Counting Poker Hands

Tom Davis
tomrdavis@earthlink.net http://www.geometer.org/mathcircles October 25, 2000

Problem: Find the number of poker hands of each type. For the purposes of this problem, a poker hand consists of 5 cards chosen from a standard pack of 52 (no jokers). Also for the purposes of this problem, the ace can only be a high card. In other words, the card sequence , , , , is not a straight, since the ace is a high card only. Here are the denitions of the hands:

Example:

Straight ush: 5 cards in sequence in the same suit, but not a Royal ush.

Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank. Example: Example: Example: Full house: Three cards of one rank and two of another. Flush: Five cards in the same suit that are not in sequence.

Straight: Five cards in sequence that are not all in the same suit. Example: Example: Example: Example: , , , Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank; the others of different rank. Two pairs: Two pairs of cards. Pair: A single pair of cards. , , , ,

Bust: A hand with none of the above. Example: , , ,

    

, ,

, ,

, ,

, ,



 !

"   

 !

! !

 

Example:

    

 



Royal ush:

through ,

in the same suit. , , .

, . , . . . . . . . .

Royal Flush: There are 4 of these, since the hand is completely determined by the suit, and there are 4 possible suits. Straight Flush: The hand is completely determined by the lowest card, which can be anything between (if the lowest card is , its a royal ush). There are choices in suits, making straight ushes. and

Flush: There are suits. Once the suit is chosen, there are straight or royal ushes. Therefore, there are

ways to pick the cards, but ushes.

of those choices are either

Straight: The lowest card in a straight can be of any rank between and , so there are possible lowest ranks. We then need to pick a card of each rank, which can be done in ways. But of those ways will all be in the same suit, so there are different straights. Three of a kind: There are kinds, from which you can pick the cards in ways. Once theyre picked, you need to choose 2 other cards. The rst can be chosen in ways, and once its picked, the second in ways. But those last two cards can be picked in either order, so we must divide by 2, giving a grand total of . Two pairs: The two ranks can be chosen in ways. Once theyre picked, there are ways to pick the two particular cards of each rank. Finally, the nal card can be picked in any of ways, making the grand total: . Pair: The rank can be chosen in ways, and the two cards of that rank in ways. Next, we must choose cards of different ranks, which can be done in , , and ways. Since they can be picked in any order, we must divide by the number of permutations of the cards, or . The total number of pairs is thus: . Bust: The easiest way to get this is to subtract all the above numbers from the grand total, but if we can calculate it in a different way, we have a check on all our numbers. The cards must be chosen in different ranks, so there are ways, but they can be picked in any order so we must divide by . This set includes the straights, ushes, straight ushes, and royal ushes, so subtract them out, for a grand total of . Check answers:

8 8 0U 7 6 6 0U 8 5 4 2 3 2 1 V(5 4 1 5 ) ' 5 )325 )11 8 86 7 8 66 6 R P 8 9 7 @7 7 9 7 9 9 5 4 1 5 ' F() G) FG5 3 2TH 1 4 5 F 1 F R3 1 98 7 9S7 97 97 4 5 3 )1 1 % 7 6 R 8 P 7 (7 7 9 7 9 A Q(8 6 9 #9 5 )325 ' 5 3 & % 8 A# & % % % 8 6 7 7 9 A #Q9 A Q9 D # # % )11 ) ' & & &B A# & 6 7 P 7 7 9 7 9 BA # (8 6 9 ) 2 10() ' 77 3 & BA # 8

BA #

77C8

&

'6 &

$7 7 6 5 ) $ 66 D # E @7 9 ) $ D # 0IH "G& B 1 ' 2 F &B A # 9 BA # 9 6 9(8 6

&

)1

77

6 0U 6 7 U 6 U 6 6 G7 U (7 U 8 U ) 2 1 53 2 ) 1 )4 )

&B

D#

R8 77 7 3 86

86

% A# &8 6

Full house: There are to pick the triplet, and

ways to choose the rank that appears 3 times, and then ways to pick the pair. Thus there are

ways to pick the pair. There are ways to make a full house.

&

different ranks to choose for the four of a kind, and once thats picked, there are Four of a kind: There are cards to complete the hand. Therefore there are hands.

) 0@3 4 '

7 (8 6 9

86

$ %$#

Total Hands: There are

5 4 2 3 2 1 0'(& )

total hands.

in any suit

additional

ways

6 7 $ 7E 9 5 3 0IH F 2 ' 2