Game guide
Online poker in 2026: hand rankings, game types and UK rules
The poker hand rankings, the three kinds of online poker you will meet at GB sites and the rules that apply to each.
Online poker in Great Britain comes in three different forms that are often confused: poker played against other people in a poker room, casino poker played against the dealer, and video poker played against a machine paytable. All three use the same poker hands, from a royal flush down to high card, but they differ in who you are playing against and how the operator earns its money.
Below are the hand rankings, how each type of internet poker works and what the GB rules say about them.
On this page
Poker hand rankings
The best poker hands, highest first. These rankings are the same in Texas Hold'em, Omaha, casino poker and most video poker.
| Rank | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A K Q J 10, all one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9 8 7 6 5, all one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Q Q Q Q 4 |
| 4 | Full house | J J J 6 6 |
| 5 | Flush | Any five cards of one suit |
| 6 | Straight | Five cards in sequence, mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 8 8 8 K 2 |
| 8 | Two pair | 10 10 5 5 A |
| 9 | One pair | A A 9 7 3 |
| 10 | High card | No combination; the highest card plays |
When two players hold the same type of hand, the higher cards win, and unused "kicker" cards break ties. Suits never rank against each other. An ace can be high (A K Q J 10) or low (5 4 3 2 A) in a straight. As for good starting hands in Hold'em, pocket aces, kings and queens and ace-king are the strongest, but position and opponents matter as much as the cards.
Three kinds of online poker
| Type | You play against | How the operator earns |
|---|---|---|
| Poker room (peer-to-peer) | Other players | A small fee from each pot ("rake") or tournament entry |
| Casino poker | The dealer | A house edge built into the paytable |
| Video poker | A machine paytable | A house edge set by the paytable |
Player-versus-player poker
In a poker room your skill matters over time, because the house takes a fee rather than betting against you. Cash games, sit-and-gos and tournaments are the usual formats. Coral is one operator with a poker product alongside its sports, casino and bingo sites. Live card rooms and festivals, including well-known British venues, follow the same hand rankings; this guide covers online play.
Casino poker against the dealer
Games such as Casino Hold'em, Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud put you against the dealer with fixed paytables. Hollywoodbets' help pages are clear on the point: you are "only going to be playing against the dealer, not against other players", and it lists faster formats such as 6+ Poker and Bet On Poker. LuckyMate shows a poker section in its live lobby including Casino Hold'em, and Virgin Bet has a "Dice & Poker" category in live casino.
Video poker
Video poker deals five cards, lets you hold or discard, and pays according to a paytable, usually starting at a pair of jacks or better. The paytable decides the return, so two versions of Jacks or Better can return quite different amounts. 666 Casino and Pub Casino list video poker. Note that bonus terms often exclude it: Pub Casino's terms say video poker does not count towards wagering requirements.
Free poker and practice
Free poker games, including play-money tables and free poker machine games, are useful for learning the rankings and the flow of betting rounds. At a GB-licensed operator, free play is available only after age verification, as with any free-to-play casino game. Play-money tables behave differently from real ones, because nobody has anything to lose.
GB rules for each type of poker
- Stake limits. The £5 and £2 caps apply only to online slots; they do not apply to poker.
- Game speed. Since 17 January 2025, casino games other than slots must take at least five seconds per game cycle. The rule excludes peer-to-peer poker, so it covers casino poker and video poker but not poker rooms.
- Autoplay and turbo are banned on online casino products, and a running display of net position and time is required.
- Tax. Gambling winnings, including poker winnings, are not taxed in the UK; professionals should take their own advice.
- Licensing. Poker sits under the Gambling Commission's remote casino licence, so a poker site serving GB players must appear on the public register.
Where poker games are offered
Among operators with verified details, Hollywoodbets, LuckyMate and Virgin Bet list live casino poker, 666 Casino and Pub Casino list video poker, and Coral offers a poker product. If you prefer other card games with a low house edge, see our online blackjack and baccarat guides, or the full casino games hub.
18+ only. Poker can run long sessions; set a time and money limit before you sit down. Our responsible gambling page explains the tools available, including GAMSTOP and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
UK-licensed casinos, ranked by our score
Order = score out of 10. Every operator holds a Gambling Commission licence.
| # | Casino | Score | Welcome offer and significant terms | Payments | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place 1 |  HollywoodbetsHollywoodbets International UK Limited | Score: 7.3 out of 10, good | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. | Not listed | Visit Hollywoodbets (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Hollywoodbets |
| Place 2 |  LuckyMateAnakatech Interactive Limited | Score: 7.4 out of 10, good | 50 bonus spins on Big Bass Splash when you bet £10 on slots Code MATE50 Significant terms £10 min deposit; £10 in slot bets; 50 spins at £0.10 (£5 total); x1 wagering, £1 max bet contribution; £100 max cashout from winnings; 7-day expiry; selected payment methods only | Not listed | Visit LuckyMate (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: LuckyMate |
| Place 3 |  Virgin BetVirgin Bet Limited | Score: 6.3 out of 10, fair | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. | Not listed | Visit Virgin Bet (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Virgin Bet |
| Place 4 |  CoralLC International Limited | Score: 6.8 out of 10, good | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. |
| Visit Coral (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Coral |
| Place 5 |  666 CasinoJupiter Gaming Limited | Score: 7.8 out of 10, good | 20 spins on Big Bass Splash when you deposit and wager £20 Significant terms 18+, new players, first deposit; £20 must be wagered on Big Bass Splash within 7 days; spins on Big Bass Splash; 0x wagering on winnings | Not listed | Visit 666 Casino (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: 666 Casino |
| Place 6 |  Pub CasinoL & L Europe Limited | Score: 7.4 out of 10, good | 50 cash spins on Octobeer Fortunes after depositing and wagering £10 Significant terms Deposit and wager £10; activate before depositing; spins £0.20 each, winnings paid as cash, no max cash out; Skrill deposits excluded; spins expire in 48 hours |
| Visit Pub Casino (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Pub Casino |
Ad We may earn a commission if you open an account through links on this page; it does not change our scores or the order of operators. How we score · Advertising disclosure
Questions readers ask
Which poker hand wins most often in casino games?
A royal flush: ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the same suit. It is followed by a straight flush and four of a kind.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush ranks above a straight, and a full house ranks above both.
Is online poker against other players or the casino?
It depends on the game. Poker rooms match you against other players and charge a fee. Casino poker and video poker are played against the house with a built-in edge.
Do I pay tax on poker winnings in the UK?
Gambling winnings are not taxed in the UK. Anyone treating poker as a profession should seek their own advice.
Does the £5 stake limit apply to poker?
No. The £5 and £2 limits apply only to online slots.