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Poker : The strength of a hand

In Poker, players construct hands of five cards according to predetermined rules, which vary according to the precise variant of poker being played. These hands are compared using a standard ranking system, and the player with the highest-ranking hand wins that particular deal. Although used primarily in poker, these hand rankings are also used in other card games, and with poker dice.

he strength of a hand is increased by having multiple cards of the same value, all the cards being from the same suit, or having all the cards with consecutive values. The position of the various possible hands is based on the probability of being randomly dealt such a hand from a well-shuffled deck.

The following general rules apply to evaluating poker hands, whatever set of hand values are used.

• Individual cards are ranked A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Aces only appear low when part of an A-2-3-4-5 straight or straight flush. Individual card ranks are used to compare hands that contain no pairs or other special combinations, or to compare the kickers of otherwise equal hands. The ace only plays low in ace-to-five and ace-to-six lowball games, and only plays high in deuce-to-seven lowball.
• Suits have no value. The suits of the cards are mainly used in determining whether a hand fits a certain category (specifically the flush and straight flush hands). In most variants, if two players have hands that are identical except for suit, then they are tied and split the pot (so 3? 4? 5? 6? 7? does not beat 3? 4? 5? 6? 7?). Sometimes a ranking called high card by suit is used for randomly selecting a player to deal. Low card by suit usually determines the bringin bettor in stud games.
• A hand always consists of five cards. In games where more than five cards are available to each player, each player must choose some five-card subset according to the rules of the game, and comparing that five-card hand against the five-card hands of the other players. Whatever cards remain after choosing the five to be played are of no consequence in determining the winner.
• Hands are ranked first by category, then by individual card ranks: even the lowest qualifying hand in a certain category defeats all hands in all lower categories. The smallest two pair hand (2? 2? 3? 3? 4?), for example, defeats all hands with just one pair or high card. Only between two hands in the same category are card ranks used to break ties.

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