Four of a Kind in Poker: Hand Ranking

Poker is a game of skill, luck and strategy. Knowing the poker hand rankings is one of the first steps to becoming an expert poker player. The top most hand in poker rankings is a straight flush and under it is four of a kind, usually considered to be second in the list of poker hands.

One of the strongest hands a player can play is four of a kind. It basically means four cards of the same denomination but belonging to different suits. It is important to note that when playing four of a kind, higher ranking cards will always beat lower ranking cards. For example, A♥A♠A♦A♣ is considered to be the best combination when playing four of a kind. In popular variants of poker like Texas Hold’em, Omaha and such, four of a kind is considered to be a strong and winning hand. Only a straight flush and royal flush can beat four of a kind.

How does a 4-of-a-kind hand rank?

In popular poker variations, there are 624 possible four of a kind combinations that can be made from a 52 card deck. 156 distinct ranks can be made as well but when playing four of a kind, the fifth card in hand adds immense importance as the ranking of the card determines if you have a winning hand or not. For example, 5♥5♠5♦5♣10♦ would rank higher than 5♥5♠5♦5♣7♦.
When playing four of a kind, the hand ranking and denomination matters the most. This is precisely why a hand that has K♥K♠K♦K♣2♦ ranks higher than Q♥Q♠Q♦Q♣A♦. Higher value cards that form four of a kind offer better chances at victory. Four of a kind formed by Aces will beat Four of a kind formed by Kings or even Queens.

How does 4-of-a-kind compare to other hands in poker?

If you look at the hand rankings in poker, four of a kind is generally considered to be the second best hand. The only hand that can beat four of a kind is a straight flush. In most popular variants of poker, four of a kind is a very strong hand and is very rarely beaten on the river.

The hand that ranks under four of a kind is called full house, also known as boat. Simply put, a full house is a combination of three of a kind plus a pair. The best full house hand is ‘Aces full of kings’, in this hand a player must have 3 Aces of different suits along with a pair of kings. For example, A♠A♦A♥K♣K♥ will beat any other full house hand.

What are the probabilities of forming 4-of-a-kind in poker?

It is important for every poker player to be aware of the probabilities of playing four of a kind at every round of the game. If you’re playing popular variants like Hold’em or Omaha, the probabilities for pre-flop, flop, turn and river are given below.

Texas Hold’em Probabilities

Pot Limit Omaha Probabilities

Conclusion

Four of a kind is a strong hand to have in most poker games. Though it’s not an unbeatable hand, it ranks very high in popular variants of poker and can generally help you gain victory. Improve your understanding of poker hand rankings, probabilities of playing four of a kind and start testing your skills on the Pocket52 app. Download it from your app store!

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