By: Andy Fullard
Submitted: 2009-04-30 10:46:04 | Word Count: 537
When you are playing poker the object of the game is to create the best hand you can by using the five community cards on the table and your own hole cards. The hole cards are the two cards dealt out to you personally and no one else can see them. If the cards dealt out on to the table make up the highest hand the players still left in the game split the pot.
The Holdem poker hands you can make up and are listed below.
1: The royal flush.
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This is the highest hand you can get when playing Holdem poker, the hand is made up of an Ace, king, queen, jack and 10. All of the cards have to be of the same suit.
2: The straight flush.
The straight flush is the second strongest poker hand; it must consist of cards of the same suit and in running order, if two or more players have a straight flush the one with the highest wins.
3: Four of a kind.
Any four cards of the same value make up this hand. Four aces is the highest hand and then it goes from kings down to two’s.
4: Full house.
A full house is made up of 3 of one and 2 of the other. This is three cards of the same value along side two cards (a pair) of the same value, for example three 10’s and two Aces. If one or more player has a full house the winner is the one with the highest set of three cards, as always aces are high cards.
5: A flush.
The flush is made up of any five cards of the same suit, they can not be in running order or it is a straight flush. To decide the winner of a flush it goes to the player with the highest card. Sometimes one or more player can have the same flush hand so in this case the pot is shared out.
6: A straight.
Any five cards of different suits in running order make up a straight, for example 3c, 4h, 5c, 6s, 7d. The player with the highest straight wins in a tie.
7: Three of a kind.
This hand is just as it sounds, three cards of the same kind or face value make up three of a kind. Once again if more than one player has this hand it is decided by the highest value cards.
8: Two pairs.
Any two pairs make up this hand, for example a pair of Kings and a pair of threes. If two players have the same identical highest pair the winner is decided by the player with the second highest pair. If they are both the same it then goes to the highest card.
9: One pair
A single pair of identical cards makes up one pair. The cards must be of the same face value, as with two pairs if two players are holding identical hands the winner is the player holding the next highest card.
10: High card.
If it is impossible to create any of the other hands then the high card comes in to play. This is the worst hand in poker and as usual ace is counted as a high card.
