Does Two Pair Beat a Straight Poker Hand?

In poker, does two pair beat a straight? If you’re looking to win big in poker, make sure you know how to use the answer to your advantage! 

How good a poker hand is will depend on the type of poker game you play and other factors like how many other players you are playing against. As you play the game, you will discover the strength of your poker hand.

What are poker hand rankings?

If you want to know does two pair beat a straight, you must know their place in the hand hierarchy.

This guide will teach you the most fundamental step in poker play: the poker hand rankings. 

• A standard poker hand is made up of five cards.
• Each poker hand is ranked according to a set order.
• Statistically speaking, the higher your rank is, the less chance you have of getting it.
• The better your hand rank, the more you win. Two pairs will always beat one pair, and a flush will always beat a straight.
• If two or more players have hands of the same rank, there are more ways to determine who has the winning hand.

Does two pair beat a straight?

Let’s rank poker hands from strongest to weakest.

Royal Flush

A royal flush is a combination of five cards from the same suit in a sequence of 10 through Ace. Remember that all poker suits are equal.

It is highly unlikely that more than one player will hold a royal flush, but if they do, they will split the pot.

Straight Flush

A straight flush has five cards in sequence, all from the same suit. If more than one player holds a straight flush, the highest hand wins. To determine the highest hand in this example, we look at the high card which is the jack.

A queen high card in a straight flush will beat this hand. This is very similar to a royal flush except that the high card in a royal flush is always an ace.

Four-of-a-Kind

This hand has four cards of the same rank/value. This example shows four 8s and a 5 (remember, all poker hands must contain five cards). If more than one player has four of the same kind, then the highest valued card wins (e.g. four 9’s are better than four 8’s.) 

If more than one player has the same four cards, which can happen using community cards, then the fifth card determines the winner. A player with four 8s and a 6 would win over a player who has four 8s and a 5.

Full House

A full house includes three cards of the same rank plus a pair. In this example, you will see three 10s along with a pair of 7s. The strength of a full house depends on the value of the three cards.

Three jacks and a pair of sevens would beat our sample hand.

If players have the same three cards (which is possible when using community card cards), the strength of the pair will be taken into consideration. Our example hand would be defeated by three 10s and a pair of 8s.

Flush

A flush has five cards of the same suit. In this example, we have a queen-high flush. If more than one player has a flush, the highest-ranking card wins.

If players share the same high cards, it is determined by the value of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cards.

Straight

This hand has five cards in sequence.  This example shows a king-high straight. If there is a tie, then the highest-ranked card determines the winning straight.

A straight consisting only of 8, 9, 10, J, Q would lose to our sample straight. A straight consisting of 10, J, Q, K, A would win.

Remember: an ace can be used to replace either the high or low card. A straight with A, 2, 3, 4, 5 will lose to a straight of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Three-of-a-Kind

This hand has three cards of the same rank. The three 4s in our example will lose to three 5s, regardless of the two remaining cards. If players have the same three cards, the highest fourth card will determine the winner, and if necessary, the fifth card.

Our sample hand will lose to three 4s with a jack and 8, or three 4s with a 10 and 9.

Two Pair

Two pair refers to a hand that has two cards of the same rank and two additional cards of a different rank. If there is a tie, the highest pair wins. If two players have the same highest pair, the next pair determines the winner.

A pair of aces and a pair of 6s would beat our sample hand. A pair of kings and a pair of 7s would likewise win. If more than one player has the same two pairs, the fifth card’s value is counted.

A pair of kings, a pair of 6s, and a 4 would beat our sample hand.

One Pair

A paired hand includes two cards of the same rank. In the event of a tie, the winner is determined by the pair’s value. A pair of 10s will win against our sample hand.

If two players have the same pair, the best hand is determined based on the highest third, fourth, or fifth card.

A pair of 9s and an ace, 2, and 10 would beat our sample hand. A pair of 9s with a king, 10, and 3 would beat our sample hand, as well.

High Card

If a hand does not fall within one of the above categories, it will be ranked on the value of the highest-ranking card among the five. This example shows a hand with a queen high. If two players have the same highest card, then it goes to the value of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and even 5th card if necessary.

Our sample hand would be defeated by a hand with a queen, 10, 9, 5, and 4.

Community cards

A poker hand has five cards. Many variations of poker allow players to choose from more than five cards. In Texas Hold’em, for example, each player gets two private cards but they can also use five community cards that are available to all players.

Each player is allowed to choose five of their best cards to make the best hand possible. Here’s an example.

In the above example, the five best cards from the total of seven cards (two private and five community cards) would be combined into a flush.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of poker, it’s time for you to build a strong strategy. 

Conclusion

So, does two pair beat a straight? Based on what you have learned from this lesson, the answer is no. If you have questions about poker hand rankings, please go back and refer to this list. It is vital to know which hand beats what.