A two pair poker hand is one of the most popular hands in the game. It is also a strong poker hand that can win the pot if played well.
A two pair hand has two cards of a matching rank in different suits, plus another card. The highest pair wins if there is a tie.
Hands with two pairs
A hand with two pairs in poker is a fairly weak hand. However, it is not the worst possible hand and can often be worth building a pot with.
The key to winning with a hand like this is to be able to value bet large amounts without making your opponent think you are trying to steal a pot. It’s also important to play your cards correctly.
When comparing hands with pairs in poker, the higher pair is always the winner. For example, a pair of sixes beats a hand of five eights and two sevens.
Two pairs are one of the stronger hands in poker, but they don’t beat three of a kind or straights and flushes very frequently. However, they can still be very profitable when they are paired on the board and your opponents have weaker pocket pairs.
Hands with three of a kind
A hand that consists of three cards in one rank and two unrelated side cards is called three of a kind. Three of a kind is the seventh-best possible hand in the standard poker hand ranking system.
It beats other strong hands, like straight flushes, full houses, and four of a kind. However, it does not beat a pair or a high card.
A three of a kind is ranked based on the denomination of its three matching cards, with a three Aces being the best possible Three of a Kind. In the event that two or more players have three of a kind, they are ranked by the highest kicker.
Hands with four of a kind
There are a number of poker hands that have four of a kind, or quads. These hands can be incredibly strong to hold and are almost unbeatable at the river.
Hands with two pairs in poker who wins
When comparing a pair and three different cards, the highest pair beats any other pair – so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8. If the pairs are equal, the highest ranking odd cards are compared, and so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-2-K-3.
When players have four of a kind in poker, they also have a fifth card called the kicker. The kicker can break ties in certain situations, and so the highest kicker wins.
Hands with five of a kind
Poker is a card game played with a deck of 52 cards. Players are dealt five cards, and must then choose up to three cards to trade in exchange for new cards. The best five-card hand wins the pot.
In a poker game with wild cards, the highest possible hand is a five of a kind, beating a Royal Flush. Between five of a kind, the higher beats the lower (Five Aces beats Five Kings, and so on).
A straight is five consecutive cards that are not all of the same suit. A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest possible straight sequence, and it beats all other hands that include straights except a three of a kind or a pair.
A three of a kind is a hand with three cards of the same rank, such as 8-8-8-5-2. In a poker game with wild cards, this is the highest possible hand, and it beats all other hands that consist of three of a kind.
