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Ultimate Texas Hold'em hands
Ultimate Texas Hold'em uses the standard poker hands. From best to worst: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, pair and high card. Your hand is the best five cards out of your two and the five on the table.
The hands, best to worst
| # | Hand | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥ | A to 10, all one suit. |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♣8♣7♣6♣5♣ | Five in a row, one suit. |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q♠Q♥Q♦Q♣4♠ | Four cards of one rank. |
| 4 | Full house | 8♠8♦8♥3♣3♦ | Three of a kind plus a pair. |
| 5 | Flush | K♦J♦8♦5♦2♦ | Five of one suit. |
| 6 | Straight | 10♠9♥8♣7♦6♠ | Five in a row, mixed suits. |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 7♣7♥7♠K♦2♣ | Three cards of one rank. |
| 8 | Two pair | J♠J♦4♣4♥A♠ | Two different pairs. |
| 9 | Pair | 10♦10♣A♥7♠3♦ | Two cards of one rank. |
| 10 | High card | A♣Q♦9♠6♥2♣ | None of the above. |
Best five of seven
You see seven cards: your two and the five community cards. Your hand is the best five of them. You can use both of your cards, one of them, or neither. The other two cards don't count at all, not even to break ties.
Example: you hold A♠9♦ and the board is 9♣9♥K♠5♦2♣. Your best five are three 9s with an ace and a king.
When the board plays
If the five community cards are your best hand, you are "playing the board." The dealer shares those five cards, so the dealer can only tie you or beat you. With 4♣3♦ and a board of A♠K♥Q♣J♦10♠, you have the straight on the board. The dealer has the same straight, and with no pair and no flush draw on the board, nothing the dealer holds can beat it. The hand is a tie and the Ante, Blind and Play all push.
Finding your hand
Look for the best hand first and work down. Check for a flush (five of one suit among the seven cards), then a straight (five ranks in a row), then pairs and three of a kind. With seven cards it is easy to miss a straight that uses only one of your cards, or a flush made mostly on the board. Then make sure you are using the best five: a pair with an ace kicker beats the same pair with a king.
Kickers and ties
- Same hand type: compare the main cards first, such as the rank of the pair or the top card of the straight.
- Still tied: compare the remaining cards in the five, highest first. These are the kickers.
- All five match: it is a tie. Suits never break ties.
Example: you and the dealer both have a pair of kings. You have an ace kicker, the dealer a queen. You win.
Odds of each hand
| Hand | Chance | One in |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.003% | 30,940 |
| Straight flush | 0.028% | 3,591 |
| Four of a kind | 0.17% | 595 |
| Full house | 2.60% | 39 |
| Flush | 3.03% | 33 |
| Straight | 4.62% | 22 |
| Three of a kind | 4.83% | 21 |
| Two pair | 23.50% | 4.3 |
| Pair | 43.82% | 2.3 |
| High card | 17.41% | 5.7 |
These are for the best five of seven cards, counted over all 133,784,560 seven-card hands. With seven cards, a pair is the most common hand, and high card comes less than one time in five.
What the hands pay
- Pair or better: the dealer needs this to open.
- Straight or better: the Blind pays when you beat the dealer.
- Three of a kind or better: Trips pays, win or lose.
Ultimate Texas Hold'em vs regular Texas Hold'em
The hands and the deal are the same: two cards each, then a flop, turn and river. The differences:
- You play against the dealer, not other players.
- There is no bluffing. The best hand wins.
- You make one Play bet, sized by when you make it, instead of betting each round.
- The turn and river are dealt together.
Which starting hands to bet
Any ace, any pair of 3s or better, and the stronger kings, queens and jacks are worth a 4x bet before the flop. The 4x chart.
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Questions
What is the best hand in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
A royal flush: ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of one suit. It pays 500 to 1 on the Blind and 50 to 1 on Trips.
Do you have to use both cards in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
No. Your hand is the best five of seven cards. You can use both of your cards, one, or none.
What happens if the board is the best hand in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
You are playing the board. The dealer shares those cards, so you can only tie or lose. A tie pushes the Ante, Blind and Play.
Does a flush beat a straight in Ultimate Texas Hold'em?
Yes. The usual poker order applies: a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush.
How is Ultimate Texas Hold'em different from regular Texas Hold'em?
You play against the dealer, there is no bluffing, and you make one Play bet per hand whose size depends on when you make it.
More: How to play Ultimate Texas Hold'em · Ultimate Texas Hold'em rules · Ultimate Texas Hold'em strategy · Ultimate Texas Hold'em strategy chart · Ultimate Texas Hold'em payouts · Ultimate Texas Hold'em odds · The Trips bet in Ultimate Texas Hold'em · The Blind bet in Ultimate Texas Hold'em · How to win at Ultimate Texas Hold'em · Practice Ultimate Texas Hold'em