Four of a Kind Poker Rules in Texas Hold’em & Bonus Poker

Master the rules for 4 of a kind poker across Texas Hold’em, Bonus Poker, and Draw Poker formats. Learn hand rankings, tips, and winning strategies.

Four of a Kind Rules in Texas Hold’em

In Texas Hold’em, Four of a Kind—often called “quads”—is one of the highest-ranking hands you can hold. It consists of four cards of the same rank, such as four Jacks or four Aces, plus one kicker. This hand is only beaten by a straight flush or royal flush, making it a rare but dominant force at the table.

To form Four of a Kind in Texas Hold’em, players use any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards. The best possible hand of the seven available cards is what counts.you’ve hit Four of a Kind (four Nines with an Ace kicker).

When multiple players have Four of a Kind (which is rare but possible when the board has three of the same rank), the winner is determined by the rank of the quads. If the quads are the same due to the board, the highest kicker card decides the winner.

It’s also important to note that Four of a Kind can sometimes be deceptive. When quads appear on the board, everyone technically has the same hand—so your kicker becomes critical. Smart players will slow play this hand when appropriate, extracting value from opponents who underestimate its strength.

Understanding how to identify, play, and protect Four of a Kind in Texas Hold’em is key to making the most out of one of poker’s rarest and most powerful hands.

Four of a Kind in Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker offers elevated excitement when it comes to four of a kind. Unlike Texas Hold’em, Bonus Poker is a video poker variant, and hitting four of a kind can lead to significant multipliers based on the rank of the cards.

How Four of a Kind Works in 5-Card Draw

In 5-card draw, forming four of a kind depends solely on your five dealt cards, with the option to exchange up to three. you can discard two cards and aim for the fourth 7. Hitting quads in draw poker is rare but powerful.

Frequent questions

What is 4 of a Kind in Poker?

4 of a kind is a powerful poker hand consisting of four cards of the same rank and one unrelated card (the kicker). For example, four Kings and a 3 would be called “Quad Kings.”

Four of a kind is quite rare—your chance of hitting it by the river in Texas Hold’em is about 0.168%, or roughly 1 in 594 hands.

Yes, four of a kind beats a full house. In poker hand rankings, it’s one of the top hands, only losing to a straight flush or a royal flush.

If two players have four of a kind, the player with the higher-ranked quads wins. If both have the same quads (from the board), the kicker decides the winner.