Casino games are not all the same. You can start playing online slots instantly with minimal strategy. However, to become a successful poker player, you must be a student first. Are you the Texas Hold’em fish who barely understands poker? Well, then there’s a high chance that everyone at the table is trying to make some serious money off of you. You don’t need to feel like a deer in headlights next time you approach a poker table, though; we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn how Texas Hold’em hand rankings work so you can bring your A-game to your next online poker game.

The story of Texas Hold’em poker

Texas Hold’em is one of the most popular poker variations, enjoyed by millions of players around the world. From humble origins in Robstown, Texas, in the early 20th century, the game spread to Las Vegas and featured in the first World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament in 1970. If you watch or have learned about the WSOP, you’ll know that players enjoyed the game so much that Texas Hold’em pushed out traditional draw poker variants to become the WSOP Main Event the following year. It’s stayed that way ever since. 

Today, Texas Hold’em offers one of the best online poker experiences you can find and the reason is simple. As pioneering poker player Crandell Addington once said, “Draw poker, you bet only twice; Hold ’em, you bet four times. That meant you could play strategically. This was more of a thinking man’s game.”
Don’t let that intimidate you. You don’t need to be a seasoned poker player to enjoy Texas Hold’em poker. You can play poker online with opponents of every skill level. Before you do, let’s give you a quick hold’em crash course on poker rules and hand rankings to give you a solid foundation. With this post and the Borgata online poker guide, you’ll be a formidable opponent the next time you play casino table games.

How to play Texas Hold’em poker

At the beginning of a Texas Hold’em game, the dealer will deal cards to every player on the table. Each poker player receives two “hole cards” or “pocket cards” that nobody else can see. A betting round follows, after which the “flop” occurs. The flop is when three community cards are dealt on the board face-up. After that (“post flop”), there’s a second betting round. Then comes the “turn,” when a fourth community card is dealt, followed by a third betting round. The fifth and final community card is then dealt on the “river.” After that comes the fourth and last betting round. 

Finally, the showdown stage is when players use any five cards from their hole cards and the community cards to play their best five-card hand in a bid to win the pot. To succeed in the showdown, you need to understand Texas Hold’em hand rankings so you can bet wisely and make the best combination. 

With a firm grasp on ranking, it’s easy to implement poker tournament tips and strategies. Let’s look at the universal poker hand ranking system. 

Texas Hold’em hand rankings explained

So how do you know if you’ve got the winning hand? This is where poker hand ranking comes in. Luckily, even though different poker variants might have different rules, they still follow the same hand rankings and reward the player with the best hand with the pot. There are over 2.5 million unique five-card hands; thankfully, they can all be divided into 10 categories. Here are the Texas Hold’em poker hand categories, from weakest to strongest.

High card

If your hand contains five cards that can’t be combined, your hand is worth the highest-ranking card (2 being the lowest and ace the highest.) For instance, if you’ve got ace–queen–8–5–2, your hand is an “ace-high.” If comparing two high cards ends in a draw, the second highest-ranking cards will be compared to find a winner. 

One pair

A one-pair hand consists of only one pair and three unpaired cards. If all players have one pair, the highest pair wins. In a draw, the highest-ranking unpaired cards are compared. .

Two pair

If you have two cards with the same rank (e.g., 2–2) and another two different cards with the same rank (e.g., 7–7,) you have two pairs. This hand will beat a one-pair hand.

Three of a kind

Also known as trips, a three-of-a-kind hand is when you have any three cards of the same rank (e.g., jack–jack–jack) with two unpaired cards. The hand becomes a full house if the two cards are a pair. 

Straight

Five unsuited cards in sequence (e.g., 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen) form a straight. An ace can help you build two straights (e.g., ace–2–3–4–5 and 10–jack–queen–king–ace.) Aces can only be part of a consecutive straight hand if they are at the end of the sequence. A hand with an ace in the center of the sequence (e.g., king, queen, ace, 2, 3) does not count as a straight.

Flush

You have a flush if you have five cards of the same suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades). They don’t have to be in sequence.

Full house

Combine three of a kind with a pair to form a flush (e.g., king–king–king + ace–ace.) The odds of drawing a full house are 1 in 694. 

Four of a kind

Also known as quads, four of a kind consists of four cards of the same rank (e.g. 4–4–4–4.)

Straight flush

A straight flush is five cards in sequence (a straight) in the same suit. This makes it a flush. An example of a straight flush is a hand with 2–3–4–5–6 of diamonds.

Royal flush

A royal flush is 10–jack–queen–king–ace in the same suit. It’s the strongest of all Texas Hold’em poker hands, but the odds of drawing it are 1 in 64,767. If you get this hand in a poker tournament, then you’ve truly struck gold. But don’t let a favorable hand stray you from your strategy, especially post flop. Keep the do’s and don’ts for playing strong hands post flop in mind at all times.

How to find a winner when poker hands are the same

If you commit these hand rankings to memory, you’ll be able to figure out most hold’em situations. But what happens if you and another player have the same type of hand? The key is to start from the top. 

If you have a pair of aces and your opponent has a pair of queens, your aces win. Similarly, if you have a pair of 3s and your opponent has a pair of 2s, your 3s win. In a two-pair situation, the top pair is the deciding factor. For example, king–king–2–2 beats queen–queen–jack–jack. When it comes to a full house, the highest three-of-a-kind combination wins the day. When comparing straight versus straight or flush versus flush, the combination with the highest card comes out on top. For example, a straight of 6–7–8–9–10 beats 4–5–6–7–8, while a flush of 2–4–6–7–ace beats 5–7–9–queen–king.

Sometimes you’ll find that you and your opponent have exactly the same hand – say, a pair of kings and a pair of 8s. To resolve this situation, you need to compare kickers. A kicker is a card that doesn’t form part of any combination. If you’re holding king–king–8–8–ace, the kicker is the ace. If your opponent’s hand is king–king–8–8–5, their kicker is 5 – and you win.

Feeling lucky? Knowledge is just information until you use it in a real game. You don’t need years of experience to play poker like the pros. With Borgata Online, you have access to hundreds of online casino games and daily tournaments. 

Play poker online with Borgata Online

Now that you know how poker hand ranking works, why not play live poker online? A Borgata Online account gives you access to over 70 daily poker tournaments and games. Our live dealer casino online offers a wide variety of live table games with professional dealers. Register to explore our impressive catalog of games.