Premium made hands
Keep a royal flush, straight flush, or four of a kind. Four cards to a royal usually outrank lower made hands because of the royal’s value.
Keep full houses, flushes, straights, and three of a kind when no higher-priority draw applies.
Pairs
Two pair is normally held as both pairs. A high pair—jacks through aces—outranks most draws below the premium categories.
A low pair is valuable because trips, full houses, and four of a kind remain possible, but its position relative to straight and flush draws follows the exact hierarchy.
Drawing hands
Three to a royal, four to a flush, four to an outside straight, and selected three-card straight-flush draws occupy different levels.
Gaps, high cards, and penalty cards can distinguish visually similar straight-flush draws.
High cards and discards
When no pair or stronger draw applies, suited high cards usually preserve more combined potential than unsuited cards. With no qualifying hold, discard all five.
Do not import the hierarchy into 8/5 Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, or wild-card games without verifying changes.
Practical checklist
- Confirm 9/6 pay table
- Bet level qualifies for full royal
- Read hierarchy top to bottom
- Expect penalty-card exceptions
- Practice before playing at speed
Rules, probabilities, and payouts apply only to the model stated on this page. Posted casino rules control when they differ. Last reviewed September 20, 2026.