Does a flush beat three of a kind?

Yes. A flush beats three of a kind in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, flush is #5 and three of a kind is #7. Categories are compared first: even a seven-high flush beats three aces — the category always decides first.

#5
Flush — wins

Five cards of one suit, any order.

A♣J♣8♣6♣2♣
#7
Three of a Kind — loses

Three cards of the same rank ("trips").

8♠8♥8♦K♣2♥

How rare is each hand?

Rarity is exactly why the order is what it is. Out of 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, a flush shows up in 0.197% of them (5,108 combinations), while three of a kind appears in 2.11% (54,912 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.

Does three of a kind ever beat a flush?

No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible three of a kind still loses to the lowest possible flush. Ranks inside a category only matter when both players hold the same category.

Prove it to yourself

Which hand wins? Tap it.

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