Hand rankings and starting-hand odds
The ten hand ranks and the 169 starting hands, with combinatorics and probabilities.
Every poker decision starts from one question: how strong is my hand likely to be by the river? The exact probability of every starting hand and every made-hand category is solved math. Memorise the numbers below and you don't need a calculator at the table.
The ten ranks
From best to worst: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. The full combinatorial table lives in the hand rankings tool.
The 169 starting hands
13 pocket pairs + 78 suited combos + 78 offsuit combos = 169 distinct starting hands. The top 10 in raw equity vs a random hand: AA (85%), KK (82%), QQ (80%), JJ (78%), TT (75%), AKs (67%), 99 (72%), AQs (66%), AKo (65%), 88 (69%).
Notice the inversions, middle pairs outrank big aces because pairs hit more often. Use the odds calculator to run any matchup you want.