Poker

Quads poker

Hand rank

Below a straight flush, above a full house²⁵

Composition

Four cards of one rank plus one kicker²⁵

Also called

Four of a kind, four cards; in some non-English-speaking countries, poker²⁵

Used in

Poker hand rankings, Big Two, Chinese poker²⁶

Key points

• Quads is the nickname for four of a kind in standard poker hand rankings.¹²
• The hand consists of four cards of the same rank and a fifth side card, the kicker, which breaks ties between equal quads.²⁴
• In Big Two, four of a kind must include a fifth card to be playable as a combination.⁶
• In some non-English-speaking countries, the word poker itself can mean four of a kind, distinct from the broader card game.⁵

How quads works

A player makes quads by holding four cards of the same rank, such as four Kings, plus any fifth card. The fifth card is the kicker, which completes the five-card hand and is used to compare two hands that both have quads — the higher kicker wins. In standard poker hand rankings, quads sits below a straight flush and above a full house.²⁵

Quads in other games

In Big Two, a popular Asian shedding game, four of a kind is a valid playable combination but must always be accompanied by a fifth card to form a five-card set.⁶ In Chinese poker, the term is used in hand-ranking terminology alongside other poker hands.³ The nickname "quads" is not used in standard poker hand-ranking lists, but is common in casual and tournament play. Players often refer to quads as a strong hand that is rarely beaten, though a straight flush or a higher four of a kind can overcome it. In some contexts, quads is also called "four cards" or simply "poker" in non-English-speaking regions, which can cause confusion with the game name.

Where this term is used

• Poker

Related terms

Sources

1. Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Defines quads as a poker term for four of a kind.
2. List of poker hands en.wikipedia.org Provides hand ranking, composition, and kicker details for four of a kind.
3. Chinese poker en.wikipedia.org Confirms use of four of a kind in Chinese poker.
4. Kicker (poker) en.wikipedia.org Explains the role of the kicker in breaking ties between quads.
5. Poker Rules - Pagat pagat.com Supports hand ranking and alternative names for four of a kind.
6. Big Two - card game rules pagat.com Describes how four of a kind works in Big Two.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.