Apr 4, 2025
Poker: a game that has intrigued generation after generation. From casinos to online platforms, poker has grown to be one of the most popular card games. Everyone taking part in the game aims and dreams to win. And so, we prepare ourselves accordingly and learn the rules and strategies. But what happens when there is no clear winner? Are you ready to face a tiebreaker? Do you know how to make your way out of this situation? This blog will tell you how!
Among the myriad rules of poker, tiebreaker rulers are often overlooked. But they should be given as much importance as any other aspect of the game. While playing the game, if you have ever heard of the term ‘Kicker’, chances are that you have already been introduced to the tiebreaker! Seems confusing? Read on to find out!
First Things First, What Happens When There Is a Tie Breaker? And What Is a Kicker Card?
Rare indeed, but do tiebreakers in poker not happen at all? They do. When two players have the same high combinations, there happens to be a draw. And this is where the Kicker Card is introduced as the tiebreaker. The card is not a part of the primary handset but plays a major role in making the final decision of who ultimately emerges victorious. The card is known as the Side Card.
There are different types of ties in poker.
- Straight flush tie
- Flush tie
- Full house tie
- Three of a kind tie
- Double pair tie
- Pairs tie
The rules are different, and how the Kicker Card is used also differs. However, everything ultimately boils down to practice. Just as winning a game of poker requires you to practice beforehand, coming out as a winner from the tiebreaker also demands practice. And for that, the best way is to play card games online on our app.
There can be situations when even the Kickers remain equal between hands. In such a rarest of the rare scenario, the pot is equally divided among the players. But generally, the Kicker Card can make one player the winner. For instance, there are 2 players, each with a pair of 7s. Let’s assume one player has 7 7 K Q 5, and the other one has 7 7 K J 9. In this case, the first player wins because according to poker card ranking, the K Q 5 poker kicker card beats the K J 9 kicker.
But is there a time when even the Kicker Cards do not matter anymore? Yes! The Kicker Card becomes insignificant when hands are evaluated by using all 5 cards in a combination like Flushes, Straights, Straight Flushes, Four Of A Kind, or Full Houses. This implies that the hand holding the highest-ranking combination gets an outright win, and no input from the Kicker matters anymore.
Let’s Understand the Tie-Breaking Rules Better According to Poker Rankings
Mastering poker rules and strategies but leaving out the possibility of facing a tiebreaker is an unwise move. You could be this close to winning but ultimately get defeated because of not paying enough attention to the tie-breaking rules. Consider practicing the card games online on our app before resorting to playing with others.
Take a look at the table below for a better understanding:
| Ranking | Tie Breakers & Kickers | Rules |
| Royal Flush | Not Applicable | There is no chance to break a tie in this Texas Hold’em hand. Under no circumstances can two players have the same Royal Flush. In case the Royal Flush is created using the 5 community cards, the pot gets equally divided among all players. |
| Straight Flush | Not Applicable | Absolutely impossible for two players to hold the same Straight Flush! If the Straight Flush is made using 5 community cards and no one is holding a Royal Flush, the pot gets divided among all players. And if there are 2 players with 2 Straight Flush of the same hand rank, the one with the higher rank will win. (The Flush must end with high poker card rankings) |
| Four Of A Kind | 1 Kicker Card | Ties are quite a rare scenario, as 2 players are highly unlikely to have the same Four Of A Kind. But there remains a chance of occurrence if the distribution is done through community cards. When the tie occurs, the Kicker Card becomes the decider. The player holding the highest ranking card wins the pot. But in case the 5th community card, the Kicker On The Board, shows greater value than any of the player’s hole cards, the pot gets divided among all. |
| Full House | Not Applicable | Poker rules state that two players with a matching Full House always have the pot divided between them. The Full House’s value is decided by the first 3 same ranked cards but followed by a pair. For instance, K-K-K-A-A rises above K-K-K-9-9, and so on. But K-K-K-A-A gets defeated in front of A-A-A-K-K. There is no inclusion of the Kicker Card, so the pot gets divided. |
| Flush | 2 Kicker Cards | Texas Hold’em cannot have 2 players with the same Flush. According to Poker Flush rules, 2 players remaining with a Flush results in the winning of the player with the highest Flush. The pot gets shared among all if a Flush is dealt using community cards. |
| Straight | 2 Kicker Cards | If 2 or more players have the same Straight with community cards, the pot gets divided. In case 2 or more players create the same Straight with their hole cards and board cards, the one who has the higher poker card ranking gets the pot. |
| Three Of A Kind | 2 Kicker Cards | Players having identical Three Of A Kind need to see who has the fourth highest ranking card. It could either be a hole card or a community card. If the 4th strongest card also results in a tie, the 5th one is used. If that fails as well (in the rarest of cases), the pot is shared eventually. |
| Two Pair | 1 Kicker Card | If players have two identical Two Pairs irrespective of the suit, the winner becomes the one who has the 5th highest ranking card. The pot gets shared among the players if they have the same Kicker Card or the highest community card. |
| One Pair | Pair Card | Who wins if both players have the same Pair? According to poker rules, the highest Kicker Card decides the winner, but the Pairs must be of the same value. If needed, the game may include the use of a second or a third Kicker. |
| High Card | 2 Kicker Cards | Though unusual, there can be instances when all players have the same 5 cards. This leads to the pot being shared among all. In other scenarios, the players’ hole cards are assessed to determine the winner. The one with the best hole card becomes the final winner. |
In conclusion
Poker is a game of foresight and strategic thinking. But even then, tiebreakers cannot always be avoided. The use of Kicker Cards and the knowledge of tie-breaking rules distinguish novices from professionals. This is the key to becoming a poker maestro! So, gear up and consider practicing poker and other similar card games online on our app. Over time, you will get a better understanding of how to handle ties and also make sure that the game is being fairly played for all.
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