Hand Rankings Comparison Tool

Not all poker games rank hands the same way. In Short Deck (6+ Hold'em), a flush beats a full house because flushes are harder to make with fewer cards. In Razz and 2-7 Triple Draw, the lowest hand wins—but even those two games disagree on whether straights and flushes count against you. This interactive tool helps you compare hand rankings across poker variants and understand exactly how hand values differ.

Understanding Hand Ranking Variations

The hand rankings most players know—where a royal flush beats a straight flush, which beats four of a kind, and so on—are called "high poker" or standard rankings. These rankings are used in Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, and most community card games. However, as poker evolved, players invented variants that flip or modify these rankings to create new strategic challenges.

According to the World Series of Poker, which features over 100 tournaments each summer, understanding different ranking systems is essential for mixed-game players. The prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship uses HORSE format and other mixed games where players must constantly switch between high and low ranking systems.

Standard Poker Rankings Explained

Standard high poker rankings follow a simple principle: hands that are mathematically rarer are ranked higher. With a standard 52-card deck, there are exactly 2,598,960 possible five-card combinations. The rarity of each hand type determines its rank. A royal flush (only 4 possible combinations) beats everything, while high card (1,302,540 combinations) is the weakest.

These mathematical foundations are well-documented in academic resources like the Encyclopedia Britannica's entry on poker. Understanding probability helps explain why rankings differ across variants—when the deck changes or the goal inverts, the math changes too.

Why Short Deck Changes Everything

Short Deck Hold'em removes all cards 2 through 5, leaving only 36 cards. This dramatically changes hand probabilities. With fewer cards, flushes become significantly harder to make (there are fewer cards of each suit), while full houses become more common (the compressed deck makes pairs and trips more frequent). As a result, most Short Deck games rank flushes above full houses.

The math behind this is straightforward: in a 52-card deck, there are 5,108 possible flushes and 3,744 possible full houses. In Short Deck's 36-card deck, there are only 1,296 possible flushes but 2,268 possible full houses. The relative rarity inverts, so the rankings follow. Our Short Deck Hold'em guide covers the complete rules and strategy implications of these changes.

Lowball Variations: A-5 vs 2-7

Lowball games award the pot to the lowest hand, but "low" means different things in different variants. The two main systems are Ace-to-Five (A-5) and Deuce-to-Seven (2-7):

• A-5 Lowball (Razz, Omaha Hi-Lo): Aces are low, and straights/flushes don't count against you. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5, called "the wheel." Used in Razz and the low half of split-pot games.
• 2-7 Lowball (Triple Draw, Single Draw): Aces are high, and straights/flushes DO count against you. The best possible hand is 2-3-4-5-7 (not suited). This is often called "Kansas City Lowball" and is used in 2-7 Triple Draw.

The PokerNews rules section provides additional detail on these distinctions. Understanding which lowball system a game uses is crucial—A-2-3-4-5 suited is the best hand in Razz but a terrible hand in 2-7 (it's a straight, which counts against you).

Badugi: A Four-Card System

Badugi uses a completely different ranking system based on four-card hands. The goal is to make the lowest hand with four cards of different suits and different ranks. Any card that duplicates a suit or rank is discarded from your hand, so a "badugi" (four valid cards) beats any three-card hand, which beats any two-card hand.

This unique system means traditional poker thinking doesn't apply. A player holding A♠ 2♥ 3♦ 4♣ has a "4-high badugi"—the second-best possible hand. Meanwhile, A♠ A♥ 2♦ 3♣ is only a three-card hand (the duplicate ace is discarded), which loses to any four-card badugi regardless of the ranks involved.

Practical Applications

Understanding ranking differences matters most in mixed games like HORSE (Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Eight-or-Better) and in home games where multiple variants are dealt. Our Dealer's Choice guide covers how to navigate these transitions smoothly.

The Card Player odds charts provide reference materials for serious players studying these mathematical differences. Using this comparison tool alongside those resources helps build the intuition needed to quickly evaluate hands across different game types.

Related Tools and Resources

To further explore poker hand values, use these related tools:

• Complete Hand Rankings Guide - Detailed reference for standard poker hand rankings
• Hand Equity Calculator - Calculate hand equity in Texas Hold'em and Omaha
• Poker Odds Calculator - Pre-flop winning probabilities
• Hand Strength Score Calculator - Rate starting hands 0-100

Frequently Asked Questions