This guide is primarily for Texas Hold'Em, but the hands that win are the same in almost every form of poker, so you can also use this guide to help you understand when you win and when you lose. Remember though, you can never really be sure if your hand is the best, because your opponent could be bluffing or could have a really, really amazing hand. Let's get onto the guide. Remember, aces always count as highest card except in straights of any type!
Royal Flush
The best hand possible in Texas Hold'Em. If you have this hand, you already know you've won. All you need to try and do now is get a lot of money off your opponents.
A royal flush is made up for the 10-Jack-Queen-King-Ace, all of any one suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades). All suits have the same value, so 2 different royal flushes will split the pot.
Straight Flush
If you pick up a straight flush, you can be pretty confident that you have the best hand, unless there is 4 cards to a straight flush on the board (community cards) and you have the lower card to make the straight flush.
A straight flush is made up of any 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. Ace counts as high (after a king) or low (before a 2). The higher straight flush will win the pot if 2 people both have a straight flush. A straight flush is as high as the highest card in the straight (so a straight flush of 6-7-8-9-10 of hearts is a 10-high straight flush).
Four of a Kind
This is a pretty self explanatory hand. If you have 4 of a kind, and you see there is no possible way anyone can make a straight/royal flush with the community cards and any 2 cards they might be holding, you can be confident of winning.
A 4 of a kind is made up of 4 cards of the same type. The higher type will also win, so 4 5s will always beat 4 2s. If both players have the exact same 4 of a kind, the player with the highest other card will win (Ace-5-5-5-5 will beat King-5-5-5-5).
Full House
A full house consists of 3 cards of one type and 2 cards of another. This is a very strong hand, and you can be pretty confident in most cases if you're holding this hand.
A full house is made up of 3 of one type of card and 2 of another. The higher Full House will always win. First, you check who has the higher type of 3 cards (so 3 kings will beat 3 queens). If 2 players have the same type of 3 cards, you look at the 2 cards and check who is better (2 aces will beat 2 tens). In the event of a draw, the pot is split.
Flush
A flush is made up of any 5 cards from the same suit. They do not have to be in any particular order.
A flush can consist of any 5 cards from the same suit. The flush with the highest card will beat any other flushes. All suits have equal values, and flushes are generally very strong hands.
Straight
A straight is made up of 5 consecutive cards, of any suit. The straight with the highest card wins. In the event that the straights consist of the same high card (meaning the other cards are also the same), the pot is split between the players with the straights. Suits play no role in this hand.
Three of a kind
A 3 of a kind is made up by holding 3 cards of the same type. The higher 3 of a kind will always win. In the event that 2 players are holding the same 3 of a kind, their next highest cards are examined. If those are also the same, their final card (their lower card not part of the 3 of a kind) is examined. In the event that the hands are still drawn, the pot is split.
Two Pair
A 2 pair is a very simple hand to understand. If you have 2 different pairs, you have a 2 pair.
A 2 pair consists of any 2 separate pairs. If 2 players both have 2 pairs, the player with the higher 2 pair wins. If they both have the same higher pair, the lower pair is counted. In the event that both pairs are the same, the player with the highest other card will win (so Ace-10-10-9-9 would beat Jack-10-10-9-9). Suits play no role in this hand.
A Pair
A pair consists of any 2 cards of the same type. This is a very, very weak hand in poker, and one should never really be confident when holding this hand. In the event that 2 people have the same pair, their other cards will be checked. The player with the next highest card wins. If the hands are drawn, the pot is split. Suits have no effect in this hand.
High Card
This is the very, very weakest hand in poker. If your hand is a high card, you should be very confident that you will lose, and should get out of the hand quickly. This means neither player has any other type of hand, such as a flush or two pair. If 2 player or more players have the same high card, their other cards are examined until a winner is found. If the hands are all the same, the pot is split between those players. Suits play no role in this hand.
