How to play Texas Holdem poker: hands cheat sheet

Many people who hire a Texas Holdem poker table will be playing the game for the first time. Or even if you know what you're doing, many of your guests will not. Rules vary from one game to the next – there are many variants of poker. But the hands and the order of their importance remain constant.

To help get over the initial hurdle, here's our poker hands cheat sheet, which you can share with your guests to avoid too much confusion.

Royal Flush: The daddy of them all, this hand beats everything else. It's made up of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of a single suit (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs).

Straight Flush: This consists of five consecutive cards all in the same suit. For example, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of Clubs. But you can't link between the Ace and the 2, so Queen, King, Ace, 2, 3 is doesn't count. If two players have a straight flush the person with the highest value card at the top of the sequence wins.

Four of a Kind: Four cards all with same value – such as four Aces or four 5s, plus one side card.

Full House: Three cards ranked the same plus two cards of the same value. For example three Aces and two Kings is the best Full House.

Flush: This consists of all five cards in the hand being the same suit, but not in any sequence. If two players have a Flush the person with the highest value card wins.

Straight/Run: A Straight, also known as a Run, means you have five cards in a sequence but not of the same suit (if they were also of the same suit you would have a Straight Flush).

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same value, such as three Kings or three 6s etc, plus two side cards.

Two Pair: Two Pair consists of two sets of two matching cards. For example, you have two 7s and two 10s, plus a side card.

Pair: A single set of two matching cards, such as two Kings, plus three side cards.

High Card: If it comes down to showing cards no one has any of the above listed hands, it comes down to High Card – Ace is always high, followed by King and so on down to 2.