Dos and Don'ts

There are 52 cards in a deck, the ranking of the individual cards, from high to low is: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. There is no ranking between the suits - for example the Jack of hearts and the Jack of spades are equal.

Royal Flush		Ace to 10 all of the same suit. This is the best possible hand you can achieve.
Straight Flush		Five cards of the same suit in sequence (other than Ace – 10) Such as 2-3-4-5-6 all of spades. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is best. An ace can be counted as low, so 5-4-3-2-A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace making it the lowest type of straight flush. The cards cannot "turn the corner": 4-3-2-A-K is not valid.
4 of a Kind		Four cards of Matching Rank - such as 4 Nines . Nickname: Quads
Full House		A full house consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank - for example three fours and two sevens (known as "fours full" or more specifically "fours over seven"). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 8-8-8-2-2 beats 7-7-7-K-K. If the three of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide (8-8-8-K-K beats 8-8-8-J-J). Nickname: Boat
Flush		Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 of hearts beats K-J-7-6-5 of hearts because the nine beats the seven.
Straight		Five cards of mixed suits in sequence - for example Q-J-10-9-8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five. Nickname: (A-2-3-4-5) = bike, bicycle or wheel.
3 of a Kind		Three cards of the same rank plus two other cards. This combination is also known as Triplets or Trips. When comparing two three of a kind Poker Hands, the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank is better. So for example 6-6-6-9-4 beats 4-4-4-K-Q. If you have to compare two three of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared. Nickname: trips but, when you hold two cards such as 8-8 and an 8 is one of the community cards then that nickname is Set.
2 Pair		A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the poker hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards - so K-K-9-9-4 beats J-J-9-9-8 because the kings beat the jacks. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 9-9-3-3-6 beats 9-9-2-2-6. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so J-J-8-8-7 beats J-J-8-8-3.
1 Pair		A hand with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better - so for example 9-9-7-3-8 beats 7-7-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each poker hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too, compare the lowest odd cards. So Q-Q-J-8-3 beats Q-Q-J-7-3 because the 8 beats the 7.
High Card		Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. When comparing two such hands, the one with the highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal, the second cards are compared, if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-K-9-6-4 beats A-J-8-5-2 because the king beats the jack.