Poker is one of the most well-known card games worldwide. Over the years we have seen a gradual progression of this game. According to reports, there are 100 million+ poker players all around the world. So, by this figure, you must understand the popularity of the game. Poker is also a very complicated game that involves a host of mathematical computations. A person apart from having skills needs to have strong knowledge of numbers to calculate the possible outcomes.
Poker combines various hand combinations which makes the game an intriguing one. By playing this game you can also develop your social skills. Nowadays, you can even play poker online! A wide number of online gaming platforms host several poker tournaments and matches that you can participate in. If you are a beginner or a mid-level poker player, to improve your gameplay, you must know the possible hand combinations and strategies to use them. One such hand is the high card.
Here we will discuss the meaning, ranking and probability of getting a high card in poker.
Meaning of a high card in poker
High card is like a nightmare for poker players. A high card is a combination where all the 5 cards (dealt to a player) have no relation with one another. These 5 cards are completely different. For instance, a hand combination of cards of ranks 6,8,11,3,4 is a high card. As you can see from this example, none of the cards has any relation whatsoever. Ironically, a high card is the lowest of all poker hands. Despite that, it is said that the name gives an appropriate idea of what the card stands for. As per the standard poker rules, the highest card present in the set of 5 cards is compared to the high cards of all the other players who are playing at the table.
Ranking of a high card in poker
A high card in poker is ranked by following the regular card ranking rules. The ace high poker hand combination among the 5 cards is considered the highest one. You can play the table with a high card just like the other hand combinations in poker. Play the table or play the board is a poker term for using community cards that are face down on the table. You can create hand combinations with those cards. Almost all poker games encourage playing board. Using community cards slowly is a part of any poker game. It does not matter how many hole cards that dealer has given to the players. The suit of the hand combination is not taken into consideration while ranking a high card.
What matters in a high card is the denominations of the cards or the rankings of the cards. A high card is not just a hand combination. This card refers to all the high cards in all the hand combinations. When you are comparing two similar hand combinations, the higher hand combination is decided by the highest card in the particular hand combination. For example, if two players get a straight hand combination, the player with a poker straight hand card or the highest card is announced the winner. In poker, the highest high card is the Ace. This hand combination is then followed by the high card king, which is followed by the high card queen. The high card hand combinations can be illustrated with some common examples:
- Ace (A), Queen (Q), Rank 10 (10), Rank 6 (5), Rank (5) (A Q 10 6 5) – a poker high card combination with an Ace high.
- King (K), Jack (J), Rank 9 (9), Rank (7), Rank 5 (5) (K J 9 7 5) – a poker high card combination with a King high.
- Queen (Q), Rank 8 (8), Rank 5 (5), Rank 3 (3), Rank 2 (2) (Q 8 5 3 2)- a poker high card combination with a Queen high.
- Jack (J), Rank 9 (9), Rank 6 (6), Rank (4), Rank 2 (2) (J 9 6 4 2)- a poker high card combination with a Jack high.
Probability of getting a high card in poker
As mentioned earlier, according to poker high card rules, this hand combination can be used in any form of poker. Poker rules are applicable to two of the famous poker variations, Texas hold’em and Omaha poker. The poker high card rules dictate the probabilities of using a high card in both Texas hold’em and Omaha poker. Hence, the probabilities for the pre flop, flop, turn and river in both versions can be:
Omaha Poker probabilities
The chances for a pre-flop are 50.12%. This is based on 5 cards selected randomly from a deck of 53 cards. For a flop, the chances are 31.08%. This is based on hole cards that are neither suited nor paired. For a turn, the chances are 73.33% and for a turn, the chances are 72.73%.
Texas hold’em probabilities
The chances for a pre-flop in this form are 50.12. Just like Omaha poker, this is also based on 5 cards randomly selected from a deck of 53 cards. For a flop, the chances are 67.70%. The chances for a turn are 87.23% and for a river, it is 86.96%. In all these cases, the probability is based on hole cards that are neither suited nor paired.
A high card in poker can turn the course of the game. If you have understood the basics of this hand combination, your chances of winning the game will increase. To improve this poker hand combination, download the GetMega app now.