Does a straight beat two pair?

Yes. A straight beats two pair in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, straight is #6 and two pair is #8. Categories are compared first: even the wheel (A-2-3-4-5) beats aces and kings — the category always decides first.

#6
Straight — wins

Five cards in a row, mixed suits.

9♠8♦7♣6♥5♠
#8
Two Pair — loses

Two different pairs.

A♠A♦9♣9♥5♠

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 straight shows up in 0.392% of them (10,200 combinations), while two pair appears in 4.75% (123,552 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.

Does two pair ever beat a straight?

No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible two pair still loses to the lowest possible straight. 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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