Does three of a kind beat two pair?
Yes. Three of a kind beats two pair in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, three of a kind is #7 and two pair is #8. Categories are compared first: even three deuces beats aces and kings — the category always decides first.
Three cards of the same rank ("trips").
Two different pairs.
How rare is each hand?
Rarity is exactly why the order is what it is. Out of 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, three of a kind shows up in 2.11% of them (54,912 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 three of a kind?
No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible two pair still loses to the lowest possible three of a kind. Ranks inside a category only matter when both players hold the same category.
Prove it to yourself
Which hand wins? Tap it.