Section II: Part 1 Rules of the Game

Poker Hands: Highest to Lowest

Royal Flush (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10. All of the same suit)
Straight Flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit)
Four of a Kind
Full House (three of a kind and one pair)
Flush (five cards of the same suit)
Straight (five consecutive cards)
Three of a Kind
Two Pairs
One Pair
High Card

In the case of equal hands (such as two players with pairs of threes), the winner is decided by the "kicker". The kicker is the highest ranking card that is not part of the hand. A player with this hand

is considered to have a pair of eights with a king kicker.

Examples and Explanations of Hands

Royal Flush

This is the most valuable hand in all of poker. A Royal Flush is composed of 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit. It's the toughest hand to get.

Examples:

HAND 1:

HAND 2:

Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is comprised of five cards in numerical order, all of the same suit. It's not allowed to "wrap around," such as Q-K-A-2-3. This is also very rare. If you get two of these in a row, you are cheating. If there are two Straight Flushes at the table, then whichever hand's Straight Flush reaches the highest card value wins. So in the examples below, Hand 2 (which has a King) would beat Hand 1 (which only goes up to 8).

Examples:

HAND 1:

HAND 2:

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same numerical rank and another random card. If there are two or more hands that qualify, the hand with the highest-ranking Four of a Kind wins. In the examples below, Hand 2 would beat Hand 1.

Examples:

HAND 1:

HAND 2:

Full House

Of the five cards in your hand, three have the same numerical rank, and the two remaining card also have the same numerical rank. Ties are broken first by the Three of a Kind, then the Pair. So K-K-K-3-3 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A, which beats Q-Q-Q-7-7.

Examples:

HAND 1:

HAND 2:

Flush

A Flush is comprised of five cards of the same suit, regardless of their numerical rank. In a tie, whoever has the highest ranking card wins. In the example below, Hand 1 (with a King) beats Hand 2 (with a Queen).

Examples:

HAND 1:

HAND 2:

Straight

Five cards in numerical order, regardless of their suits. Just like with the Straight Flush, a Straight cannot "wrap around." In a tie, whoever's Straight goes to a higher ranking card wins (so in the examples below, Hand 1 beats Hand 2).

Examples:

HAND 1: