The basic rule of determining the winner in Texas Hold’em poker is by comparing poker hands. In order to play the game properly, you need to understand the right hand combinations. Knowing possible hand combinations can help you formulate strategies, make decisions as the play progresses, and adjust your stakes according to the relative strength of your hand.

The lowest possible hand in Texas Hold’em poker is high card, followed by a pair. The cards you are holding or the pair you get is judged by its value. Two pairs have more value than a single pair, so holding two pairs can make you win the pot against other opponents playing with only a pair.

Three of a Kind is the next, stronger, hand combination in Texas Hold’em poker. Holding three cards of equal rank means you have a three of a kind; this combination, again, is stronger than two pairs. Five cards in sequence regardless of the suit construct a Straight, allowing you to beat three of a kind and any other lower hand combination. Don’t get over confident with your hand combination yet, because players with a Flush — any five cards of the same suit — can beat you with their hand just like that.

My personal favorite would have to be Full House — three cards of equal rank and two different cards of equal rank. The hand combination may not be the strongest, but the odds of constructing a Full House with the right starting hand is actually quite high. Four cards of equal rank beat Full House with Four of a Kind. To top our list, we have a Straight Flush — yes, it is a combination of five cards of the same suit in sequence, just like you think it is — and a Royal Flush.