Poker Hand Ranking 

South African players just getting acquainted with poker are advised to read through this write-up to discover important details about poker hand ranking

In gambling, the poker-hand ranking system categorizes each hand based on its individual strengths. Knowledge of this ranking order comes in handy when determining the winner of a game of poker. Now, for punters in South Africa who are not so familiar with poker games, here’s an overview of key details to note about the game. Read on to find out more. 

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Definition Of The Hands And Rules Of Poker 

In a game of poker, it is common to hear the word “hands”. These hands imply sets of five playing cards with corresponding ranks. Usually, the highest-ranking hand wins.

Since there are several variations of poker games, there is no single rule that applies to them all. However, the basic concept of this casino game is that the croupier deals two cards face-down to each player. Over the course of the game, the banker deals more cards face-up until a winner with the highest valued five-card emerges. 

Poker Hands

Ranking Of Poker Cards

A standard game of poker makes use of 52 cards from a single deck. These cards are ranked below from highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. Using those cards players should try and collect the combination, a poker hand that will be better than the dealer’s hand or other players, depending on the type of poker they are playing.

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Poker Hand Ranking  

In a poker game, every hand always consists of five cards and there are ten different categories of hands. Generally, hands in a higher rank beat those in a lower class. Listed below is a ranking of poker hands in descending order.

Royal Flush – A royal flush is the highest possible hand in a poker game. It consists of the same suits as ace, king, queen, jack, and ten. 

Straight Flush – Here, five cards of the same suit follow a sequence, for instance, a sequence of J, 10, 9, 8, 7, all of the same suits. The only way to beat a straight flush is by having a royal flush. Alternatively, another straight flush with a higher-top card wins over a straight flush with a lower-top card. 

Four of a Kind – Just as the name suggests, this consists of four cards of the same tank such as four kings. Four of a kind could also be referred to as quads. Also, the fifth card could be any other card. 

Full House – This hand consists of three cards of a single rank complete with two cards of a different rank. If more than one South African player has a full house, the winner is determined by the hand with a higher three-of-a-kind value. 

Flush – Flush comprises five cards of the same suit arranged in no particular order. In the case of two players having flushes, the one with the highest top card wins the game. 

Straight – A straight is simply five cards of different suits following a numerical sequence. In straight, an ace can either rank as high or low but never the two at the same time. 

Three of a kind – Here, three cards of the same numerical value are paired with two other cards. This hand is otherwise called Triplets or Trips. 

Two pairs – In a hand involving two pairs, the two pairs are of mixed ranks with an odd card to complete the hand. When two players have two pairs, the winning hand is the one with the highest pair, regardless of rank. 

Pair – A pair is simply a hand made up of two equal-ranking cards. They are usually completed by three non-matching cards. 

High Card – This is the lowest-ranking hand. It is made up of five cards following any combination that is not equivalent to any hand listed above. When comparing two high-card hands, the one with the better and higher card wins. 

Poker Hand Ranking

Determining The Winner In Poker 

It is quite straightforward to determine the winning hand in a poker game. Generally, the winner is determined by the total 5-card score i.e. the player with the highest 5-card value wins.

However, this is dependent on the type of hand the player has. For example, a player with a straight flush wins over a straight hand. Hence, players must have a proper understanding of the different poker hands and their ranks to be able to determine the winner. 

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General Tips To Win At Online Poker

Here are listed some of the most reliable and useful tips and advice, South African punters should consider before playing online poker for real money.

Practice On Free Games

As the popular adage says “practice makes perfect”. This same principle is very much useful when playing online poker. With practice comes experience which in turn makes the gambler more skilled in the game.

The best way to practice is by making use of South African online casino’s free games. Demo games allow the punter to play types of poker games without staking any money but the gambler earns no money as well. On the other hand, Some online casinos offer no deposit bonuses, in this case, the player can play casino games while earning cash prizes without risking real money, for sure. 

Use Special Calculators 

Just as it is important to understand basic math when playing poker, gamers must also be able to use special poker calculators. These calculators are custom-made for poker hands and they help the gambler calculate the different hand combinations by simply clicking a button. While choosing a special calculator, ensure to pick correctly. 

Know When To Quit A Gaming Session 

While gambling at online casinos in South Africa, it is key to know when to close for the day. This helps keep the mind fresh and also reduces the accumulation of losses. Players who understand this have a higher chance of success at online poker. 

Pick A Poker Type And Stick To It

When playing poker, it does no good to the gambler if he keeps jumping from one variation to the other without mastering any. It is better to choose a game best suited to you and then discover the best ways to beat it. This will allow the punter to know the right strategies that work in a particular poker game. 

Conclusion 

Learning poker hand rankings is must when you want to play the game., as you can see from our guide it’s not hard and everyone should be able to master it in a few games, especially if you are familiar with other casino card games. Now that you have an idea of how this game works, you can proceed to have fun at your favorite South African gambling sites. However, ensure you make good use of the aforementioned tips which will help guarantee higher odds of winning. Good luck! 

FAQs 

The Royal Flush is the highest hand in this game and it beats every other combination. A royal flush consists of an ace, a king, a queen, a jack, and a 10

In the article above, the order of poker hands has been discussed. But to reiterate, the sequence from highest to the lowest: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-kind, Two Pairs, A Pair, and High Card

In total, 2,598,960 possible combinations can be made in a poker game using a deck of 52 cards

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