Level 1Rules
Poker Hand Rankings: From High Card to Royal Flush
Every poker hand ranked from strongest to weakest, with examples, odds and the tie-break rules that settle close showdowns.
Rules · 6+
Short Deck Hold’em (6+) rules
Hold’em played with a 36-card deck — the twos to fives are removed — creating bigger hands and more action.
How a hand is played
- 1
All twos, threes, fours and fives are removed from the deck.
- 2
Many games use antes from every player plus a blind from the button instead of standard blinds — check the table’s rules.
- 3
The deal and betting rounds otherwise follow Texas Hold’em.
Key rules
- A flush beats a full house, because flushes are harder to make with fewer cards of each suit.
- In many rulesets, three of a kind beats a straight. Some rooms keep the standard order — always check.
- The ace can play low in the straight A-6-7-8-9.
Hand rankings
Common Short Deck order: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, flush, full house, three of a kind, straight, two pair, one pair, high card.
See the full poker hand rankings lesson.