THE HIGH CARD POKER HAND EXPLAINED

Any savvy poker player would know that poker hand rankings are the foundation of any strategy. The whole goal of poker is to form a strong winning hand, so how can one do that without knowing what those hands are in the first place? Let’s unravel the mysteries behind the high card hand, so that you’ll be able to start playing poker confidently.

WHAT IS A HIGH CARD IN POKER?

A high card hand is formed from a combination of cards whose pattern does not match any of the other hand combinations in poker hand rankings. It is essentially the lowest-ranking hand in poker, and as such, high-card hands can only beat other high-card hands — but we’ll get into that later. The strongest high card a player can earn is the ace-high hand, while the lowest-possible five-card hand is a six-high hand. 

HOW DOES THE HIGH CARD WORK IN POKER?

Many players wonder whether high card hands hold any value at all, and, despite being quite a low hand, the high card can still have a part to play, especially when playing high-low split poker.

A standard 52-card deck holds 1,277 distinct ways of forming a high card hand. And, if you factor in all possible suit combinations, you can draw a high card hand in 1,302,540 different ways. In a Texas hold ‘em poker game, with all five community cards on the table, you will have a 17.4% chance of forming a high card hand. A high card hand has even less of a chance of forming than two pair hands.

So, if a high card hand is the lowest hand you can earn, what would happen if two high card hands face off against each other? Well, in a battle like this one, the hand with the best high card wins. For example, a king-high hand beats a queen-high hand since a king-high is stronger. In cases where both hands have the same-ranking high card, the hand with the second-highest card wins. 

HOW DOES A HIGH CARD RANK IN POKER HAND RANKING?

The key to understanding poker hand rankings is seeing how each hand measures up. It’s a well-known fact that the high card hand does not rank super high, especially with straights, flushes and three-of-a-kinds as contenders. Take a look:

POKER HANDS THAT THE HIGH CARD BEATS

As we’ve discussed, high card hands rank the lowest out of all poker hands, so the only other poker hand this card combination can beat is another high card hand with lower-ranking cards. 

POKER HANDS THAT CAN BEAT A HIGH CARD

Here is a list of all other poker hands that rank better than a high card poker hand:

• Royal Flush: A royal flush features a king, queen, jack, 10 and ace with all five cards of the same suit. This can also be referred to as an ace-high straight flush.
• Straight Flush: A straight flush features five cards of the same suit in a sequence.
• Four-of-a-Kind: A four-of-a-kind features four cards of the same rank — one card in all four suits.
• Full House: A full house is formed out of any three cards of the same rank and two cards of the another rank — a three-of-a-kind with a pair.
• Straight: Five cards in a sequential order not of the same suit.
• Flush: A flush features any five cards of the same suit not in order.
• Three-of-a-kind: A three-of-a-kind is a combination of any three cards with the same rank.
• Two Pair: A two pair includes any two cards of the same rank and another two cards of equal rank.The player with the highest pair wins.
• One Pair: A pair of two cards of one rank.

HOW TO PLAY A HIGH CARD IN TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

A high card may not seem all that important, but it can have a major part to play:

• A high card is used to break ties in cases of a flush, straight, pair, etc. The player with the highest card wins.
• A high card can be ranked the highest in lowball poker games.
• If you opt to play the board, you can use any of the cards on the board to form a high hand. 

HIGH CARD PROBABILITIES

The probability of forming a specific poker hand is highly dependent on the type of poker game you’re playing. Variants like Seven Card Stud and Omaha Poker come with different rules, some even including Wild cards, and betting rounds also have a part to play. Let’s check out the preflop, flop, turn and river probabilities of forming a high card in Texas hold ‘em:

Here is what those odds may look like in Pot Limit Omaha: