Two Pair in Poker: Hand Ranking
As the name suggests, a two pair is a combination of cards when you have two pairs of the same value. For example, in A♠️A♥️10♦️10♣️9♦️you have two pairs, a pair of aces and a pair of 10s. Two pair is the 8th most powerful hand in poker. It ranks just above one pair and right below three-of-a-kind.- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of kind
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
What is Two Pair in Poker?
As mentioned above, two pair is a combination that has 2 one-pairs in it. The biggest two pair that you can have is 2 aces and 2 kings while the smallest is 2 threes and 2 twos.
Example:
Biggest two pair combination: Aces and Kings (A♠ A♦ K♠ K♣)
Smallest two pair combination: Twos and Threes (2♠ 2♦ 3♠ 3♣)
If two players have the same two pairs, then the one with the bigger kicker will decide the winner. For example:
Player 1: A♠️A♣️K♥️K♦️10♦️
Player 2: A♥️A♦️K♣️K♠️5♦️
Player 1 will win because they have a bigger kicker - 10♦️> 5♦️
How Does a Two Pair Hand Rank?
There are a total of 1,23,552 combinations of two pair hands that you can make in poker. Here are a few examples:
A♠️A♣️K♥️K♦️10♦️
9♠️9♣️5♥️5♦️2♦️
J♠️J♣️7♥️7♦️A♦️
4♥️4♦️Q♣️Q♠️9♣️
How Does a Two Pair Hand Match Up?
Two pair is the 8th best poker hand but that does not mean it is not good. The probability of having a two is less than 5% and this is what makes it a good hand to have. It ranks above a one pair and below a three-of-a-kind.
Two Pair Poker Probabilities
Hold'em Probabilities
Poker game heavily relies on probability. The lesser the probability of having a hand, the greater is its power. Here’s the probability of all the hands in poker:
| Hand | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 0.000154% |
| Straight Flush | 0.00139% |
| Four of a kind | 0.02401% |
| Full House | 0.1441% |
| Flush | 0.1965% |
| Straight | 0.3925% |
| three-of-a-kind | 2.1128% |
| Two pair | 4.75359% |
| One pair | 42.2569% |
| High card | 50.1177% |
The probability of having a two pair increases if you already have a pair as hole cards:
| Pair as hole cards | Probability |
| From flop to turn | 6.4% |
| From turn to river | 6.5% |
| From flop to river | 12% |
Pot Limit Omaha Probabilities
| Phase | Two pair probability |
| Pre-flop | 4.75% |
| Flop (when you have a pocket pair) | 16.7% |
| Turn (when you have a pocket pair) | 19.5% |
| River (when you have a pocket pair) | 20% |
Tiebreaker Rules for Two Pair Hands in Poker
In poker, when two or more players hold two-pair hand combinations, a clear set of tiebreaker rules is used to determine the winner. Here are the three basic rules for breaking the tie:
Highest pair:
The player with the highest-ranked pair wins the hand. Example: If player 1 has two pairs of Kings and 5’s, and player 2 has Queens and Jacks, then player 1 wins because Kings outrank Queens.Second pair:
If players have the same highest-ranked pair, then the second pair is compared to determine the winner. Example: If player 1 has two pairs of Kings and 6’s, while player 2 has two pairs of Kings and 5’s, then player 1 wins this hand, because 6’s outrank the 5’s.Kicker:
If both pairs are identical between the players, then the kicker (5th card) decides the winner. Example: Both player 1 and 2 have two pairs of Kings and Jacks, but player 2 has a kicker card 9, while player 1 has a kicker card 6. Then player 2 wins the hand based on a higher kicker card.
Explore other hands in poker:
| Royal Flush | Flush | Full House |
| Straight Flush | Straight | One Pair |
| Four of a Kind | Three of a kind | High Card |
FAQs on Two Pair in Poker
1. Who wins if two people have two pair?
If two players have two pair, then the one with a higher pair wins. For example, the player with a pair of aces beats a player with a pair of kings, and so on. If two players have the same two pair, then the kicker decides the winner.
2. What does 2 pair beat in poker?
As per poker rules a two pair beats one pair, and a high card in poker.
3. Does two pair beat three-of-a-kind?
Two pair ranks below three-of-a-kind in poker hand rankings as the probability of getting a two pair is higher than getting the other. So, a two pair does not beat a three-of-a-kind.
4. What are the Odds of Getting a Two Pair in Poker?
The odds of getting a two pair hand in poker, especially Texas Hold'em, is very common. There is a probability of approximately 4.75% of getting a two pair in a 5-card hand.
5. What is the Best Two Pair Combination in Poker?
The best two pair hand combination in poker is Aces and Kings (A♠ A♦ K♠ K♣).
6. What is the smallest Two Pair in Poker?
The smallest two pair hand combination in poker is 2’s and 3’s (2♠ 2♦ 3♠ 3♣).
7. What happens if both players have the same Two Pair and kicker?
If both players have identical two pairs and the kicker, then the pot is split between them. Example: If both players have a pair of Queens and Tens, with the kicker card of 8, then the tie cannot be broken. In such a scenario, the winning amount or pot willbe split.
8. Can a low kicker win a hand with two pairs?
The Kicker card comes into the equation if both players have the same two pair hand. But, if the player is already winning due to a higher pair or second pair, then the kicker card even if it is lower than their opponent, won’t affect the result.
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