“Our hands are full.”
Henry IV., Part I. Act III., Scene 2d.
Singly each card possesses its ordinary value, as in whist.
NO PAIRS
The lowest hand is one in which, in the five cards, there are no pairs, nor are the cards of the same suit, nor is there a sequence. Its value would depend on its highest card. Thus, one hand may contain a two of spades, a four of hearts, an eight of diamonds, a jack of clubs, and an ace of diamonds. This hand would be better than one which held only a king of diamonds as its highest card. It is not uncommon, even when betting is made on a false straight, that when one adversary calls the other no pair can be shown. Then the highest card wins. (See farther on in regard to straights and flushes.)
ONE PAIR
The values of the cards being the same as in whist, a pair of threes, as the three of diamonds and three of spades, is better than the deuce of diamonds or the deuce of spades, as a pair of aces are better than a pair of kings or a pair of queens better than a pair of jacks. If each player; when two are engaged, has pairs which are alike, “as, say, each one has a pair of queens, the next highest card wins. Say the two players had each queens. In one, hand is a king, in the other a jack. The hand with the queens and king would win. Occasionally this parity of hands may require the second or even the third card after the pair to decide on the value of the hand. One of the rarest things is to see the same cards held exactly by two hands. This may occur, but never when threes, fulls, or fours are held. (Threes and fulls will be explained later.)
TWO PAIRS
Two pairs beat a single pair. Of the two pairs the higher wins when pitted against any other two pairs. A pair of aces and a pair of deuces are better than a pair of kings and a pair of queens. A pair of sixes and threes are better than a pair of fives and fours. If the two pairs are alike, then the single card left decides the value of the hand.
THREES OR TRIPLETS
By threes or triplets is meant that the player holds three cards of the same value, as three aces, or three tens, or three deuces. The three highest win. There can be no similarity of hands in threes.
THE STRAIGHT
The straight, sometimes called a sequence, means that five cards are held which ascend in exact values. Thus, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, are numerical sequences. The straight has no reference to color. A straight may be composed of the five of hearts, six of diamonds, seven of clubs, eight of spades, and nine of hearts. The ace, king, queen, jack, ten, irrespective of suits, is a straight. The ace, however, in a straight may change in value, for it may be taken as the beginning of the straight; thus, an ace, a deuce, three, four, and five is a straight, but it is the lowest one; it would be beaten by a two, three, four, five, and six. As in all valuations, the best or highest straight or sequence wins. A straight beginning with a nine and ending with a king is not as good as one commencing with a ten and ending with an ace. Two hands may hold straights of the same value; and when this happens the pool is divided between the two players holding the straights.
FLUSH
When five cards of the same suit are held, this is a flush. Any five spades, or five clubs, diamonds, or hearts, is a flush. The hand holding the highest card in the flush wins. A two, three, four, five, headed by an ace of the same suit, is better than an eight, ten, jack, queen, and king of the same suit. In the flush two hands may be made of exactly the same value; in this case the pool is divided.
THE FULL
By the full is understood a hand which contains not only threes, but a pair. Thus, a full hand may be composed of three threes and two deuces, or three. aces and two kings. Just like in two pairs, the higher threes decide in the value of the hand. Three fours and two twos are better than three threes and twos aces. Two similar hands in a full do not exist.
FOURS
This is a rare hand to hold, and means that in the five cards, four cards are the same value. Thus four deuces is a four, as are four aces. The highest fours win. There can be no similar hands in fours.
THE STRAIGHT FLUSH
This is the most unusual of all hands to hold, and is the highest in value. By a straight flush is meant that the five cards are not alone of the same suit, but have a regular numerical progression. It is not only a straight, but also a flush. Thus, a two, three, four, five, six of spades is a straight flush, as is a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of clubs or any other suit. Many games of poker may be played and a straight flush never seen. Two straight flushes of the same value may be made at the same time. It is within the possibility of cards, but players have rarely, if ever, seen this double event.
RECAPITULATION
The values of the hands at poker are in the following order:
1. No pairs. (Highest card wins.)
2. One pair.
3. Two pairs.
4. Threes or triplets.
5. The straight or sequence.
6. The flush.
7. The full.
8. Fours.
9. The straight flush.
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