Article updated 15 February 2025
Some hands in poker These hands are truly remarkable – the premium hands that seem to be quite uncommon, which leads to the inquiry –
"How likely is it to draw Quads in poker?\"
Quads can be exceptionally uncommon depending on the variant of the game being played. Due to their considerable strength, players may have the opportunity to secure substantial pots – if only they can draw some action.
Continue reading to uncover everything there is to know about Quads in poker and how to effectively utilize this formidable hand. Texas Hold’em , the odds of Quads in poker, and more.
What Are Quads in Poker?
The term \"Quads\" refers to a hand where a player has four cards of the same rank, making it a formidable hand—one of the top-tier hands in poker.
The following examples illustrate various scenarios in which a player may achieve Quads in Texas Hold'em poker:
- Board: Q♣️Q♦️5♥️5♦️2♠️
- Hand 1: Q♥️Q♠️
- Hand 2: 5♣️5♠️
This type of situation hardly occurs in Hold’em, yet in the example above, both players end up with Quads using their pocket pairs. In instances where two players hold Quads, the victor is determined by who possesses the higher-ranked version.
Given the rarity of a Quads vs. Quads scenario, some casinos provide a special prize payout bad beat jackpot where both the losing player and others at the table might receive a sizable payout from the casino (more on this below).
A slightly more frequent scenario where two players achieve Quads is when the Quads are entirely on the communal board, as depicted in the example below.
- Board: Q♥️Q♦️Q♠️5♦️Q♣️
- Hand 1: K♦️K♠️
- Hand 2: A♠️4♣️
The scenario above illustrates the concept of 'counterfeiting'. In Hand 1, a strong full house with Queens over Kings is present on the turn. However, once the fourth Queen is revealed on the river, Hand 1 can no longer utilize the pocket pair of Kings for their best hand.
Therefore, Hand 1 must rely on the Four of a Kind Queens as this becomes their strongest possible hand.
This outcome allows for one kicker, thus Hand 1 chooses one King as their kicker. Although Hand 2 appeared weak on the turn, it greatly improves by the river.
Making Quad Kings with an Ace Kicker now puts Hand 2 ahead of Hand 1’s King kicker. In such scenarios, Hand 1 often feels disadvantaged, hence this situation is referred to as 'getting counterfeited' in poker. poker lingo .
The preceding two hands are quite rare.
Here’s a more typical example of how a player might achieve Quads using a pocket pair.
- Board: 5♥️K♦️Q♠️5♦️2♣️
- Hand 1: 5♣️5♠️
- Hand 2: A♠️K♣️
In this instance, the first player hits another five on the flop to create a set of fives, while the second player is already at a disadvantage on the flop, having only made a top pair with the best kicker. Hand 1’s situation improves when the last five from the deck appears on the turn.
These quad fives hold the potential to win a substantial pot provided the opponent chooses not to fold.
Example of Quads Used in a Sentence
Now that you have a better understanding of Quads in poker, incorporating this terminology during a casino visit or home poker game should prove much simpler.
Here are a few examples illustrating how to use the term 'Quads' at the poker table.
“ I had a set on the flop but ended up making Quads by the river.Marie’s quad sevens definitely put her ahead of my pair of kings.Although I realized Tim had the best hand, I didn't anticipate him holding Quads. |
What Are the Odds of Quads in Poker?
The chances of obtaining Quads in poker are quite slim, so don't hold your breath for this hand to come up frequently. The odds of hitting Quads during a game are approximated at 4,164 to 1.
- This results in a mere 0.0256% probability of achieving Quads.
- In contrast, the likelihood of forming a pair on the flop stands at 32%.
- If you are holding a pocket pair, the chances of landing a set are roughly 11.8%.
Drawing that fourth card to create Quads in poker proves to be significantly tougher.
What Beats Quads in Poker?
Understanding hand rankings is essential for successful poker play. Those who are unaware poker hand rankings will be lost. Here’s a quick review:
Royal Flush –
This hand boasts the highest rank in poker, featuring all cards from 10 to Ace of the same suit, such as 10♠️J♠️Q♠️K♠️A♠️.
Straight Flush –
A straight flush consists of five consecutively ranked cards, all of the same suit, exemplified by 8♣️9♣️10♣️J♣️Q♣️.
