Getting to know the basic scoring system of Poker

All over the world, Poker is a popular card game that has been a big part of the gaming cultur for several hundred years. All the way back to the sixteenth century, Germans were playing the bluffing game “Pochen,” which later developed into a french version which went by the name “Poque.”

Different versions were eventually brought to America and New Orleans, where it was particularly popular on the boats sailing on the Mississippi. It’s a card game that has always been very popular, and there is even a counterview stating that it is actually a sport. Playing Poker requires a great deal of luck, but there are also a lot of skills required as well, and as a master of the game, you need to know the scoring system of the cards like the back of your hand.

Basic rules

There are numerous variations of the game, but except for a few versions, a normal Poker hand consists of 5 cards. The essence of the game is to get the best combination of cards on your hand, ranking from 5 of a kind to no pair or nothing. In the following we will go through the basic combinations, starting with the best ones:

Five of a Kind

This is the best possible combination and it can only occur when you play with at least one wild card.

Straight Flush

When playing with no wild cards, a straight flush is the best combination at hand. It consists of five cards in the same suit that forms a sequence, for example 2-3-4-5-6. The best fluch possible starts with an ace and moves down from K-Q-J-10. The odds of getting such hand are almost 1 to 650.000.

Four of a Kind

This is the second highest hand, could be for example three aces.

Full House

This hand is made up of three cards of one rank (for example 10) and two cards of another (for example queens).

Flush

Five cards of the same suit, not necessarily in a sequence, equals a Flush. This means for example that a 2-5-7-8-Q all in hearts is a Flush.

Straight

A straight is compiled by five cards in sequence, but not necessarily in the same suit.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank.

Two Pairs

This hand consists of a pair of cards in one rank and another pair of a different rank. For example a pair of 6’es and a pair of 9’s.

One Pair

This hand consists of a pair of cards in one rank.

No Pair

Nothing