Quick answer
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Odds of a high card
- Texas Hold’em (7 cards)
- 17.4%
- 1 in 5.7
- 5-card poker
- 50.1%
- 1 in 2.0
- Possible 5-card hands
- 1,302,540
- of 2,598,960
Exact counts from every combination, calculated with the MyClubGG poker engine. Hold’em figures assume you see the river.
How a high card works
High card is what you have when nothing connects. Ace-high can still win heads-up pots, especially against missed draws.
In seven-card games it is less common than one pair or two pair because you have more cards to make something.
Ties: Compare the highest card, then the next, down all five cards.
Also called: no pair, nothing.
What it beats and what beats it
Beats
Nothing: it is the lowest hand.
Loses to
Royal flush, Straight flush, Four of a kind, Full house, Flush, Straight, Three of a kind, Two pair, One pair
Tips for playing it
- Ace-high can be a good bluff-catcher on the river against an opponent who often bluffs with missed draws.
- Most high-card hands should give up when facing heavy action.
High card FAQ
How often do you end with just high card?
About 17.4% of seven-card hands finish as high card.
What beats high card?
Every other hand: one pair and above.
What is the worst possible hand?
In seven-card Hold’em the weakest possible final hand is 9-8-7-5-4 high, because with seven cards you always play your best five and lower combinations would make a straight.