To win at poker, you need luck on your side, but you also need to know the basics of the game. Since it is a card game, everything revolves around the card. The cards that the players have in their hands during the game are called hands, and it is the combination with the community cards that the dealer puts on the table that determines the value of the hand. To help you in this quest, discover the hands in order of importance.
The strength of a hand
Players who make a lot of money in poker are those who know the value and strength of the hands. You have to take other players into account because if they play their hands, it means that they are probably good, especially if there are several of you playing. However, if there are only two of you, the odds are less. For example, if you have a pair of Aces, you have a good hand against one player, but if there are several of you, there are even more valuable combinations. You have to refer to the style of play of the opponents: do they always play their hands? Are they still bluffing?… This is where you will implement your own strategy.
The different hands in poker
In this section you will see the hands from the most valuable to the least valuable. They are :
The royal straight flush
It is the strongest hand of all. If you have a combination of AS, king, queen, jack and 10 and they all come from the same suit, you win the game for sure. It can be a heart, spades, clubs or diamonds.
Straight flush
It’s the second best hand you can have. It consists of five cards that are consecutive but must always be of the same suit. For example, Jack, 10, 9, 8 and 7. If two players have a straight flush, the player with the highest card wins. For example, against the hand dealt higher, the other player has Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, the jack wins.
The Four of a Kind
It is a combination of four cards of the same rank. For example four kings, four jacks or four tens. The principle is the same, if two players have a four of a kind, the player with the higher rank wins. But if both players have the same squares, what can happen is that the fifth card counts.
Full house
It is a combination of a triple and a pair. That is, 3 cards of the same rank and 2 other cards of the same rank. For example, three kings and two jacks.
The suit
You must have five cards of the same suit, i.e. five cards of diamonds, hearts, spades or clubs and it does not matter what the value of your cards is. For example, a king, queen, 10, 3 and 2 of clubs. If two players have the same suits, the player with the highest card wins.
Straight
The combination is the same as for the royal flush but the colour is different. You can then have a jack of hearts, a 10 of clubs, a 9 of hearts, an 8 of diamonds and a 7 of spades. Here it is the value of the cards that counts.
Three of a kind
It is a combination of 3 cards of the same rank. For example, 3 cards of 5.
The double pair
As its name indicates, you must have two pairs of the same value or colour. Anything is possible.
The pair
This is the least valuable combination of all.
If you want to win at poker, you now have the tracks to do so. All you have to do is become familiar with all the combinations and understand their value. It is also important to analyse other players.
