Two pair

From ArticleWorld

Two pair is a poker hand consisting of two cards of the same rank, plus two cards of another rank. It ranks above one pair, but below three of a kind. Between two such hands, the higher ranking pair of each is compared, and the higher pair wins. If both have the same high pair, then the second pair of each is compared.

Ranking

A poker hand consists of five cards. Although in many poker games each player has seven cards to play, the two extra cards are not used to determine the winner. If two, or more, players have identical five-card hands, they will divide the pot equally between them.

The cards are ranked Ace , King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 . An Ace may also be used as a low card, below the 2 in making a straight, or a straight flush. The suits have no rank in poker, and are not used to determine the winner of a hand.

Probability

In poker, the probability of each type of five-card hand can be computed by calculating the proportion of hands of that type among all possible hands. Two pair can be formed many ways. The odds of getting this hand are 20 : 1.