Learn to Play Poker     Learn Poker Terminology 

Poker in the United States is played with a standard bridge deck of 52 cards.  The cards at high poker are ranked Ace, King, Queen, Jack, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, trey, deuce.  An Ace may also be used as a card lower than a deuce in sequence.

A poker hand at the showdown consists of precisely five cards (possibly the best five selected from a greater number by some pre-determined rule) ranked accordingly to the following list from highest to lowest, in the order of their  probability of occurrence (from rarest to likeliest):

Royal Flush – 5 cards of the same suit in sequence with an Ace-High

Straight Flush – 5 cards of the same suit in sequence.  An Ace-High straight flush is nicknamed a "Royal Flush".

4 of a Kind – 4 cards of the same rank.

Full House – 3 cards of the same rank and two cards of the same rank.

Flush – 5 cards of the same suit

Straight – 5 cards in sequence

3 of a Kind – 3 cards of the same rank

2 Pair – 2 cards of the same rank and two other cards of the same rank

1 Pair – 2 cards of the same rank

High Card – The highest ranking card in the hand

Some forms of poker, especially Draw, permit the addition of a Joker to the deck.  The Joker may be used at high poker, either as an Ace or as any card not already in the player's hand to complete a straight flush, flush or straight.  Five Aces becomes the highest-ranking hand.  The Joker is used at low poker as a card of the lowest rank not already in the player’s hand.

Wild cards are not used in any of our games.