A poker hand consists of five cards. The categories of hand, from highest to lowest, are listed below. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category (so for example any three of a kind beats any two pairs). Between hands in the same category the rank of the individual cards decides which is better. In other words, between two straights, or two flushes, the one containing the higher top card is the winner. 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.

In games where a player has more than five cards (such as Texas Hold'Em), he or she must select the five best cards to form a poker hand. The remaining cards do not play any part in the ranking. Poker ranks are always based on five cards only.

Royal Flush   This is the best poker hand you can have. In this case, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten of hearts. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.
Straight Flush Five cards, in sequence, in the same suit. In this case, 6 thru 10, all in clubs.
Four-Of-A-Kind Four cards of an equal rank. In this case, four queens.
Full House Three cards of equal rank, and two cards of a different equal rank. In other words, three of a kind and a pair. In this case, three tens and two fives.
Flush Any five cards of the same suit. In this case, five spades.
Straight Five cards in sequence, but of mixed suits. In this case, 9 thru King. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once.
Three-Of-A-Kind Any three cards of equal rank. In this case, three nines.
Two Pair Two cards of equal rank and a different two cards of equal rank. In this case, two fives and two twos.
One Pair Two cards of equal rank. In this case, two jacks.
High Card Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. Highest card wins.

In standard poker there is no ranking of suits. If two hands are identical apart from the suits of the cards then they count as equal. In standard poker, if there are two highest equal hands in a showdown, the pot is split between them.