Best five of seven
How a hand is read from your two cards and the board — including the cases that trip people up.
5 minute read
Your hand is the best five-card combination from your two hole cards and the five board cards. You may use both hole cards, one, or none: if the board is the best five, everybody 'plays the board' and the pot is split.
- Kickers matter only within a category: A♠K♥ beats A♦Q♣ on an A-high board because the king outranks the queen.
- Two pair on the board with a pair in your hand: you have two pair, the higher two — your lower pair does not play.
- Three pairs among seven cards: the best two pair plus the highest remaining card as the kicker.
- The wheel (A-2-3-4-5) is a straight with the ace low; it loses to 2-3-4-5-6.
- Suits never break ties. Two ace-high flushes with the same five ranks split the pot.
The odds calculator names each player's current hand as the board develops; watch the description change as you add cards.
Board · Flop
You
—
Pair of Aces
Opponent 1
—
Three of a Kind, Kings
Click a slot, then pick a card. Used cards are greyed out.
Result
Computing…
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Quick check
Board: K♠ K♦ 9♣ 9♥ 2♠. You hold A♣ 5♣. What is your hand?
Show answer
Two pair, kings and nines, with an ace kicker — you play the ace, not the five.