Once dealt a pair of pocket aces, every poker player feels the rush of excitement and anticipation. These two cards have the highest chance of winning in any given hand.
However, as the game progresses and more cards are revealed, the possibility of hitting an even stronger hand looms. From full houses to straight flushes, there are several hands that can beat pocket aces and lead to victory at the poker table.
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What Makes a Good Hand?
Before diving into the specific hands, it’s essential to understand what makes a good hand in poker. In general terms, a good hand consists of five cards that can beat your opponents’ hands. The ranking of hands goes as follows:
- Straight: Five consecutive cards (e.g. 5-6-7-8-9).
- High Card: This is when you don’t have any pairs or better combinations.
- Flush: Five non-consecutive cards of the same suit.
- One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- Royal Flush: The highest straight flush, consisting of A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Poker/ Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.
- Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Full House: One pair plus three-of-a-kind (e.g. K-K-J-J-J).
- Two Pair: Two sets of two cards of matching ranks.
Now that we have a better understanding of what makes a good hand let’s take a look at some of the best hands in poker.
The Best Hands: From Pocket Aces to Royal Flushes
Pocket Aces (AA)
Pocket aces, also known as pocket rockets or bullets, are by far one of the most coveted starting hands in Texas Hold’em. These two aces give you the highest possible pair right off the bat and put you ahead before even seeing any community cards. With Casino sites That Accept credit card UK, players can easily fund their online casino accounts using their preferred credit card and enjoy a seamless gaming and payment process.
But why are they considered so valuable? Well, pocket aces offer several advantages:
- High Probability of Winning: With AA, you have an 85% chance of winning against any other random hand pre-flop.
- Fewer Opponents: When holding pocket aces, there is less likely that your opponents will hold pairs higher than yours.
- Versatility: Pocket aces can be played aggressively or conservatively depending on the situation. You can either raise or limp in with them, depending on how many players are at the table and their playing styles.
While pocket aces may seem unbeatable, they can still lose. They have around 31% equity against four other random hands. But if played correctly, these powerful paired cards are hard to beat.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is five consecutive cards from the same suit. 5♠-6♠-7♠-8♠-9♠ would be a nine-high straight flush. It’s one of the rarest hands in poker, with only 36 possible combinations in a deck.
The odds of getting a straight flush are approximately 72,192 to 1, making it an incredibly coveted hand. The highest-ranking straight flush is known as the royal flush (A-K-Q-J-10), which is considered unbeatable.
One famous example of a straight flush was at the 2008 World Series of Poker when Kenny Tran eliminated David Benyamine with a king-high straight flush against his rival’s four-of-a-kind jacks.
Four of a Kind
As mentioned earlier, four-of-a-kind – also known as quads – involves having all four cards of the same rank. For instance, holding four queens would be referred to as queens over kings.
This hand ranks just below the straight flush and above full houses on the poker hand rankings. There are 624 possible ways to get four-of-a-kind in a standard deck, giving you around a 0.02% chance of landing this monster hand.
In addition to its rarity, quads’ value lies in their potential power by not being immediately recognizable. If you hold four sixes and your opponent has three kings, they may not realize that their full house isn’t enough to beat your quads until it’s too late.
Royal Flush
Saving perhaps the best for last: the legendary royal flush. This is essentially the most potent version of a straight flush where all five cards are consecutive from ten to ace in the same suit.
With only four possible combinations available in any given deck (one per suit), royal flushes occur once every 649,740 hands or roughly every 40 hours of live play! While players can easily access a wide variety of games at PlayMillion Casino, they can also take their gaming experience to the next level by redeeming PlayMillion’s special bonus codes for even more chances to win big!
Over time some players have had incredible luck and landed not just one but several royal flushes in their poker career. Although blackjack bonuses may seem tempting, it’s important to carefully read the terms and conditions before claiming them. Arguably, the most unforgettable moment was when Daniel Negreanu made two royal flushes against Gus Hansen at the 2004 Monte Carlo Millions. Even though 200 Free Spins No Deposit Bonuses may seem too good to be true, there are many reputable online casinos that offer them as a way to entice new players.
The Best Hands: A Historical Perspective
Throughout history, many incredible poker hands have been played – some live and others online. Here are a few notable examples:
- The Dead Man’s Hand: This hand consists of a pair of black aces and eights, said to be the cards Wild Bill Hickok held when he was murdered during a game of five-card draw.
- A Set Versus Quads: At the 2006 WSOP Main Event, Jamie Gold flopped quad sevens while Richard Lee had pocket jacks for top set. The pot reached over $3 million before Gold took it down.
- The Million Dollar Ace-King Fold: In 2010, Phil Ivey famously folded pocket kings pre-flop against Andrew Robl’s all-in with AK, saving him from losing over one million dollars in chips.
While these hands may not necessarily fit into the ranking of best poker hands due to their respective players’ luck or skill, they undoubtedly deserve mention for being remarkable moments in poker history.
Honorable Mentions
There are countless other hands that could be considered among the best in poker, so here are a few honorable mentions:
- A Seven-Deuce Bluff Gone Wrong: At the 2008 WSOPE tournament in London, Daniel Negreanu pulled off one of the most epic bluffs ever by winning a pot worth over half a million dollars with seven-deuce (the worst hand in poker) after Phil Laak folded KK believing that Negreanu had him beat.
- Straight Flush Beat By Royal Flush: In what is commonly known as the emperor versus Vietnam hand at the 2008 Aussie Millions tournament, Laurence Hall crowned his adversary J♠-9♠ straight flush on turn, only for Tyron Krost’s opponent to make an even better nine-high straight flush on river (Q♣).
- The Miracle of the River: In 2016, Fedor Holz was facing elimination at the WSOP Main Event when he called a $10,000 pre-flop all-in with pocket fours against Justin Schwartz’s pair of kings. Both players hit a set on the flop and turned full houses – but Holz completed an unbeatable quads with his second four on river.
In Conclusion: The Best Hands in Poker are Unforgettable
Poker is undoubtedly a game of strategy, skill, and luck. But what makes it even more exciting is having incredible hands that leave us speechless.
From pocket aces to royal flushes, these top best hands showcase some of poker’s most memorable moments and remind us why we love this game so much. Whether you’re playing for fun or competing professionally, keep your eyes open as you never know when you might be dealt one of these phenomenal hands.
What are the top three best hands in poker and how do they rank?
The top three best hands in poker are a royal flush, straight flush, and four of a kind. A royal flush is the highest hand and consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace all in the same suit. A straight flush is five cards in a row all in the same suit. Four of a kind is four cards of the same rank.
How can I improve my chances of getting one of the best hands in poker?
- Pay attention to the table dynamics – observe your opponents’ betting patterns and use that information to make informed decisions about your hand.
- Practice good bankroll management – avoid chasing unlikely hands and only play premium hands when the odds are in your favor.
- Play selectively and strategically – focus on starting hands that have a higher probability of winning, such as pocket pairs or high suited cards.
- Utilize position to your advantage – being in late position gives you more information about your opponents’ hands and can help you make better decisions.
Are there any specific strategies or tips for playing with the best hands in poker?
It is important to remember that having a strong hand does not guarantee a win in poker. It is crucial to also consider your opponents’ play style, position, and bet sizing when playing with the best hands. Slow playing or overplaying can be risky, so it’s often wiser to bet and raise aggressively to maximize your winnings. Paying attention to pot odds and practicing proper bankroll management are key strategies for successful play with the best hands in poker.