From best to worst, the five-card hands in Texas Hold 'Em and most other high-ball poker games are ranked below. All five cards in the hand are used to break ties:
- Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in consecutive numeric sequence. The best Straight Flush is the A-K-Q-J-10 of a suit, also called a Royal Flush.
- Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same denomination. E.g., 8-8-8-8-2.
- Full House: Three cards of one denomination and two of another. E.g., 8-8-8-2-2.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Between flushes, the highest card wins, comparing each set of cards in turn. E.g., A-Q-5-3-2 of clubs beats A-J-9-5-3.
- Straight: Five cards in consecutive numeric sequence. The ace is part of the both the lowest straight (5-4-3-2-A) and the highest straight (A-K-Q-J-10, also called a Royal Straight).
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same denomination. E.g., 8-8-8-5-2.
- Two Pairs: Two cards of one denomination and two cards of another denomination. When multiple players have two pairs, the top pairs are compared first and then the bottom pairs. E.g., A-A-7-7-3 beats both A-A-6-6-K and K-K-Q-Q-J. A-A-7-7-3 is read as "Aces over 7s", "Aces and 7s", or just "Aces up".
- Pair: Two cards of the same denomination. E.g., 8-8-6-5-2.
- High Card: A card with no pair, three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, straight, or flush. Between hands that have just a high card, the highest card wins, comparing each set of cards in turn. E.g., A-8-7-5-2 beats A-8-6-5-2.