Poker is becoming increasingly popular with more and more people not only playing the game but also watching television programs like the world series of poker. In this article, I describe the order in which poker hands are ranked, starting with the highest and also the probability that players have of being dealt that particular hand.

A straight flush

This is the best hand you can obtain and is the dream cards for any poker player. That is not to say that you always win a lot of chips with this hand and most players will tend to slow play this type of hand in an attempt to trap their opponent.

A straight flush is five cards of the same suit in a sequence. The higher the top card, the higher the ranking of that hand. Therefore ten, jack, queen, king, ace, which is often known as a royal flush is the best hand in poker.

The probability of this hand is around one in sixty five thousand.

Four of a kind

This is where you have four cards of the same rank or number which are the same. As with the above the higher the rank of the four cards, the higher the value. Therefore four aces are the highest rank of all of the possible four of a kinds.

The probability of this hand is around one in four thousand, one hundred and sixty five.

Full house

A full house is where you have three cards of one rank or number and two cards of another rank. As with the above, the higher the rank of these two sets, the higher the value. Therefore if you have three aces and two kings you will have the highest rank of flush. To explain it in even more simpler terms, the one with the highest ranking set of three cards, wins.

The probability of this hand is around one in six hundred and ninety four.

Flush

This is where you have five cards of the same suit but not in a sequence. A flush which includes an ace has the highest value. If there are two hands on the table which both have a flush with an ace, it then goes to the second highest card to see who wins etc.

The probability of this hand is around one in five hundred and nine.

Straight

This is where you have five cards in sequence which are in different suites. The highest straight is again the one which has the highest card at the top.

The probability of this hand is around one in two hundred and fifty five.

Three of a kind

This is the same as the four of the kind explanation apart from the fact that this is where you have three cards of the same rank or number.

The probability of this hand is around one in forty seven.

Two pairs

This is where you have two cards of one rank and two cards of another. There is also an odd card which can sometimes come into play.

If there are two players on the table with two pairs the highest ranking pair wins. If both players have the same highest ranking pair, the highest second ranking pair wins. If both players have the same set of two pairs, it is the one with the highest odd card that wins.

The probability of this hand is around one in 21.

One pair

This is where you only have two cards of the same rank. When two players on the table have the same pair, the other three cards come into play, with the highest card winning etc.

The probability of this hand is around one in 2.4.

High card

This is where you basically have nothing but a high card. When two players on the same table have just a high card, the one with the highest card wins etc.

The probability of this hand is around one in two.

I hope this has explained the rankings of the different poker hands to you and made it a bit more easier to understand.

Poker is a great game to play, be careful however only to bet what you can afford to lose.

I personally prefer to play on the internet rather than in the casino. I basically play for fun, and merely hope to make some extra money for myself.

I am quite a patient player who is willing to wait for a good hand to come. I think this is an important skill to have in poker and it has helped me to do quite well over the last twelve months.

One small tip is to avoid playing poker when you are drunk. Maybe it is just me but I always seem to play with a lot more aggression and less patience, when I am quite drunk. This may work for some people but always seems to end up with me losing quite a lot of money.

Lets take a look at a situation that some online players find irresistible, and this situation is playing hands just for the color. Why they do it is pretty simple: they look nice all rounded up and with the same color and they will surely bring the player fabulous winnings. But they wont, you need luck to get a flush just out of two cards. They play for instance and Ace or a king along with any kicker just because they are from the same suit. Many even cross this line, and they think that anything is worth playing if the two cards share the same color.

You looking back at your game you find that you also can be help responsible for these kinds of hands, even when you find yourself in early position, then you must really rethink your way of playing. Lets take a look at the odds you get a flush right out of the flop. So, to have a flush them you must have in your hand two card of one color, and next to this, the three cards dealt in the flop must be all three of the exact same color as the ones you are holding. The chances for that to happen are under 1%. They are actually about 0.85%. That means something like 118 to 1. Very low chances. So, even now when you know this you might still play lets say an Ace with any suited card because you hope you will get a flush along with the flop or on the river. But, usually you have to waste lots of money to test this. And saying that you do have a flush, you can not be sure that you have the winning hand. Maybe another player tried it too and he has a flush also, only with better cards than yours.

I know that everyone finds it hard to give up this method but if you want to be successful you must give it up. Just think of it as it is a bad think, that will surely make you lose money and this way you might be able to give it up.

To stop yourself from doing this mistake again just set an objective not to play this hands for 10 poker sessions from now one. Take a pen and a paper and note down every hand you will throw that fits this description. And fold but continue watching the game. In the end do some calculus and see if you could have won that hand. Include all the bets you would have made to win it, how much money you would have spent on that hand and how much you would eventually win.

Repeat this for every hand. And after 10 poker sessions, add all the figures up. And surprisingly you will realize that it was a right decision, that you saved money and this will convince you too be more careful with hands of two suited cards.

Poker is all about winning, but losing as well. And when he loses, a player gets decepted. Bluffing is a typical poker method. The reason you bluff is obvious: you want to trick the others, making them think you have a better hand than the one you do, and even a better hand than they do. If you want your bluff to be successful, you need to actually persuade the others that you have better cards. Players without experience love to bluff. They would do it all the time. And that leads them to bankruptcy. The efficiency of a bluff is sometimes increased by situations and it is closely related to the information you have about the others that are playing with you. Its difficult to give specific situations when bluffing works, because it depends on peoples reactions and they can often be unpredictable.

When it comes to online poker playing, some situations just ask for a bluff.

1. When you are playing against just a few players.

Its actually quite simple to understand, and as you know fewer people are easier to trick. When there are just a few hands, odds tell us that the chances for a good hand are low and you can go ahead and bluff. But experienced players know that you can bluff in this situation, so they might go ahead and call you till the end. Its tricky as is bluffing always and you should try it only when you play with persons you are familiar with.

2. When you play beside tight persons.

Tight players will go along with bidding only if they have something they usually fold when they have nothing, or they make small bets. If you bluff early and the others are still calling your bets, then it is probable that they really do have something and maybe you should stop bluffing because they can stick to their cards.

3. When the last card is dealt, on the river.

You can bluff here because the ones that really have bad hand will fold, they have to other chance of improving their hand. If you got this far without bluffing you probably have something, like an Ace or a low pair, and the bluffing you are about to pull off its actually semi-bluffing.

4. When you are last and every one else checked.

If they all checked, this means their hands are not that great at all. Be aware because you will force some to make the bid, but some will probably fold. You might need to make this a persistent bluff, betting and raising bets a few times, because the bluff is common and others expect it.

5. When you placed a bet early but didnt get the cards.
Of course, if they see you are still betting they will think you found the cards you need on the table. It is fairly risky and there are no patters for this, you just have to feel the table and analyze the cards and odds accordingly.

6. When the others fear you.

If you just won a good hand or some consecutive less important hands, then they know you can really play. If they type Nice hand they are now in your power, they respect and fear your hands. They are likely to fold if you raise the bet, only if you play this bluff the same way you played the winning hands.

7. When the cards in the flop are bad.
It is possible that players will fold when they see bad flops. If the flop has three rainbow cards that dont match at all, like for instance: 5, 8, and 2 most likely no one has anything. So try to bluff, but pay attention to the reaming two cards. If they are also low, go on with it.

When using any of these bluffing strategies, think about the fact that other players might know them too and because of that they might see that you are bluffing. But bluff only against players you are familiar with to have better chances of succeeding.