Four of a Kind
Four of a kind, also called quads, is a hand containing four cards of the same rank, plus one other card. It beats a full house and loses only to a straight flush or a royal flush.
The simple explanation
Four of a kind is very rare. In Hold'em, a pocket pair becomes quads by the river only about once in 120 times. When two players have quads, the higher rank wins, and if the quads are on the board the highest fifth card (the kicker) decides.
A closer look
Because quads is so strong, the challenge is not to win but to win the maximum. That means betting in a way that gets paid by weaker hands, such as a full house or a flush. Quads on the board make everyone's hand play the board plus a kicker, so be careful with kickers: with four sevens on the board, a player holding an ace beats a player holding a king.
A practical example
You hold 8♥ 8♦ and the flop is 8♣ 8♠ 2♦. You have four eights, four of a kind.
Full explanation
Four of a kind, also called quads, is a hand containing four cards of the same rank, plus one other card. It beats a full house and loses only to a straight flush or a royal flush.
Four of a kind means that four of your five cards are of the same rank. It is also called quads.
It ranks above a full house and below a straight flush.
It is rare: about one five-card hand in 4,000 is four of a kind.
When the quads are on the board, the fifth card, the kicker, matters.
Alternative spelling: four-of-a-kind, 4 of a kind, 4-of-a-kind
Four of a kind
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB 88 of hearts (8h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB 88 of hearts (8h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB 88 of hearts (8h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
The flop gives Player B two more eights. Four cards of the same rank are four of a kind, a very strong hand.
Board: 88 of clubs (8c)88 of spades (8s)22 of diamonds (2d)
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB 88 of hearts (8h)88 of diamonds (8d) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.