The thrill of the game is taking the pot. Every poker player has a cache of tricks; and knowing what beats what in poker give players the edge. In this game there are the masters, and the wannabes. The winning number of cards you must hold in your hands must be five. That's it. If you get more than five cards, you get to pick up five more. Chances are you don't get the pot.

In poker, the Royal Flush reigns supreme but is equal to other Royal Flushes. It is composed of an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten. The second high ranking set, the Straight Flush is composed of five cards of the same suit and arranged in sequential order. It is also equal to another set of Straight Flush.

Next in rank is the four-of-a-kind. As the name suggests it has four cards from the same suit; the fifth card will not harm the set. The higher the four cards of the same suit are, the better the deal.

So what beats what in poker?

The Full House has three cards of one level, and two cards of another rank. When pitted against another Full House, the higher rank wins. If you have three Jacks and an ace, you beat your opponent who only has three fives and a ten. In a straight flush, the highest set will get the ante. A straight flush of 6KJ83 diamond will beat KJ573.

In the straights, let's say you have cards in a sequential suit order like J10987. This will be defeated by a full house or three of a kind with a pair.

In observing what beats what in poker take note of the ranking. If you have the ace up your sleeve, let it out. Play what you can with your cards and aim for the highest hand if you can muster it.

Another what beats what in poker in the lower rung is the two pairs. If you happen to have two pairs like 8-8-10-10 and a single like 7, it will appear like this 8-8-10-10-7. That's a two pair set with an extra. You have to match cards to get this set. If you are staring at a 6-6-10-K-4, try to find a pair for the last three cards, and you are set.

The lowest hand in the game comes when no one got a Royal, Straight, Full House or even a full house; the win goes to the player with the highest number of cards.

Luck and Skill

It is a matter of knowing what beats what in poker. Since there are several winning hands it is wise to memorize them all. This is your stock in trade. Yes, there are days you get the Royal Flush or the Straights, and days when you only get the two pairs. As long as you know how to manipulate your cards, you can beat them in this game.