Poker Guide for Making the Winning Hand

Want to learn how to make a killer poker hand? Well, this poker guide has your back. In the game of live poker, all action begins after a player is dealt a hand. But as you may know, not all poker hands that the live dealer dishes out are playable.

So, this poker guide will provide you with a complete rundown of all poker hand basics to give you a headstart each time you want to play the game.

What is a poker hand and how is it made?

According to the game’s rules, poker involves assembling a specific combination of cards. Usually, ranking cards in a particular order and suit can create multiple hands, as you’ll learn later on. As expected, the harder it is to create a specific hand, the stronger the hand is. Also, stronger hands usually have better payouts.

That said, you’ll mostly find 5-card poker variants on your favorite live casino. In this game, you’ll get five cards, which you’ll use to form combinations. Then, the live dealer also gets their five cards which they’ll use to create a hand. In the end, the two hands compare, with the stronger one carrying the day.

In addition, you can also find the 3-card variant. Here, the gameplay is quite similar to the 5-card poker game. The only difference is that gamers get three cards, making it impossible to create some hands.

And of course, there is the 2-card variant, chiefly Texas Hold’em. In this game, players are dealt two cards with five community cards at the table’s center. Essentially, players can use the five community cards at will to create a winning combo.

Most common poker-hand rankings

In this section, you’ll learn poker hand rankings, starting from the strongest.

Royal flush

The royal flush is the best possible live poker hand you can create. It involves creating five sequential cards of a similar suit. Usually, it consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. Players can also create a hand of 7, 8, 9, and 10 Hearts plus a Jack.

Straight flush

Sometimes, you can create five sequential cards of a similar suit bar the royal flush. In that case, you’ll have made a straight flush. This hand can only be bettered by another high-ranking straight flush or a royal flush.

Four of a kind

As the name hints, this hand features four similar value cards of varying suits. For instance, you can land four Aces of Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs. The fifth card or the “kicker” is then used to determine the winning hand in case of a draw.

Full House

A 5-card card hand should have a pair of same value cards and three similar value cards. However, the two and three of a kind should be of different suits. In case of a tie, the hand with the strongest three of a kind carries the day.

Flush

In a flush, players only need to land five cards of a similar suit without bothering about the order. So, for example, a hand with 4, 8, 6, 7, and 2 Spades is a flush. But if more than one player has a flush, the strongest poker hand is the winner.

Straight

A straight is a hand featuring five sequential cards of different suits. But in this case, an Ace can be a 1 or sit above the king.

Three of a kind

Landing three of a kind is getting a poker hand featuring three cards of similar rank but with varying suits. The remaining “kickers” are then used to know the winner in case of a tie.

Two pairs

To create two pairs, poker players need to land a hand with two pairs of matching cards. For example, two 9s and two 8s make up a two-pair hand. If the result is a tie, the higher value pair is the winner. And if push comes to shove, the kicker determines the game outcome.

Pair

In a pair hand, players must land a pair of the same value cards but of varying suits. If two players have the same couple, the three kickers will determine the winner in descending order.

High card

Also known as “nothing,” the hand with the highest total value wins. Basically, it’s applied if there is no winning combination discussed above. Again, a comparison is made in descending order.

Conclusion

After reading this poker guide, creating a winning hand should be easier. But before going all in, know that different poker variants have varying rules concerning the Ace. Also, the card suits have similar strengths. So, if you and the dealer get a flush with irregular suits, the game will result in a tie. Have a try!