If you’ve ever picked up a pack of cards and wondered where an Ace fits in, you’re not alone. Many new players ask whether an Ace is always the top card or if it can also count as the lowest. It can get confusing, especially when different poker variants use different rules.
Whether you’re curious about playing for the first time or just want to double-check the rules before joining a table, it may help to know how card rankings work. Read on to learn more.
What Does Ace High or Low Mean in Poker?
When people say an Ace is high or low, they’re talking about where it sits in the card order. A standard deck runs from 2 up to Ace. In many games, the Ace sits above the King. In others, it can also act as the lowest rank, sitting under a 2.
Which role it takes depends on the rules of the game you’re playing. In some formats, an Ace helps make the best possible straight at the top end. In others, it works as a 1 to complete a low straight.
That difference matters because it changes the hands you can make and how strong your cards are. Online and live games sometimes offer variants with their own rule sets, so it might potentially be worth checking the game’s help or rules page to see exactly how Aces are used.
If you do decide to try your hand at poker, remember to do so responsibly and within your means; never wager more than you can afford to live.
Understanding Poker Hand Rankings
Before getting into where the Ace fits, it helps to recall the order of poker hands. From highest to lowest, the top of the list is the royal flush, which is Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit. It sits above all other hands and appears rarely.
Next comes the straight flush, which is any five cards in sequence of the same suit that are not the royal set. Then four of a kind, followed by a full house, which is three of a kind plus a pair. A flush is any five cards of the same suit in any order.
A straight is five cards in sequence, regardless of suit. After that you have three of a kind, then two pair, then one pair. The lowest category is high card, which means no combination at all, so the highest individual card decides it.
When two players share the same hand rank, tie-breakers come into play. The ranks of the involved cards are compared in order. This is where the Ace often matters: an Ace-high flush beats a King-high flush, and an Ace-high straight beats a King-high straight.
When Is an Ace High in Poker?
In most poker formats, the Ace is the highest rank. That means an Ace outranks every other card when hands are compared by their top card. If no player has a pair or better, an Ace-high hand beats any King-high hand.
The Ace also drives the best versions of several made hands. The highest straight is Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. An Ace-high flush is the strongest possible flush of its suit. For pairs and sets, a pair of Aces sits above all other pairs, and three Aces beats any other three of a kind.
When comparing hands of the same type, the Ace is a common tie-breaker. For example, if two players both have a flush in hearts, the one whose highest heart is an Ace wins. If both hold an Ace in a high-card showdown, the next highest cards, called kickers, decide it.
When Is an Ace Low in Poker?
Some games treat an Ace as the lowest card. In Ace-to-Five lowball formats, including Razz, an Ace counts as 1. The strongest low hand in those games is A-2-3-4-5. Pairs are bad in lowball, and in many versions straights and flushes do not work against you when ranking low hands. That is why A-2-3-4-5 is considered the best low, even though it forms a straight in standard poker.
In regular high-hand games, the Ace can also slide to the bottom to complete a straight. A-2-3-4-5 is a valid straight and is the lowest straight. Players often call it the wheel. It still beats any non-straight hand but loses to all higher straights.
Because variants handle lows differently, it might be handy to glance at the game’s rules page to confirm whether the Ace is counted high, low, or both in that specific format.
Does Ace Count as Both High and Low in Texas Hold’em?
In Texas Hold’em, the Ace can play both roles, but only within straights. It completes the highest straight, Ten to Ace, and it also completes the lowest straight, A-2-3-4-5. It cannot wrap around the corner, so a sequence like Q-K-A-2-3 does not count as a straight.
Outside of straights, the Ace is always the highest rank in Hold’em. An Ace-high hand beats any King-high hand, a pair of Aces beats any other pair, and an Ace-high flush tops all other flushes of the same suit. When two players both hold an Ace, kickers decide who takes the pot unless a made hand settles it first. Always keep responsible gambling practises in mind.
**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these games are subject to change at any time. Game features mentioned may not be available in some jurisdictions.