remaining pair decides. Should all cards show the same values, then the side card ultimately decides.
Pair
Even though the poker hand you are holding is only a pair, it is still a valuable hand, even if it is already ranked lower. Two cards of the same value form a pair. If there is more than one pair of the same value, it is again the side card that decides in the end.
High Card
Not always during a poker round also automatically a player must have the already mentioned poker hands. If, so to speak, all players simply have bad cards, then the highest card decides. Here, of course, the ace is the card with the highest value. It is followed by the king, queen, jack and so on. Again, it can happen that several players have the same high card. In this case, the side cards are compared. The player with the highest cards wins.
Card suits and the value
As mentioned at the beginning, there are many different poker variants, which accordingly also bring different rules with them. Nevertheless, the described poker hands are always the same. However, there are also so-called stud games, in which the suit of the cards is also decisive. Here the English alphabet plays an important role in measuring the value. Thus the spade (Spades) has the highest value. This is followed by hearts (Hearts), diamonds (Diamonds) and finally clubs (Clubs).