Which hand wins?

Three of a kind beats one pair, however good the kicker is.

A flush beats a straight. There are twice as many straights as flushes, which is exactly why.

A full house beats two pair. Pocket aces look enormous here and lose to a seven.

Two straights: the higher top card wins. Neither has a flush, because four hearts is not five.

A full house beats three of a kind, even when the trips belong to everyone.

Both play ace high, so the next card decides. This is the one that costs people money.

Both play the two pairs on the board, so the fifth card decides. Your own cards did nothing except the ace.

Two flushes: the highest card in the flush wins. A king-high flush is a good way to lose a big pot.

The board is a straight and neither player improves on it. Three nines is worse than the straight everyone shares, so the pot is split.

Two full houses with the same three of a kind: the pair decides.

The ace plays low here: ace to five is a straight, called the wheel. It is the only place an ace is worth one.

The biggest two pair on the table still loses to the smallest set. Small pairs win big pots this way.