A four of a kind in poker (also commonly known as “Quads”) is an exceptionally strong five-card hand, ranking third overall in the official poker hand rankings.
As the name suggests, it is made of four cards of the same rank, accompanied by a fifth additional card (the kicker), which is entirely irrelevant unless there is a highly unusual tie. The absolute best Four of a Kind poker hand you can hold is A♠ A♥ A♦ A♣ K♥, which beats all other 4 of a Kind combinations and lower hands.
Here are a couple of examples of these poker hands, which are also known as Quads:
- A♠ A♥ A♦ A♣ 4♥ – Four Aces
- Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ K♠ – Four Queens
- 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ J♦ – Four Eights
- 3♠ 3♥ 3♦ 3♣ 9♣ – Four Threes
It is fairly easy to determine how a Four of a Kind ranks among other holdings since higher quads always win against lower ones. For example, K-K-K-K-x is better than J-J-J-J-x, just like 9-9-9-9-x is better than 3-3-3-3-x.
Four of a Kind Odds and Probabilities
While you will see this hand more often than a Royal Flush, the probability of making a 4 of a Kind is still fairly low. Here are the most important mathematical odds:
- The odds of hitting Four of a Kind are just 0.024% when you have a random starting hand.
- The odds of flopping Four of a Kind are around 0.25% when you have a pocket pair as your starting hand.
- The probability of flopping Quads without a pocket pair is extremely low and equals 0.01%.
- The odds of improving to Four of a Kind on the turn when you flop Trips (Three of a Kind) are 2.1%.
- The chance to hit Quads on the river when you have Three of a Kind on the turn is 2.2%.
- The overall odds of hitting Four of a Kind by the river when you flop Three of a Kind is 4.3%.
As you can see, the odds of hitting this poker hand are very low initially. However, when you are lucky enough to hit Trips on the flop, you will make Quads roughly 1 out of 23 times. Not too bad, right?
What beats Four of a Kind in poker?
Because it ranks so high, a Four of a Kind can only be beaten by a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush, or another Four of a Kind hand with a higher rank. If you are up against another player who also has Quads (which usually only happens if the board is paired and both players have pocket pairs), the hand's value will be considered based on the card ranks, with Deuces being the lowest and Aces the highest.
What beats four aces in poker?
What can Four of a Kind beat?
4 of a Kind is still one of the best possible poker hands you can have, so it beats most other holdings, including:
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