Poker Ranks
First, some basics for those of you who have led sheltered lives:
Poker is played with a deck of 52 cards. There are four suits -- hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades -- each with 13 cards. The addition of one or two jokers is optional.
Normally, no one suit is higher than another. Thus, a royal flush in spades equals a royal flush in hearts, and would tie it in the struggle for the pot.
The ranks of the cards in each of the suits follow this descending order: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
To complete a straight, the ace may be used as the lowest card in the deck -- for example: 5, 4, 3, 2, ace. Mr. Lucky says that an ace may also become the lowest card in games like Low Poker and High-Low.
Sometimes, a pain-in-the-neck dealer will announce, before the game, “Low spade in the hole splits the pot” (or he might pick low diamond, low club or low heart). When this happens, get ready for a fight. Because: which is the lowest spade -- the 2 or the ace?
Mr. Lucky insists that -- in this situation -- the lowest card in any particular suit is the 2, not the ace. Here, he considers the ace to be the highest card in a suit. Others disagree, sometimes violently.
The important thing, with this and with other minor poker technicalities, is that you and your “play group” agree ahead of time which way you’re going to play it.
I guess we should mention wild cards at this time. In general, wild cards are cards which can be used to represent any card of any suit. Their use makes it possible to have five cards of the same rank -- for example, five jacks. Sometimes, jokers are used as wild cards. Wild cards equal natural cards in value. A hand made with wild cards is equal in value to the "same" hand made with non-wild cards. Thus, a natural three kings equals a king plus two wild cards. Wild cards may not be used as pot splitters.
In general, "only five cards play poker." Thus, at the end of a game of Seven-Card Stud, each player has seven cards -- but he may only use five of them for his poker hand. If two players' five-card hands are equal in value, they split the pot -- their sixth and seventh cards don't count. So, 10-10-8-8-7-4-3 equals 10-10-8-8-7-5-2.
On the other hand, "splitters may stand alone" -- you don't have to include them in your final five-card hand. In the rare case where two players tie for best hand and someone holds a splitter such as the 2 of spades, the splitter takes half the pot first, then the tied hands divide the remainder of the money.
One last thing before we get to the actual poker ranks. Since some of Mr. Lucky's friends get confused by their own cards (especially when wild cards are involved), he plays according to the old principle "the cards speak for themselves." Your final hand is what is there, not what you say is there. If you're not sure what great hands can be formed with the sad cards you hold, ask your friends to help you figure it out. Once in a while, they will tell you the truth.
The ranks of the cards in each of the suits follow this descending order: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
To complete a straight, the ace may be used as the lowest card in the deck -- for example: 5, 4, 3, 2, ace. Mr. Lucky says that an ace may also become the lowest card in games like Low Poker and High-Low.
Sometimes, a pain-in-the-neck dealer will announce, before the game, “Low spade in the hole splits the pot” (or he might pick low diamond, low club or low heart). When this happens, get ready for a fight. Because: which is the lowest spade -- the 2 or the ace?
Mr. Lucky insists that -- in this situation -- the lowest card in any particular suit is the 2, not the ace. Here, he considers the ace to be the highest card in a suit. Others disagree, sometimes violently.
The important thing, with this and with other minor poker technicalities, is that you and your “play group” agree ahead of time which way you’re going to play it.
I guess we should mention wild cards at this time. In general, wild cards are cards which can be used to represent any card of any suit. Their use makes it possible to have five cards of the same rank -- for example, five jacks. Sometimes, jokers are used as wild cards. Wild cards equal natural cards in value. A hand made with wild cards is equal in value to the "same" hand made with non-wild cards. Thus, a natural three kings equals a king plus two wild cards. Wild cards may not be used as pot splitters.
In general, "only five cards play poker." Thus, at the end of a game of Seven-Card Stud, each player has seven cards -- but he may only use five of them for his poker hand. If two players' five-card hands are equal in value, they split the pot -- their sixth and seventh cards don't count. So, 10-10-8-8-7-4-3 equals 10-10-8-8-7-5-2.
On the other hand, "splitters may stand alone" -- you don't have to include them in your final five-card hand. In the rare case where two players tie for best hand and someone holds a splitter such as the 2 of spades, the splitter takes half the pot first, then the tied hands divide the remainder of the money.
One last thing before we get to the actual poker ranks. Since some of Mr. Lucky's friends get confused by their own cards (especially when wild cards are involved), he plays according to the old principle "the cards speak for themselves." Your final hand is what is there, not what you say is there. If you're not sure what great hands can be formed with the sad cards you hold, ask your friends to help you figure it out. Once in a while, they will tell you the truth.