Poker hand probabilities: how rare is each hand?
Poker hands are ranked by how rare they are. In Texas Hold’em you use the best five of seven cards (two hole cards plus five on the board). These are the approximate chances of ending with each hand by the river if you play every hand to showdown.
Hold’em: chance of each final hand (7 cards)
Section titled “Hold’em: chance of each final hand (7 cards)”| Hand | Chance | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.003% | 1 in 31,000 |
| Straight flush | 0.03% | 1 in 3,200 |
| Four of a kind | 0.17% | 1 in 600 |
| Full house | 2.6% | 1 in 38 |
| Flush | 3.0% | 1 in 33 |
| Straight | 4.6% | 1 in 22 |
| Three of a kind | 4.8% | 1 in 21 |
| Two pair | 23.5% | 1 in 4 |
| One pair | 43.8% | 1 in 2.3 |
| High card | 17.4% | 1 in 6 |
(Straight flush here includes the royal flush.)
Interesting facts
Section titled “Interesting facts”- With seven cards, you end with one pair or better about 83% of the time.
- Two pair is far more common than many beginners think: about one in four hands.
- A flush appears more often in Hold’em than in five-card draw, but it’s still rarer than a straight.
What this means at the table
Section titled “What this means at the table”- Two pair and trips are often good, but not always: check the board for flushes and straights. See the nuts.
- Waiting for “a monster” is a losing strategy: most pots are won with one or two pair.
For decisions during a hand, use the poker odds cheat sheet and pot odds and outs.
How rare is a royal flush in Texas Hold’em?
Section titled “How rare is a royal flush in Texas Hold’em?”About 1 in 31,000 hands if you play every hand to the river.
How often do you make a flush in Hold’em?
Section titled “How often do you make a flush in Hold’em?”About 3% of the time with seven cards.
What is the most common final hand in Hold’em?
Section titled “What is the most common final hand in Hold’em?”One pair, about 44% of the time.
Why does a flush beat a straight?
Section titled “Why does a flush beat a straight?”Because a flush is rarer than a straight.