Reading poker hands is an essential part of playing the game. Deciding which cards to hold and which to discard is one of the most important decisions a poker player can make.
To read hands, first identify the type of hand you are playing. There are four main types of hands in poker: straights, flushes, full houses, and three of a kind.
After identifying the type of hand, look at the rank and suit of each card.
Straights: A straight consists of two cards of the same rank and suit. For example, if you are playing with a five-card straight, your first card might be a two and your second card might be a three.
Flushes: A flush consists of five cards of the same suit. For example, if you are playing with a five-card flush, your first card might be a king, queen, jack, 10, and 9.
Full Houses: A full house consists of three cards of the same rank and two cards of the same suit. For example, if you are playing with a five-card full house, your first card might be a 2nd 2nd 2nd (two pairs), and your second card might be a 3 (threeofakind).
Threeofakind: A threeofakind consists of three cards that are all different suits. For example, if you are playing with an ace-king-queen (threeofakind), your first card might be an ace (high), king (middle), or queen (low).
