It is a fundamental requirement of playing poker that the player understands poker hand rankings, i.e. the order of priority of different hands. As well as being required to determine who has won a particular pot, it is also necessary to understand the hands which other players might be representing and therefore whether you think you can beat them.

Do you like casino games and wonder if you could play at online casinos for some real winnings? It’s a tempting proposition — just wager a few bucks and win a fortune. And everyday many people try to live that dream. But let’s talk about applying some logic to that Online Poker real money game strategy. Yes, you could put a few dollars into a progressive slot game and win millions, but you could also run out of money quickly. If you want to play at online casinos for real money, you want to know the best and worst games as far as player edge.

Different poker hands ranked are listed below in order of priority,

1. Royal flush – top of the poker hand rankings is the royal flush, being Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 suited.

2. Straight flush – this is 5 consecutive suited cards, e.g. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of spades. This particular example is a straight to the 7, which would be beaten by a straight to the 8.

3. Four of a kind – this is simply 4 cards of the same value, e.g. 4 Jacks. Note that 4 Queens would beat 4 Jacks.

4. Full house – a triplet (3 cards of the same value) and a pair (2 cards of the same value), e.g. 3 Queens and a pair of 7s.

5. Flush – any 5 cards of the same suit.

6. Straight – any 5 consecutive cards which are not suited (since, if they were suited, the hand would be a straight flush).

7. 3 of a kind – very simply, triplets (3 cards of the same value). 3 Aces beat 3 Kings.

8. 2 pair – also very simply, this is 2 separate pairs. Note that there is no better position in the poker hand rankings for 3 pairs, since this is a total of 6 cards and only your best 5 count.

9. Pair – simply 2 cards of the same value and, as usual, a high value pair beats a lower value pair.

10. High card – bottom of the poker hand rankings is the high card. This is simply the highest card from a hand of 5 that has not placed any better combination. So an Ace, 10, 6, 4 and 3 off suit would be called Ace high.

When calculating who has won a particular hand remember that it is only the best 5 cards that count – if 2 players draw with these 5 cards it does not go to who has got the strongest sixth card, and the pot is split. If you are struggling to maintain the importance of poker hand rankings then using a free download poker calculator is a great option. The tools will sit alongside your chosen poker room and provide guidance on which hand to play in each situation.

Poker hand rankings are one of the most important aspects of any poker game. When playing online poker, especially fast online poker games such as Texas Holdem Poker, you need to be able to quickly discern which cards are needed to create a better poker hand.

Beginners often find themselves losing their first few games by not being able to identify which cards offer the best opportunities to build a really strong hand. It’s fairly simple to understand the poker hand rankings if you just take a little time to study them.

Remember that when you’re playing Texas Hold’em poker you are trying to create the best 5-card poker hand from a total of 7 cards. There are 2 hole or pocket cards and 5 communal cards. You may use any combination to create your best hand. You may even use all five communal cards.