What this calculator does
This poker hand calculator takes five specific cards and works out which of the standard poker hand categories they form, from a high card at the bottom up to a royal flush at the top. It checks the cards for matching ranks, a flush (all one suit) and a straight (five consecutive ranks), and ranks the result using the same hierarchy used at the table.
This is a different question from working out your odds of improving a hand that is still being dealt. Odds calculations use outs and the cards still to come; this calculator answers a simpler question directly from the cards you already have: what hand is this, exactly, right now?
The formula
Enter five cards using rank (2 to 10, J, Q, K or A) followed immediately by a suit letter (S, H, D or C), separated by commas. The calculator counts how many cards share each rank, checks whether all five share a suit, and checks whether the ranks form five consecutive values, including the ace-low straight (A-2-3-4-5), to work out the category.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Flush | All five cards share the same suit. |
| Straight | The five ranks are consecutive, such as 5-6-7-8-9. An ace can sit at either end. |
| Full house | Three cards of one rank plus two of another. |
| Royal flush | The specific straight flush A-K-Q-J-10, the highest possible poker hand. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Five cards (rank+suit, comma-separated, e.g. AH, AD, KS, KH, 2C) | Five cards, each written as a rank followed by a suit, separated by commas: for example AH, KD, QS, JC, 10H. Suits are S (spades), H (hearts), D (diamonds) or C (clubs). |
When to use it
Checking who wins a showdown
When two or more hands reach showdown, ranking each one against the standard hierarchy settles which hand actually wins, which is a common point of confusion for anyone newer to the game.
Learning the hand rankings
Entering different combinations of cards and seeing which category each one lands in is a direct way to learn the hierarchy, rather than memorising a list without seeing it applied.
Settling a dispute about a specific hand
A full house and a flush are sometimes mixed up by newer players; running the exact five cards through a fixed set of rules removes any ambiguity about which one applies.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
The standard poker hand rankings, from lowest to highest
A sample of hands spanning the ranking, from an unmatched set of cards up to the best possible hand.
| Cards | Hand | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2H, 7D, 9S, JC, KH | High card | King high. |
| AH, AD, KS, QC, JD | Pair | A pair of Aces. |
| 7H, 7D, 7S, 2C, 2D | Full house | Three 7s over a pair of 2s. |
| 2H, 5H, 9H, JH, KH | Flush | King-high flush. |
| 2C, 3D, 4H, 5S, AC | Straight | 5-high straight. |
| AS, KS, QS, JS, 10S | Royal flush | Ace-high straight flush, the strongest possible hand. |
Questions
What order do poker hands rank in?
From lowest to highest: high card, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush, which is the specific straight flush A-K-Q-J-10.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush ranks above a straight in standard poker hand rankings, and both rank below a full house. A straight flush, which is both at once, ranks near the very top.
Can an ace count as both high and low?
For a straight, yes: A-K-Q-J-10 is a straight with the ace high, and A-2-3-4-5 is a straight with the ace low, sometimes called the wheel. An ace cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight.
How is this different from the poker odds calculator?
This calculator ranks a fixed set of five cards you already hold. The poker odds calculator instead estimates your chance of improving a hand that is still being dealt, based on your number of outs and how many cards are still to come.
To estimate your chances of improving a hand still being dealt, see the poker odds calculator.