LEARN ALL ABOUT TIES IN POKER AND BE READY WHEN YOU HAVE THE SAME HAND AS ANOTHER PLAYER

Mathematical studies show that there are 2,598,960 possible poker hand combinations in a deck of fifty-two cards.

A one-pair hand is a hand that is most likely to win with over a million different varieties possible. Bearing this in mind, it’s entirely feasible that ties might occur on occasion during a poker game. 

The more you practise playing poker, the easier it becomes to tell what happens when there’s a tie. With this article, we’ll help you learn all about ties in poker so you know what to expect when you have the same final hand as another player.

WHAT IS A KICKER IN POKER?

When two players have the same pair, the next highest side card in their five-card hand determines the winner. In this case, there isn’t a true tie between the players, and it’s easy to determine the winner.

The kicker card is not part of a made hand. In Texas Hold ’em, it is the extra card that the player holds; in five-card draw poker, it refers to the next highest-ranking card.

The kicker determines the winner when there’s a tie in a round of poker. It’s called the ‘kicker’ because it ‘kicks’ the losing player out of contention for the pot.

A kicker only comes into play when two players show down with hands of the same strength.

For instance, in a game of Texas Hold ’em, let’s say two players showdown with hole cards comprising a king of diamonds and a jack of hearts versus a king and queen of hearts.

The board runs as follows:

• King of clubs
• 10 of hearts
• Eight of clubs
• Five of hearts
• Two of diamonds

In this scenario, both players have a pair of kings, but the player with the higher pair wins due to the queen being a higher-ranked card than the jack (being the third-highest card). In this instance, the queen is the kicker card, which can only be beaten by a king kicker card.

HOW TO SPLIT UP THE POT

If two or more players have kickers of the same value in a poker cash game, then the pot is split between tied hands. In this case, each winning player receives an equal share of the pot after deducting the rake. In cases where the pot isn’t equally divisible by the number of winners, the player with the highest-ranking single card gets the extra chip.

Sometimes the cards’ suits can come into play when determining this. Spades are the highest-ranked suit, followed by hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

Another way to divide these pots is by giving the extra portion to the player involved in the showdown that’s seated immediately to the left of the button. In online poker cash games, when players tie, one of them might get one cent extra.

Due to the huge variety of winning hands and card combinations, it’s rarely as simple as that. The rules revolving around a tie in poker can also vary depending on the poker hands involved.

POKER TIE-BREAKER RULES

In most cases, there is a set solution to determine the winner in the event of a tie-breaker, based on the type of hands the players have.

In all kinds of poker cash games, each winning hand has different tie-breaker rules, as follows:

HIGH CARD TIE-BREAKER RULES

This is the most common type of tie in poker due to the high likelihood of two or more players achieving this hand. When two players have the same high card, the best way to decide a winner is by asking them to place their hands down on the table in descending order according to hand ranking.

Then, the highest-rank non-kicker card wins. For example:

• A hand of A-K-10-7-4 beats an A-J-10-6-2.
• A hand of 10-9-6-5-3 beats a 10-9-6-4-2.

ONE-PAIR TIE-BREAKER RULES

Even pair hands can result in a tie, and the same rule applies. The highest non-tie card decides the winner.

Examples of one-pair tie-breakers:

• A hand of K-K-9-8-5 beats K-K-9-3-2.
• A hand of A-A-Q-9-3 beats A-A-Q-9-2.

TWO-PAIR TIE-BREAKER RULES

A two-pair tie is one of the easiest to decide. When two players have two pairs of each, the one with the highest pair will win the pot. 

When two players have pairs with the same rank, there is only one kicker, so this comes into play when the players compare their hands.

RULES OF A THREE-OF-A-KIND TIE-BREAKER

Three-of-a-kind is only the sixth-strongest hand in poker and is a common winning hand. When comparing two hands featuring a three-of-a-kind, the value of the triple cards is the first determiner.

If two players have three cards of the same value, then the highest-ranking card (kicker) determines the eventual winner.

For instance, suppose the board features a K-K-J-6-2. And one player would have a K-10, and the other player would have a K-9; the player holding the 10 wins.

STRAIGHT TIE-BREAKER RULES

Straight hands have five consecutive cards of different suits. An ace can be high or low in this sequence. For instance, an A-K-Q-J-10 is a straight, and so is an A-2-3-4-5. 

The player with the higher straight wins the round; however, if two players have the same straight, they each get half of the pot minus the rake. 

FLUSH TIE-BREAKER RULES

A flush consists of five cards of one suit, regardless of their sequence. For instance, the 3-6-9-J-K of diamonds form a flush.

If there are two flushes in the showdown, the player with the highest card in their hand wins. In cases where the highest cards in both flush hands are the same, the comparison moves to the following two highest, the third-highest, and so on, until a winner is determined. 

FULL HOUSE TIE-BREAKER RULES

A full house poker hand comprises a three-of-a-kind plus a pair (two-of-a-kind). It’s the fourth-highest-ranking poker hand.

If two players have a full house, the highest-ranking three-of-a-kind wins. For instance, 5-5-5 and 3-3 beat 4-4-4 and 3-3. 

RULES OF A FOUR-OF-A-KIND TIE-BREAKER

A four-of-a-kind hand, also called ‘quads’, comprises four cards of one rank and one odd card. In Texas Hold ’em, this is the third most powerful hand in the game, with a low probability of just 0.000240.

As this hand comprises all the cards of an equal value in a game, it’s easy to determine a tie based on the highest combination — four queens beat four jacks.

When there are jokers or other Wild cards in play, all the rules apply for five-of-a-kind hands, i.e. the highest-ranked cards win. In Deuces Wild poker, the twos are Wild cards and sometimes the joker makes up a fifth card.

Things can get a little more complicated when determining the winner of these games. For instance, a hand comprising 10-10-2-2-2 beats a hand with four eights and a two, even though the four eights make up a four-of-a-kind.

RULES OF A STRAIGHT FLUSH TIE-BREAKER

A straight flush has any five cards of the same suit in consecutive order — straight flushes are the second-best hands players can earn. If two or more players have a straight flush, the player with the highest straight wins the hand.

For instance, when one player has the 4-5-6-7-8 of hearts and another has 3-4-5-6-7 of hearts, the first player wins.

RULES OF A ROYAL FLUSH TIE-BREAKER

A royal flush is comprised of a 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit. It’s both a straight and a flush and is an unbeatable hand. 

If two players have a royal flush, there is no way to determine a winner. In this case, the pot is split, and each player receives an equal share minus the rake. 

THE SAME HAND AFTER A TIE-BREAKER

There may be a rare instance when two players’ hands are still equally matched after taking the kicker into consideration.

In these cases, there’s no alternative but to split the pot. One thing to remember is that although poker rules are widely accepted universally, the house rules always override these.

Every land-based or online casino should provide a copy of their house rules in writing.Read through the house rules before you start playing, especially if you’re joining an online tournament.