Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) The rank of
the cards used in all types of poker other than low poker, for the
determination of winning hands, in order of highest to lowest rank, shall be:
ace, king, queen, jack, 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, and
two. All suits shall be considered equal in rank. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, an ace may be used to complete a "straight flush" or a "straight"
formed with, as applicable, a two and three (in a three-card poker hand) or a
two, three, four, and five (in a five-card poker hand).
(b) The permissible high poker hands in poker
games that result in a five-card hand, in order of highest to lowest rank,
shall be:
1. "Royal flush" is a hand
consisting of an ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 of the same suit;
2. "Straight flush" is a hand consisting of
five cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking, with king, queen, jack, 10,
and nine being the highest ranking straight flush and ace, two, three, four and
five being the lowest ranking straight flush;
3. "Four-of-a-kind" is a hand consisting of
four cards of the same rank regardless of suit, with four aces being the
highest ranking four-of-a-kind and four twos being the lowest ranking
four-of-a-kind;
4. "Full house" is
a hand consisting of "three-of-a-kind" and a "pair," with three aces and two
kings being the highest ranking full house and three twos and two threes being
the lowest ranking full house;
5.
"Flush" is a hand consisting of five cards of the same suit;
6. "Straight" is a hand consisting of five
cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit, with an ace, king, queen, jack
and 10 being the highest ranking straight and an ace, two, three, four, and
five being the lowest ranking straight; provided, however, that an ace may not
be combined with any other sequence of cards for purposes of determining a
winning hand (for example, queen, king, ace, two, three);
7. "Three-of-a-kind" is a hand consisting of
three cards of the same rank regardless of suit, with three aces being the
highest ranking three-of-a-kind and three twos being the lowest ranking
three-of-a-kind;
8. "Two pairs" is
a hand consisting of two "pairs," with two aces and two kings being the highest
ranking two pair and two threes and two twos being the lowest ranking two pair;
and
9. "One pair" is a hand
consisting of two cards of the same rank, regardless of suit, with two aces
being the highest ranking pair and two twos being the lowest ranking
pair.
(c) The
permissible high poker hands in poker games that result in a three-card hand,
in order of highest to lowest rank, shall be:
1. "Royal flush" is a hand consisting of an
ace, king, and queen of the same suit;
2. "Straight flush" is a hand consisting of
three cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking, with king, queen, and jack
being the highest ranking straight flush and a three, two and ace being the
lowest ranking straight flush;
3.
"Three-of-a-kind" is a hand consisting of three cards of the same rank,
regardless of suit, with three aces being the highest ranking three-of-a-kind
and three twos being the lowest ranking three-of-a-kind;
4. "Straight" is a hand consisting of three
cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit, with an ace, king, and queen
being the highest ranking straight and a three, two, and ace being the lowest
ranking straight; provided, however, that an ace may not be combined with a
king and two for purposes of determining a winning hand;
5. "Flush" is a hand consisting of three
cards of the same suit; and
6. "One
pair" is a hand consisting of two cards of the same rank, regardless of suit,
with two aces being the highest ranking pair and two twos being the lowest
ranking pair.
(d) When
comparing two hands which are of identical poker hand rank pursuant to the
provisions of (b) or (c) above, as applicable, or which contain none of the
poker hands authorized for that game, the hand which contains the highest
ranking card as provided in (a) above or (e) below, whichever is applicable,
which is not contained in the other hand shall be considered the higher ranking
hand. If the hands are of identical rank after the application of this
subsection, the hands shall be considered tied and the pot shall be equally
divided among the players with the tied hands.
(e) The rank of the cards used in low pker,
for the determination of winning hands, in order of highest to lowest rank,
shall be: ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, jack,
queen, and king; provided, however, that in the game of Triple Draw Low Ball
Deuce to Seven the order of highest to lowest rank shall be two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, jack, queen, king, and ace. All suits shall
be considered equal in rank.
(f)
The ranking of a low poker hand as determined by the holding of a five- or
three-card hand shall be the inverse of the rankings for a high poker hand as
set forth in (b) and (c) above; provided, however, that in all low poker games
except for Triple Draw Low Ball Deuce to Seven, straights and flushes shall not
be considered for purposes of determining a winning hand at low
poker.
(g) In all games of poker, a
hand shall be ranked according to the cards actually contained therein and not
by the player's opinion or statement of its value.