Four-of-a-Kind (commonly referred to as Quads) –
To clarify, this hand consists of four cards sharing the same rank, such as four fours: 4♥️4♣️4♦️4♠️.
Full House –
This poker hand includes three cards of one rank and a pair of another, for instance A♠️A♥️A♣️K♣️K♦️.
Flush –
In this hand, five cards belong to the same suit, but are not in sequential order, like A♦️K♦️9♦️7♦️2♦️.
Straight –
When a player is dealt five cards in consecutive order but not of the same suit, such as 2♠️3♥️4♠️5♣️6♦️, this constitutes a straight.
Three-of-a-Kind –
Holding three cards of the same rank
Two Pair –
Two Pair comprises two different sets of pairs, such as Aces and fours.
Pair –
Two cards sharing the same rank, like two Aces, constitute a pair.
High Card –
This hand arises when a player doesn’t manage to form a pair, playing the best five cards possible, resulting in an Ace-high hand.
It is important to recognize that Quads are ranked below straights and royal flushes. Those two hands hold rarity akin to Quads, but securing Quads remains a challenging feat and can lead to lucrative rewards.
A player possessing a solid hand, like a full house, would find themselves in serious jeopardy against an opponent with Quads.
Incorporating Quads into Your Poker Strategy
Whenever we manage to form Quads utilizing one or more of our hole cards in Hold’em, we achieve the 'nuts'. The only exception is if a player makes Quads from a pocket pair while there is a higher pair on the board (in such cases, opponents might form an even better Quads) or if another player achieves a straight flush or royal flush.
Given how improbable this situation is, it’s best to overlook it or attribute it to fluke occurrences poker variance unless we’re playing with particularly deep stacks.
Even in Pot-Limit Omaha, Quads represent an incredibly powerful hand and are nearly always worth pursuing for sizable stakes. This is largely because opponents usually aren’t inclined to fold a strong full house (for instance, if they hold JJxx on a J-10-10 board while we have 10-10xx).
Players must utilize at least one of their hole cards to form Quads in Omaha. Unlike Hold’em, it’s not feasible to create Quads solely using the board since a player would only utilize one or none of their hole cards.
In Omaha, this practice violates the rules, as players are required to use exactly two of their hole cards.
Quads in a Bad Beat Jackpot
Quads frequently play an important role in a casino's bad beat jackpot. These promotions involve the house taking a small portion from each cash game pot to build a separate prize pool.
So, if you’re on the hunt for where to play poker in Vegas Considering this, opting for a casino offering such a promotion could yield fruitful outcomes.
The jackpot is triggered when a premium hand is overtaken by an even better hand.
Typically, the 'loser' of the hand claims the larger share of the jackpot, while the 'winner' also receives a tidy portion. Moreover, many casinos distribute the remainder of the jackpot among the other players at the table. Some establishments even allocate a portion to every cash game player participating during that time.
For instance, at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec, Canada, a whopping $1.7 million bad beat jackpot was achieved in September 2024.
In this hand, one player scored quad nines while another player revealed quad aces on the river.
- The player who lost with quad nines captured 40% of the jackpot, translating to $640,004.
- And the winner grabbed 20% for $337,096.
- The remaining seven players at the table divided the leftover 20% for a payout of $48,156 each.
The appearance of Quads proved exceptionally rewarding for everyone seated at the table.
Quads in Poker - Conclusion
Quads in poker refer to when a player possesses four cards of matching rank—such as four kings. This hand ranks among the premier hands in poker, although the prospects of drawing Quads are quite slim. Players stand a genuine chance of winning a considerable pot when they obtain this hand.
While Quads may lose to hands like straight flushes or royal flushes, such occurrences remain quite rare—differing from various scenarios. poker movies This would indeed activate a bad beat jackpot in certain casino cash games.
The majority of players likely dream of being dealt Quads, as it almost always signifies a winning hand at the poker table.
See Also
High Hand , Two Pair , Three of a Kind , Straight , Flush , Full House , Straight Flush , Royal Flush , Some hands in , poker , Texas Hold’em , , the odds of Quads in poker, and more. , What Are Quads in Poker?