The Best Hands for Online Poker

With all the advancements and innovations in technology, online casinos and platforms are fast becoming one of the most enjoyable and immersive ways to play poker. Every poker platform or casino will have rules, and the method of playing online poker itself is different to a standard game of cards. However, online games typically use the traditional high configurations for poker hands that you would find in a standard game at the card table.

Poker Hand Rankings

These are the recognized poker hands used in standard games of online poker under Texas Hold ‘Em rules, listed from the best to worst.

* Royal Flush – The highest flush and the best hand in online poker is one that is also rare. A royal flush consists of the highest straight available, with all the cards in the same suit. Examples: A hearts, K hearts, Q hearts, J hearts, 10 hearts.
* Straight Flush – The second highest flush and second highest hand in online poker is a five-card straight. The royal flush is a type of straight flush, but not all straight flushes are considered equal because the highest straight will always beat even an ace-high flush. Examples: 10 Diamonds, 9 Diamonds, 8 Diamonds, 7 Diamonds, 6 Diamonds.
* Four of a Kind – The third highest hand in online poker consists of four cards that are of the same rank or quads. As with the straight flush, the best quad hand will always be the one with the highest rank; 4 Kings will always beat 4 Jacks and so on. Examples: A Diamonds, A Hearts, A Clubs, A Spades, 2 Spades.
* Full House – The fourth-highest online poker hand will include three cards of the same rank plus two or more cards, also of the same kind. Basically, a full house is a three of a kind and a pair. Examples: Q Spades, Q Diamonds, Q Hearts + J Clubs, J Spades.
* Flush – The third best flush and fifth highest online poker hand consists of five cards in the same suites, which don’t have to be consecutive. A flush that contains the highest-ranked card in comparison is the one that is the best, and “aces high” will always beat other combinations. Examples: A Diamonds, K Diamonds, Q Diamonds, 10 Diamonds, 5 Diamonds.
* Straight – The sixth highest online poker hand, straights are five cards of consecutive rank in varying suites, with the hand holding the highest-ranked card being the best. Examples: Q Diamonds, J Clubs, 10 Hearts, 9 Diamonds, 8 Spades.
* Three of a Kind – Three of a kind or trips are the seventh highest hand in online poker. To be considered a trip, the hand must contain three cards of the same rank with three aces being the best possible combination. Examples: 9 Spades, 9 Hearts, 9 Clubs, A Diamonds, 3 Clubs.
* Two Pair – The eight highest hand in online poker, a two pair contains two cards of the same rank and another two cards of the same rank, with the best possible combination being kings and aces. Examples: A Spades, A Hearts, 9 Clubs, 9 Diamonds, 10 Spades.
* One Pair – The second from last worst hand in online poker is the one pair. This is a basic combination of two cards of the same rank with no other pairings between the three other cards. Examples: J Spades, J Hearts, 9 Clubs, 6 Diamonds, 3 Hearts.
* High Card – A high card is the worst possible hand in online poker and contains five unpaired cards that do not make either a flush or a straight. The highest ranked card in the hand determines its value, with an ace-high hand beating the others. Examples: A Diamonds, Q Spades, 10 Hearts, 8 Clubs, 7 Spades.

The Best Starting Hands for Online Poker

The following is a list of the best starting hands for online poker (standard Texas Hold ‘Em rules) listed from best to worst.

* Pocket Aces – A 4:1 favourite against almost any other hand combination, 2 aces are ‘pocket rockets,’ but their likelihood of being a winning hand increases the fewer players there are in the game.
* Pocket Kings – Also known as ‘cowboys,’ two kings in the pocket are favourites to beat any hand except an aces high one.
* Pocket Queens – This is a strong hand to play pre-flop and indicates that there are only eight overcards left in the entire deck.
* Ace-King Suited – Fondly termed ‘Anna Kournikova' by some players for its good looks but unpredictable performance, ace-king suited hands will win against lesser-ranked pocket pairs (such as two jacks) half of the time in any given game.
* Pocket Jacks – Still a strong hand, two jacks in the pocket is a 50:50 combination against any unpaired hand.
* Pocket Tens – A hand that doesn’t always require a third ten on the flop, this is still a strong starting hand that has the potential to beat hands containing overcards every other time.
* Ace-Queen Suited – An underdog hand that shows its strength when players miss the flop, ace-queen suited are still relatively strong against other starting hands.
* Ace-King Offsuit – An ace-king combination that is not suited is weaker than a suited combination, but it still offers a 40 percent chance of winning against other hands (except aces or kings).
* Ace-Jack Suited – This starting hand can be used to make a royal flush, but it requires careful play because ace-kings and ace-queen combinations will beat it if the ace is paired.
* King-Queen Suited – Also another starting hand combination for flushes and straights, this combination is one that ‘flops well.’