Individual card strength. Ace (strongest card), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (weakest card). Ace can be used as a 1 for the purposes of a scale: A,2,3,4,5. Individual card strength is only used in case no player has any other combination.
Colors have no particular strength, a diamond scale in same numbers as a heart scale is just as strong.
A hand is always consisted of five cards, in games where player has more than five cards available to him, best possible combination is taken into account.
The strength of the hand is determined first by the category, then by the strength of the cards themselves. Weakest combination in any category is stronger than any combinations in a weaker category. That means that any two pairs are stronger then the strongest possible pair.
Winning combinations (from strongest to weakest).
Straight flush. This is a combination that is in same time a scale and a flush. Straight flush from an Ace to 10 is referred to as a royal flush and is the strongest hand in poker.
Poker (four of a kind). Also known as a quad or quads, poker is having four cards of the same number, as in J-J-J-J-10. In draw and stud pokers no two players can have the same poker, but in community card games it is possible, and in that case fifth card is considered to be the tie breaker.
Full House (or simply full). When you have a three of a kind and a pair you say you have full house, e.g. 7-7-7-8-8. In case two players hold the same three of a kind, the player with the stronger pair wins, in case both are also identical, game is considered a draw and the pot is divided equally.
Flush. This is a combination of five cards in the same color. In case two players have a flush each of their cards is compared from highest to lowest to determine who has the strongest hand (Q,J,6,3,2 is stronger than Q,8,7,5,4). If both flushes are identical (the color itself is irrelevant), then the game is a draw.
Straight. A combination where all five cards are in a numerical order, colors are irrelevant. Strongest straight is A-K-Q-J-10, also known as Broadway, while the weakest one is 5-4-3-2-A, known as the wheel.
Threes (three of a kind). This is a combination of having three cards of the same number. (Without also holding a pair, that would be a full house then), 6-6-6-K-J. If two players hold the same threes then the fourth and fifth cards are considered.
Two pairs. Two pairs are considered any two separate pair combination (without being the same one, because that would be a poker). If two players both hold two pairs, first higher pairs are compared, then lowest, if they are still tied the fifth card is considered the key one.
Single pair. Any combination holding exactly one pair of cards, Q-10-7-7-4-3.
High card. In case a player doesn’t meet requirements for any other hand he is considered to automatically have a high card.