The majority of the talent involved in playing poker is actually simply the luck of the draw. Getting the winning hand not only depends on what cards are dealt but also on how well the player can read the cards. Knowing all the different hands that can be dealt helps in getting that winning hand.

Putting together a winning hand is easier if the player knows the different ranks of a hand of poker. There are only nine hands that can be made out of being dealt five cards. The player has a better chance of winning if their hand is higher on the list.

The ranks of winning hands are as follows; a high card, one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a flush, a straight, a full house, four of a kind, and a straight flush. Many players believe that a royal straight flush is the highest ranked hand but this is redundant since a royal straight flush is simply a straight flush using all face cards. No matter what cards make your straight flush, it is still the hardest hand to acquire.

Getting a high card, such as an ace, is easy to do, but winning with a high card isn't easy to accomplish. This is simply because with the odds of getting a pair in a game such as Texas Hold'em where there is a community group of cards is high. In a 52-card deck, there is a 42% chance of getting a pair.

The chances of getting two pair in the last five cards are much lower than getting a pair. The chances of getting two pair are just under 5%. With this hand, the player has to be careful because if they have a pair of twos and a pair of face cards, another player with two pair might beat them if that player has a matching pair of face cards and a higher pair of number cards.

The chances of getting three of a kind is just about the same as getting two pairs but beats it. It is smart to assume that another player has three of a kind if there is a pair showing in the window. Be careful if the other player beings to bet higher even if you have a good chance of winning.

With a straight, the ace plays a dual role. The ace can be considered either the highest card or the lowest. With a king, queen, jack and ten, the ace plays the higher role, but with a 5, 4, 3, and 2, the ace then becomes like a 1 card.

The odds of getting a straight are less than four tenths of a percent, which makes it a tricky hand to get. In a hand like a 7, 8, 10, and jack, many players have lost the hand because they were expecting a 9 to show up in the window. Waiting for a card is almost always a losing hand.

With only two tenths of a chance to get a flush, it is a hard hand to receive. A flush is a hand that has five cards that are all of the same suit such as hearts or spades. If there are three or more cards of the same suit in the window, it is a safe bet that another player has a flush.

A full house is an exciting hand to draw. This is because it is very rare to pull a full house because there is a less than .15% chance. It is having a set of three of a kind and a pair, which is almost always a winner.

The chances of getting a four of a kind or a straight flush are extremely tiny. It does happen but extremely rarely. Remembering the chances of getting these different hands helps the player in betting and also in bluffing, especially during a community game where everyone can see five available cards.