Hand (poker)

A hand in poker can mean any of the following:

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• A unit of play consisting of a deal, one or more rounds of betting, and possibly a showdown.
• A set of five cards with a certain value. For example, the hand A♥ 10♥ 9♥ 5♥ 3♥ is a "flush", a hand that is valuable because each card is of the same suit.
• A player's set of non-communal cards.

The second and third definitions are often used interchangeably. For example, in Texas hold 'em, a player holding A♣ K♠, with a board of A♥ K♣ K♦ 7♠ 3♦, might say, "my hand is ace-king". On the other hand, his best 5-card hand is the K/A full house.

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Hand (poker): Ranking of hands ►