The High Card Hand in Poker

High Card is the worst possible hand on the poker hand rankings list. It consists of no pair or any other hand type – just a high card.

The words “High Card” should have you thinking straight away about a hand with the highest card. However, this is the lowest possible hand in Texas Hold’em.

Starting Hands like K♣10♠ on a board 8♥7♥4♦J♣2♣ are referred to as “King High” rather than no pair.

Even though you don’t have a pair, it is still important to rank these hands for the system to work. In effect, a king-high hand would beat a queen-high hand. Queen-high beats jack-high and so forth.

As is the case in all Hold’em games, you can “play the board”. Say the board comes down A♣6♦5♥10♠7♥ and you hold 3♠2♠. Your hand would be called Ace-High using all the cards on the board.

When rating one High Card hand against the next, it’s the hand rank or denomination that’s important. Therefore, the best High Card hand is Ace-High, the second King-High, the third Queen-High and so on.

Kickers are a distinguishing factor when players have the same high card.

We’ll discuss this in the next section.

How Does a High Card Hand Rank?

In a 52-card deck, there are 1,302,540 possible High Card hand combinations and 1,277 distinct ranks of High Card hands. Each High Card is ranked first by its highest card, secondly by its highest-ranked kicker and so forth.

Here are a few more examples of High Card hands:

A♠K♣ Q♥10♦8♠

K♠Q♦J♣9♥6♥

A♠K♦Q♣J♥16♥

A♠K♣ Q♥10♦9♠

K♦Q♣10♥9♣5♥

Can you tell which High Card hand ranks the best?

Keep in mind that the suits are irrelevant and that the kickers should be used to rank hands with the High Card.

How Does a High Card Hand Match Up?

High Card is the ninth best possible hand in the poker hand ranking system – putting it in last place. One pair ranks directly above it, with the best One Pair being Aces.

There are no hands that rank below High Card. Therefore, it is the worst hand according to the standard poker hand ranking system. It rarely wins at showdown unless someone’s making a superb bluff.

High Card Poker Probabilities

Now, we’ll look at the pre-flop, flop, turn and river probabilities of making a High Card hand in both Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.

What is a High Card in poker?

A High Card is when your hand is ranked based on the highest card you have, and you don't have any flushes, pairs, straights, or other higher-ranking combinations. For instance, if your highest card is a King, your hand is called "King-high."

How does High Card rank among other poker hands?

High Card is the lowest of all poker hands. It ranks under One Pair, Two Pair and all other hands.

How do you play a High Card hand?

A player playing with a High Card hand is generally considered to be in a weak position. The typical move in this scenario is to fold, unless you suspect your opponent is bluffing. If you have a particularly high card like an Ace or King, you might still bet if the board is uncoordinated and your opponents seem weak.

What happens if two players have a High Card hand?

If two players have a High Card hand, the hand with the highest card wins. If both players’ high card is the same, the “kicker” (the next highest card) is compared, and so on, until a winner can be established.

How likely am I to have a High Card hand in Texas Hold'em?

It is quite common to get a High Card hand. This is especially so when a player’s hole cards don’t match the community cards to make a pair or better. Depending on the starting hand, the chances of not improving past a High Card by the river are significant.

Is a High Card ever a winning hand?

Yes. Even though it is generally a weak hand, if the other players in the game don’t have better hands than your High Card, then it can indeed win. This is even more likely if you're in a heads-up situation or if everyone else folds.

What should I watch out for when playing a High Card hand?

High Card hands can lose to pretty much any hand that forms a pair or better. It's generally smarter to fold unless you're in a scenario where bluffing could be a beneficial move.

Can a High Card beat a One Pair?

No, a One Pair and any other pair or better hand will win against a High Card.

What is the best possible High Card hand?

Ace-high with the best possible kickers is the best High Card hand you can get, e.g. A♠ K♠ Q♦ J♣ 9♥.

How should I play a High Card hand on the flop?

In most cases it’s best to fold (unless you want to bluff) if you miss the flop and only have a High Card left.

Visit our high card odds article for more information.

Now that you’ve got High Card down pat, it’s time to hit the tables! Good luck!