Making your best five-card hand
In Hold'em you're handed seven cards in total — but a poker hand is always exactly five. Here's how to build the best one.
Seven cards, best five
In Texas Hold'em you get two private hole cards and share five community cards — seven in all. Your hand is the single best five-card combination you can make from those seven. Nothing beyond five cards ever counts, so a 'sixth' or 'seventh' good card is simply ignored.
Use both, one, or none
You're free to use both of your hole cards, just one of them, or neither. Using neither is called 'playing the board' — your best five cards are the five community cards themselves. Knowing which of your cards actually play is the core skill of reading your own hand.
Other games build hands differently
This 'best five of seven' rule is specific to Hold'em. In Omaha you must use exactly two of your four hole cards plus exactly three from the board — no more, no less — which catches out every Hold'em player at first. In Stud and draw games there's no community board at all; you make five from your own cards.
- Your hand is the best FIVE cards out of the seven available.
- You can use both hole cards, just one, or neither ('playing the board').
- If your cards can't beat the five on the board, you're playing the board — you can only chop.
- Omaha is different: you must use exactly two hole cards, always.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 16/20 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
How many cards make up a poker hand in Hold'em?
A hand is always the best FIVE cards, chosen from the seven available.
In Hold'em, how many cards do you have to work with in total?
Two hole cards + five community cards = seven to choose your best five from.
Can you use just one of your hole cards to make your hand?
You may use both, one, or neither of your hole cards — whatever makes the best five.
'Playing the board' means…
When your hole cards don't improve on the board, your hand is the board itself.
If you're playing the board, what's the best outcome you can get?
Everyone shares the same five community cards, so playing the board can only chop, never win outright.
Your hole cards are A♠ 3♦ and the board is K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 2♣. What's your hand?
A♠ joins the board's K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ for A-K-Q-J-10 of spades — a royal flush. The 3♦ doesn't play.
In that hand, how many of your hole cards played?
Only the A♠ was used; the 3♦ was irrelevant.
Does a 'sixth' strong card ever add to your hand?
A poker hand is exactly five cards; extra cards are ignored.
Your hole cards are 2♣ 7♦ and the board is A♠ A♥ A♦ K♠ K♥. What's your best hand?
The board itself is a full house, A-A-A-K-K. Your 2 and 7 don't help, so you play the board.
In Omaha, how many of your hole cards must you use?
Omaha requires exactly two hole cards plus exactly three board cards — no more, no less.
In Omaha you hold four hearts and there are only two hearts on the board. Do you have a flush?
You may use exactly two hole cards, so two of your hearts plus the two board hearts make only four hearts — not a flush. You'd need three hearts on the board to make five.
Which game has NO community cards?
Stud has no shared board; you make five from your own dealt cards.
You hold K♦ K♣ on a board of K♠ 8♥ 3♦ 8♣ 2♠. Your best hand is…
Three kings (two in hand + one on board) plus the board's pair of eights = a full house, kings full of eights.
Both your hole cards fail to beat the board. You should…
Playing the board means everyone ties; there's no value in betting for a hand no one can lose to.
The best five-card hand is chosen…
Your hand is always evaluated as the best possible five cards; you don't choose a worse combination.
You hold A♥ K♥ and the board is Q♥ J♥ 9♥ 3♣ 2♠. Your best hand?
A♥ K♥ + Q♥ J♥ 9♥ = five hearts, an ace-high flush. (No straight: there's no 10.)
How many hole cards do you get in Texas Hold'em?
Two private hole cards per player in Hold'em.
Using neither hole card is…
You can use zero hole cards; your hand is then the five community cards.
Reading your own hand well mostly means…
The skill is spotting which cards combine with the board into your true best five.
Why does Omaha's rule trip up Hold'em players?
Hold'em lets you use any number of hole cards; Omaha forces exactly two, so hands that look huge often aren't.
Review — all 20 questions & answers tap to expand
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How many cards make up a poker hand in Hold'em?
Answer Five
A hand is always the best FIVE cards, chosen from the seven available.
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In Hold'em, how many cards do you have to work with in total?
Answer 7
Two hole cards + five community cards = seven to choose your best five from.
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Can you use just one of your hole cards to make your hand?
Answer Yes
You may use both, one, or neither of your hole cards — whatever makes the best five.
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'Playing the board' means…
Answer Your best five cards are the five community cards
When your hole cards don't improve on the board, your hand is the board itself.
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If you're playing the board, what's the best outcome you can get?
Answer Only a tie/chop with other players still in
Everyone shares the same five community cards, so playing the board can only chop, never win outright.
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Your hole cards are A♠ 3♦ and the board is K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 2♣. What's your hand?
Answer A royal flush
A♠ joins the board's K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ for A-K-Q-J-10 of spades — a royal flush. The 3♦ doesn't play.
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In that hand, how many of your hole cards played?
Answer One (the A♠)
Only the A♠ was used; the 3♦ was irrelevant.
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Does a 'sixth' strong card ever add to your hand?
Answer No — only five cards ever count
A poker hand is exactly five cards; extra cards are ignored.
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Your hole cards are 2♣ 7♦ and the board is A♠ A♥ A♦ K♠ K♥. What's your best hand?
Answer Aces full of kings (playing the board)
The board itself is a full house, A-A-A-K-K. Your 2 and 7 don't help, so you play the board.
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In Omaha, how many of your hole cards must you use?
Answer Exactly two
Omaha requires exactly two hole cards plus exactly three board cards — no more, no less.
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In Omaha you hold four hearts and there are only two hearts on the board. Do you have a flush?
Answer No — that's only four hearts
You may use exactly two hole cards, so two of your hearts plus the two board hearts make only four hearts — not a flush. You'd need three hearts on the board to make five.
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Which game has NO community cards?
Answer Seven-Card Stud
Stud has no shared board; you make five from your own dealt cards.
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You hold K♦ K♣ on a board of K♠ 8♥ 3♦ 8♣ 2♠. Your best hand is…
Answer Kings full of eights
Three kings (two in hand + one on board) plus the board's pair of eights = a full house, kings full of eights.
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Both your hole cards fail to beat the board. You should…
Answer Realise you can only chop and bet cautiously
Playing the board means everyone ties; there's no value in betting for a hand no one can lose to.
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The best five-card hand is chosen…
Answer Automatically — the strongest possible five from your seven
Your hand is always evaluated as the best possible five cards; you don't choose a worse combination.
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You hold A♥ K♥ and the board is Q♥ J♥ 9♥ 3♣ 2♠. Your best hand?
Answer Ace-high flush
A♥ K♥ + Q♥ J♥ 9♥ = five hearts, an ace-high flush. (No straight: there's no 10.)
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How many hole cards do you get in Texas Hold'em?
Answer 2
Two private hole cards per player in Hold'em.
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Using neither hole card is…
Answer Allowed — it's playing the board
You can use zero hole cards; your hand is then the five community cards.
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Reading your own hand well mostly means…
Answer Knowing which of your cards actually play toward the best five
The skill is spotting which cards combine with the board into your true best five.
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Why does Omaha's rule trip up Hold'em players?
Answer Because you must use exactly two hole cards, not 'up to four'
Hold'em lets you use any number of hole cards; Omaha forces exactly two, so hands that look huge often aren't.