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01　New to poker

BeginnerAbout 9 min readUpdated Figures 8 · Questions 4

Comparing Hands of the Same Rank (Kickers and Ties)

Each player makes their best five-card hand from their two hole cards and the five board cards. Let’s use diagrams and questions to see how the winner is decided when both players have the same hand rank.

Key points

  1. When players have the same hand rank, compare ranks in the order defined for that hand.
  2. A kicker is a card compared separately from a made group such as a pair. Only kickers in the chosen five-card hand count.
  3. If every relevant rank is equal, the pot is tied. Suits have no ranking.

01Compare card ranks when both players have the same type of hand

  1. 1

    Hand rank

    The stronger hand rank wins.

  2. 2

    Ranks

    Compare the cards in the order set for that hand rank. The first difference decides the winner.

  3. 3

    Still tied

    The pot is tied.

The order of comparison depends on the hand rank.

HandHow to compare
Straight flush · StraightHighest card
Four of a kindRank of the four of a kind → kicker
Full houseRank of the three of a kind → rank of the pair
Flush · High cardCompare one card at a time, highest first
Three of a kindRank of the three of a kind → kickers, highest first
Two pairHigher pair → lower pair → remaining card
One pairPair → remaining three cards, highest first

In hands such as one pair, kickers are the cards outside the pair or other matching group that are used to break ties. Only cards in the chosen five-card hand are compared, and suits have no ranking. See the poker hand rankings for the order of hand strengths.

Example: comparing kickers

Both players have a pair of Aces. Compare the remaining cards one at a time, from highest to lowest.

Player A has A A K Q 7, and Player B has A A K J 7. Their first kicker, K, is the same. Player A wins with Q over J on the next comparison.
BoardA♦︎♦︎K♣︎♣︎7♦︎♦︎4♠︎♠︎2♥︎♥︎
Player AA♠︎♠︎Q♦︎♦︎
A♦︎♦︎A♠︎♠︎K♣︎♣︎Q♦︎♦︎7♦︎♦︎One pairWin
Player BA♥︎♥︎J♣︎♣︎
A♦︎♦︎A♥︎♥︎K♣︎♣︎J♣︎♣︎7♦︎♦︎One pair

Cards that make the handRemaining card (kicker)Card that decided the winner

02Common comparison mistakes

Full house vs. full house

Compare the rank of the three of a kind first. Compare the ranks of the pairs only if the three of a kind has the same rank in both hands.

Both players use the three Kings on the board. Their pairs are Aces and Queens, so Player A wins.
BoardK♠︎♠︎K♥︎♥︎K♦︎♦︎8♣︎♣︎2♠︎♠︎
Player AA♣︎♣︎A♦︎♦︎
K♠︎♠︎K♥︎♥︎K♦︎♦︎A♣︎♣︎A♦︎♦︎Full houseWin
Player BQ♣︎♣︎Q♦︎♦︎
K♠︎♠︎K♥︎♥︎K♦︎♦︎Q♣︎♣︎Q♦︎♦︎Full house

Cards that make the handRemaining card (kicker)Card that decided the winner

Two pair vs. two pair

Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, and finally the remaining card.

Both players have Kings as their higher pair. Their lower pairs are Queens and Sevens, so Player A wins. Player B’s Ace is never reached in the comparison.
BoardK♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎7♦︎♦︎4♠︎♠︎2♣︎♣︎
Player AQ♠︎♠︎Q♦︎♦︎
K♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎Q♠︎♠︎Q♦︎♦︎7♦︎♦︎Two pairWin
Player B7♠︎♠︎A♦︎♦︎
K♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎7♦︎♦︎7♠︎♠︎A♦︎♦︎Two pair

Cards that make the handRemaining card (kicker)Card that decided the winner

Flush vs. flush

Compare one card at a time, starting with the highest. Even if the top four cards match, the fifth card can decide the winner.

Both players have a heart flush. A K 9 5 are the same, so the fifth cards, 3 and 4, decide it. Player B wins. Q and J are not part of either five-card flush.
BoardA♥︎♥︎K♥︎♥︎9♥︎♥︎5♥︎♥︎2♣︎♣︎
Player A3♥︎♥︎Q♣︎♣︎
A♥︎♥︎K♥︎♥︎9♥︎♥︎5♥︎♥︎3♥︎♥︎Flush
Player B4♥︎♥︎J♣︎♣︎
A♥︎♥︎K♥︎♥︎9♥︎♥︎5♥︎♥︎4♥︎♥︎FlushWin

Cards that make the handRemaining card (kicker)Card that decided the winner

Straights and A-2-3-4-5

Compare the highest card. A-2-3-4-5 counts as five-high and is the lowest possible straight.

A sequence cannot wrap around the Ace.

  • 10♠︎♠︎J♦︎♦︎Q♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎A♠︎♠︎○Makes a straightHighest straight
  • 5♣︎♣︎6♦︎♦︎7♠︎♠︎8♥︎♥︎9♣︎♣︎○Makes a straightThe high card is 9
  • A♦︎♦︎2♣︎♣︎3♥︎♥︎4♠︎♠︎5♦︎♦︎○Makes a straightThe high card counts as 5 · Lowest straight
  • Q♥︎♥︎K♣︎♣︎A♠︎♠︎2♦︎♦︎3♣︎♣︎×Does not make a straightWraps around past A
  • K♦︎♦︎A♣︎♣︎2♥︎♥︎3♠︎♠︎4♣︎♣︎×Does not make a straightWraps around past A

03When a hand is tied

If the hand rank and the ranks of all five cards being compared are the same, the hand is tied. This remains true even if the players use their hole cards.

