“What is kicker, and when is it counted?” is a question you’re bound to hear from newcomers to the Texas Hold’em. It’s a notion to grasp at first, but it’s relatively straightforward if you understand what kicker is all about.
In poker, the kicker is the card that determines the winner when 2 or more participants have the similar hand rank. One thing to remember is the best five card hand will win the poker. The hand’s rank typically determines the winner but when all the players have the same rank, the kicker must be used to differentiate the winners losers by creating a five-card hand.
Kicker rules in the game of poker
There are no specific rules for a kicker in the game of poker. The kickers are usually found in the hand combinations. But you must take a look at the different hand combinations:
High Card–
Kicker rules in poker state that this hand comprises kickers when played with community cards on the table. This is because there is no color or sequence relationship between any of the cards in this hand. As a result, all of the cards in this hand can be regarded as kickers. As a result, all of these cards will be regarded as kickers in this hand.
Two Pair-
Kicker rules in poker state that this hand comprises kickers when played with community cards on the table. In this hand combination, four of the five cards are used in the five-card hand combination, leaving one card. In Texas Hold ’em, this card is known as a kicker.
One Pair–
Kicker rules in poker state that this hand comprises kickers when played with community cards on table. Only two of the five cards are utilised in the five-card hand combination, leaving the remaining three cards. As a result, all of these cards can be regarded as kickers in this hand.
Three of a Kind–
Kicker rules in poker state that this hand comprises kickers when played with community cards on table. Only three of the five cards are utilised in the five-card hand combination, leaving the remaining two cards. As a result, all of these cards can be regarded as kickers in this hand.
Flush–
According to poker kicker regulations, this hand combination with community cards on table has no kickers. This is since all five cards in this hand are of the same suit. In Texas hold ’em or any other poker game, there must be one or more cards left out of the five-card hand combination that is not part of that combination to have a kicker.
Straight –
According to poker kicker regulations, this hand combination with community cards on the table has no kickers. This is because this hand comprises all five cards in consecutive order. In Texas Hold ’em or any other poker game, there must be one or more cards left out of the five-card hand combination that is not part of that combination to have a kicker.
Using kickers
In poker, kickers are stated or utilised to break ties between hands of otherwise equal rank. If the kickers are identical between two hands, the hands stay tied, and the pot is shared among all equivalent winning hands (in most poker variations).
Even if more cards are available for players to utilise to produce potentially more significant/longer kickers (for example, a sixth or seventh card), this is not done in regular poker hand ranking – kickers only fill up hands until they are five cards long.
Ranking the kickers
Kickers are usually ranked using the same methods to rank a high card hand. The highest kicker is the one who has the highest card. If two kickers have same high card (or a high card of comparable rank, e.g., both kickers have a king but no ace), the tie is broken by the kicker’s second highest card. If the second-highest card and the third-highest card are both of the same ranks, the third-highest card is chosen, and so on.