High Card in Poker
What is High Card?
A high card poker hand contains no recognized combination and does not qualify into any of the other hand categories. It contains no pair, no three of a kind, no straight, no flush, etc. High card is the lowest hand in the rankings. The complete order from high card up to royal flush is in the poker hand rankings guide.
Where High Card Ranks
High card ranks tenth and last of the ten poker hands. The hand one place above it is one pair, which beats any hand that has only a high card. At showdown, a high card hand can only beat a lesser high card hand. The complete ranking order is set out in the hub guide.
Example Hands
A high card hand is named after its highest card:
- K♠ Q♦ 9♣ 6♥ 3♠ is referred to as a king-high hand
- Q♠ J♦ 8♣ 4♦ 2♥ is queen-high, and would lose to the hand above because the king outranks queen
When two high card hands have the same rank of highest card, the next-highest card determines the winner at showdown:
- K♦ Q♣ 8♠ 5♥ 2♣ (king-queen-high) beats;
- K♦ J♣ 8♦ 5♠ 2♥ (king-jack-high) because the queen outranks the jack
What High Card Beats and Loses To
In high-hand poker games, high card can not beat any other category of hand. It loses to all hands, from one pair up to royal flush. One pair, the hand directly above it, beats any high card holding. High card will only win at showdown when no opponent holds a pair or better, in which case the highest high card hand wins the pot.
Ties and Kickers
Ties between high card hands are settled by comparing all five cards in order. The highest card is compared first. If both hands have the same rank of highest card, the second-highest card is compared, then the third, and so on.
A pot is split only when both hands hold the same five card ranks, no suit is worth more than another. In Texas Hold'em, two players can share the five community cards, so if those cards outrank both their hole cards, it will be a split pot.
High Card Probability
High card is a very common hand in poker. The probability of having a high card hand as your best five-card hand by the river in Texas Hold'em is 17.4%. This figure is lower than the probability of some better ranked hands, like one pair and two pair, because it is likely that your high card will improve to a better hand once all community cards are dealt.
High Card Across Variants
High card is the weakest hand in high-hand games like Texas Hold'em, where the highest hand wins at showdown. In lowball games, like Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw, and 2-7 Single Draw, the lowest hand wins, so a hand made only of unpaired cards can become a strong holding. In Badugi, the aim is to form an unpaired low hand without matching suits. In Hi/Lo variants, a high card hand can make a strong low, but it must qualify by being low enough, usually a 9-high hand is too high.
Frequently Asked Questions
High card is the lowest ranked hand in poker, made of five cards that form no pair, straight, flush or other recognized combination. The hand is ranked first by its highest card, so a hand with an ace as its top card is called ace-high and beats a king-high.
In high-hand poker games, high card beats no other hand category, because it is the lowest hand in poker. It loses to all other hands at showdown, from one pair up to the royal flush. A high card hand can still win the pot, but only when every opponent holds a lower high card hand.
In Texas Hold'em, when two players both hold high card, the highest high card wins. If the highest cards match, the next-highest card determines the winner, then the next, down through all five cards. The pot is split if both hands hold the same five card ranks, suits never break a tie.
High card is a very common hand formed in Texas Hold'em, but it wins comparatively rarely because any other hand beats it. At showdown, a high card can only beat a weaker high card.