If we both have an ace, king high flush, then we look at the third card, and so on.

For example, let’s say I have an ace high flush and so does my opponent. In the event of a tie, let’s say a pair of aces or an ace high flush, you always look at all five cards for the tie-breaker. If my opponent and I both have a straight, whoever’s straight is higher wins. For example, if my opponent and I both have 1 pair, then whoever’s pair is higher wins (ie – AA beats KK). Within each grouping, the rank of all five of your cards will determine the winner. So these basic poker hand rankings apply to Texas Holdem, 5 card draw, seven card stud, etc. You may play in games that have 7 cards or 9 cards or whatever, but you always use only the best five cards to make your best poker hand. When a player has a pair of their hole cards it is called a 'pocket pair.' And if the pair is made up of face cards (jack, queen, king) and their suits match, they are 'suited ' if they aren't the same, then they are considered 'offsuit.' In addition to this lingo, there are many nicknames for cards and hands that you may encounter along the way.These are some basic poker rules that apply to most all poker games. In this type of poker game, there are cards dealt to the players, called hole cards, and cards dealt to the board, called community cards. If you are new to Texas Hold 'em-or poker altogether-you may need to brush up on some of the terminology. This list reflects a consensus of the most trusted resources. Also, a great starting hand can turn bad quickly with the wrong community cards. Do keep in mind, however, that there is some disagreement over which hands are the best, and it does depend in part on your skill level and style of play. This list of the top 10 best starting hands for Texas Hold 'em is a good place to start learning.

One of the keys to being a strong Texas Hold 'em poker player is to know which hands are playable and which are not.

What is the best hand in texas holdem