In Texas Hold'em Poker, several hands do not offer a tie-breaker option, which may or may not be the case in other types of Poker. Let’s learn a few Poker tie-breaker rules to clear up the confusion and better understand the concept.
In poker, if there’s a tie, the player with the highest-ranking card wins. If both hands have the same top card, the tie is broken by comparing the second-highest card, then the third, and so on, until the winner is decided.
Simple example
If two players play head-on, the first player is dealt 4-5 as hole cards while the second player is dealt 5-6 as hole cards. If, after all the rounds, the cards on the table turn out to be 4-5-6-7-8. Here, the best hand that the first player can make is a straight of cards from 4 to 8; the same is the case with the second player. Hence, both players share the pot among themselves.
Let’s say the first player has J-J, and the second player has Q-J. The cards on the table turn out to be 8-8-5-2-K. Now, both players have one pair on the board and a high card with them. In this case, their second hole card comes into play as a tie-breaker card. So, player two wins the pot as their second card is Q, which is stronger than the second card of the first player, which is a J.
Ranking in Poker Cash Games From Highest to Lowest
| Ranking | Tie Breakers | Rules |
|---|---|---|
|
Royal Flush |
Not Applicable |
There is no way to break a tie in this Texas Hold’em hand since two players can't have the same Royal Flush. The money is divided among all players if the royal Flush is made using the five community cards. |
|
Straight Flush |
Not Applicable |
This is one of the impossible situations in the game, as two players can’t hold the same straight Flush in Texas Hold’em Poker. As per Straight Flush Poker rules, the money is divided among all players if the straight Flush is made using the five community cards except if no one holds a royal Flush. If two players have the same hand rank as a Straight Flush, the higher ranking straight Flush would win the pot. (a straight Flush that ends with the high-ranking cards) |
|
Four of a kind |
1 Kicker Card |
Poker ties are impossible to achieve since two players cannot have the same four of a kind unless the dealer distributes four of a kind through community cards. If it occurs, the kicker becomes the decider, and the player with the highest-ranking card, after checking their hole cards, wins. If the fifth community card, the “kicker on the board,” is greater than any of the participants' hole cards, the pot is divided. |
|
Full House |
Not Applicable |
According to Poker tie rules, the pot is always divided when two players have a matching Full House. The first three same-ranked cards decide the Full House's value, followed by a pair. For example, K-K-K-A-A defeats K-K-K-9-9, and so on. K-K-K-A-A loses against A-A-A-K-K. A kicker card cannot be utilized to decide a winner for an equal Full House, so the pot is divided. |
|
Flush |
Two Kicker Cards |
In Texas Hold'em, two players can’t get the matching Flush. Per Poker Flush rules, the player with the highest-ranking Flush wins if two players hold Flush. If the dealer hands a flush using community cards, which is the highest flush when all players' hole cards are considered, the pot is shared among all players in the hand. Flush rules state that a winner is declared by combining the players' cards with the board cards to get the highest combination of the two. |
|
Straight |
Two Kicker Cards |
The pot gets divided when two or more players hold the same straight using the community cards. When two or more players make the same straight through their hole cards & board cards, then the one with the higher ranking wins the pot. The pot is shared whenever a straight results in the highest-ranked cards among all players, regardless of suit. |
|
Three of a kind |
Two Kicker Cards |
If players hold identical three-of-a-kind (suit is irrelevant in this hand), the winner is determined by the fourth highest-ranking card (one of the player's hole cards or a community card, whichever is higher ranking). If the 4th strongest card (highest ranking card) is also a tie, the 5th card is used to declare a winner. If the fifth card is also a tie, the pot is shared evenly (this would be a rare case). |
|
Two Pair |
1 Kicker Card |
Poker two-pair tie-breaker rules state that if players hold identical two pairs irrespective of the suit, the winner is decided by the fifth highest-ranking card (one of the player’s hole cards or a community card). Per the Texas Hold’em two-pair tie-breaker rule, the pot is shared if both players have the same kickers or the highest community card. |
|
One Pair |
Pair Card |
If two players hold the same Poker pair, who wins? Poker pair rules say that the highest kicker card determines the winner if the pairs are of the same value. A second and even third kicker can be used if necessary. |
|
High Card |
Two Kicker Card |
As per Texas Hold'em's high-card rules, the pot is shared if all players have the same five cards. This is highly unusual. In all other cases, the winner is decided by the players' hole cards. The player with the best hole card gets the pot amount. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wins if two players are holding a flush?
As per Texas Hold’em Flush rules, if two or more players have five cards of the same suit, the player with the strongest cards wins. For example - if Player A is holding 10 ♥ Q ♥, player B is holding 4♣ and 6♥ and the board shows 3♥7♥5♥9♥J♦, player A with Q♥10♥9♥7♥5♥ wins over player B with 9♥7♥6♥5♥3♥.
Who wins if two players are holding a straight?
Texas Hold’em Straight rules state that the player who creates a straight with the highest cards in value wins the pot. For example, in a Hold’em game, player A has J-K, Player B holds 7-8, and the board comes 10-Q-9-6-3. In this situation, player A with 9-10-J-Q-K beats Player B with 6-7-8-9-10.
Who wins if two players are holding a full house?
The player with the highest-ranking 3 cards wins. For example – if player A has J-J, player B has J-&, and the board reveals K-J-7-7-4, player A with J-J-J-7-7 wins over player B’s J-J-7-7-7.
Who wins if no player holds the cards that qualify as a hand?
According to Texas Hold’em tie-breaker rules, the player with the high-card wins if no player has a pair of cards in a sequence/suit. If player A is holding K♥ 9♦, B is having 5♦ 8♠, and the board comes 2♠ 4♥ Q♣ 6♦ 10♥, player A with ‘K’ wins over player B’s ‘8’.
Who wins if two players hold the same pair in Texas Hold’em?
If two or more players are holding the same hand hands, the kicker card helps determine the winner. For example, if player A has 10-5, B has 10-8, and the board comes 2-4-J-10-K, both players have a pair of 10s. Per Poker pair rules, player B will win as the kicker card ‘8’ is higher than player A’s ‘5’.
What is a kicker card?
If two or more players hold the same type of hand, the kicker card helps determine the winner. For example, if player A has 10-5, B has 10-8, and the board comes 2-4-J-10-k, both players have a pair of 10s. In this situation, player B will win as the kicker card ‘8’ is higher than player A’s ‘5’.
Conclusion
In Texas Hold'em Poker, knowing the tie-breaker rules is important for deciding who wins when players have similar hands. When two players tie, their highest cards are observed and checked one by one until a winner is determined. Some hands, like a Royal Flush, can't tie, while others, like Full House or Three of a Kind, can lead to a split pot if the hands are the same. By understanding these rules, players can handle ties better and ensure the game is fair for everyone involved.
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