Poker Hand Calculator

Select five, six, or seven cards and identify the strongest legal five-card combination. This poker hand calculator shows the category and exact best five under standard Hold’em or the displayed Short Deck rules.

Select five to seven cards

Outlined best-five cards are reported by the same evaluator used by the calculator; unused cards remain visible in the source groups.

Seven cards still make one five-card hand

Hold’em compares the best five-card subset, not all seven cards together. With seven cards the evaluator inspects 21 distinct subsets and keeps the strongest five-card result.

How kickers determine the result

Pairs compare the paired rank first, then three kickers in descending order. Two pair compares the higher pair, lower pair, and final kicker. Straights compare only their effective high card.

What this tool does not predict

The hand checker identifies a made hand from supplied cards. It does not enumerate future boards or estimate equity against another hand; use the odds or comparator tool for those questions.

Worked examples

Board plays

A straight or flush entirely on the board can be the same best five for every player even when each holds different cards.

Two pair with a live kicker

When both players share two board pairs, the remaining best card may come from a hole card and decide the hand.

Frequently asked questions

Why are two of my seven cards unused?

Only the strongest five-card subset counts in Hold’em.

Does suit break an exact tie?

No. Suits are not ranked for ordinary Hold’em hand comparison.

Is a royal flush separate?

Yes. The evaluator reports ten through ace in one suit as royal flush, ranked above every other straight flush.

Can I check Short Deck hands?

Yes. Switch rules before selecting cards; ranks two through five then become unavailable.