Everyone plays the board: tie

If the five board cards make the best five-card hand for every player still in the hand, the result is a tie.

The board alone makes a straight from 10 to A. Neither player can make a stronger five-card hand, so the result is a tie.
Board10♠︎♠︎J♦︎♦︎Q♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎A♠︎♠︎
Player A2♣︎♣︎3♦︎♦︎
A♠︎♠︎K♥︎♥︎Q♣︎♣︎J♦︎♦︎10♠︎♠︎StraightTie
Player B5♥︎♥︎7♣︎♣︎
A♠︎♠︎K♥︎♥︎Q♣︎♣︎J♦︎♦︎10♠︎♠︎StraightTie

Cards that make the handRemaining card (kicker)Unused card

A made hand on the board does not always mean a tie

Even when the five board cards make a hand, a player may be able to improve it with a hole card.

The board alone makes a six-high straight. Player B can use the 7 to make a seven-high straight, so Player B wins.
Board2♠︎♠︎3♦︎♦︎4♣︎♣︎5♥︎♥︎6♠︎♠︎
Player AA♦︎♦︎K♣︎♣︎
6♠︎♠︎5♥︎♥︎4♣︎♣︎3♦︎♦︎2♠︎♠︎Straight
Player B7♦︎♦︎Q♣︎♣︎
7♦︎♦︎6♠︎♠︎5♥︎♥︎4♣︎♣︎3♦︎♦︎StraightWin

Cards that make the handRemaining card (kicker)Card that decided the winner

For how the pot is divided after a tie, see Rules and the Flow of a Hand.

04Check Your Understanding with 4 Questions

First choose each player’s best five-card hand, then compare them.

Question 1Who wins?

BoardJ♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎5♣︎♣︎3♥︎♥︎2♠︎♠︎
Player AJ♦︎♦︎K♠︎♠︎
Player BJ♥︎♥︎9♣︎♣︎
View answer

BoardJ♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎5♣︎♣︎3♥︎♥︎2♠︎♠︎
Player AJ♦︎♦︎K♠︎♠︎
J♠︎♠︎J♦︎♦︎K♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎5♣︎♣︎One pairWin
Player BJ♥︎♥︎9♣︎♣︎
J♠︎♠︎J♥︎♥︎9♣︎♣︎8♦︎♦︎5♣︎♣︎One pair

Both players have a pair of Jacks. Their highest kickers are K and 9, so Player A wins.

Question 2Who wins?

Board8♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎8♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎K♠︎♠︎
Player AA♠︎♠︎A♦︎♦︎
Player BK♦︎♦︎2♣︎♣︎
View answer

Board8♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎8♣︎♣︎K♥︎♥︎K♠︎♠︎
Player AA♠︎♠︎A♦︎♦︎
8♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎8♣︎♣︎A♠︎♠︎A♦︎♦︎Full house
Player BK♦︎♦︎2♣︎♣︎
K♥︎♥︎K♠︎♠︎K♦︎♦︎8♠︎♠︎8♦︎♦︎Full houseWin

Both players have a full house. Player A has three Eights and two Aces. Player B has three Kings and two Eights. The rank of the three of a kind is compared first, so Player B wins with three Kings.

Question 3Who wins?

Board3♠︎♠︎4♦︎♦︎5♣︎♣︎9♥︎♥︎K♠︎♠︎
Player AA♣︎♣︎2♦︎♦︎
Player B6♥︎♥︎2♠︎♠︎
View answer

Board3♠︎♠︎4♦︎♦︎5♣︎♣︎9♥︎♥︎K♠︎♠︎
Player AA♣︎♣︎2♦︎♦︎
5♣︎♣︎4♦︎♦︎3♠︎♠︎2♦︎♦︎A♣︎♣︎Straight
Player B6♥︎♥︎2♠︎♠︎
6♥︎♥︎5♣︎♣︎4♦︎♦︎3♠︎♠︎2♠︎♠︎StraightWin

Both players have a straight. Player A has A-2-3-4-5 (five-high), while Player B has 2-3-4-5-6 (six-high). Player B wins.

Question 4Who wins?

Board9♠︎♠︎9♥︎♥︎9♦︎♦︎9♣︎♣︎A♠︎♠︎
Player AK♠︎♠︎Q♠︎♠︎
Player B3♦︎♦︎2♣︎♣︎
View answer

Board9♠︎♠︎9♥︎♥︎9♦︎♦︎9♣︎♣︎A♠︎♠︎
Player AK♠︎♠︎Q♠︎♠︎
9♠︎♠︎9♥︎♥︎9♦︎♦︎9♣︎♣︎A♠︎♠︎Four of a kindTie
Player B3♦︎♦︎2♣︎♣︎
9♠︎♠︎9♥︎♥︎9♦︎♦︎9♣︎♣︎A♠︎♠︎Four of a kindTie

Both players have 9 9 9 9 A for four of a kind. The board’s A is the remaining card, so neither player uses their hole cards. The result is a tie.

Frequently asked questions

What is a kicker?

In a hand such as one pair, kickers are the cards compared separately from the matching group. If the pair ranks are equal, compare the kickers from highest to lowest. Only cards in the chosen five-card hand count.

What happens to the pot in a tie?

It is split equally among the tied players.

Is A-2-3-4-5 a strong straight?

It is the lowest straight. Its high card counts as 5, so it loses to 2-3-4-5-6.

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