📖 Kicker

A kicker is the highest card that determines the winner when two or more players have the same hand rank.

ℹ️ When a kicker is used

A kicker is only used in hands that have fewer than five main cards (cards that determine the hand rank):

Four of a Kind — four main cards, one kicker.
Three of a Kind — three main cards, two kickers.
Two Pair — four main cards, one kicker.
One Pair — two main cards, three kickers.
High Card — one main card, four kickers (or you can think of it as no main cards and all five cards are kickers)

These hands do not use kickers:

Every poker hand consists of exactly five cards. If the main part of the hand takes up fewer than five cards, the remaining cards (kickers) also affect the hand's strength, although they have lower priority than the main cards.
A kicker can come from a player's hole cards or from the community cards on the board. Only the card rank matters.
If two or more players have the same main cards and all kickers also match, their hands are considered equal, and they split the pot.

Neither player has any matches. Player #1 has a Queen as the highest card, which gives them the win.

Neither player has any matches. Determine the highest card and kickers: the highest shared card — an Ace — is on the board, the first kicker — a King — is also shared. The second kicker — a Queen in Player #1's hand — gives Player #1 the win.

Neither player has any matches. Comparing the highest card and kickers in order, all five cards are on the board and are shared by both players. The pot is split.

Neither player has any matches. On the board are the highest card — an Ace — and three kickers: King, Ten, Nine. The fourth kicker is an Eight in Player #1's hand, which gives Player #1 the win.

Both players have a pair of Twos. The kicker determines the winner. Player #1 has a King as the highest kicker. Player #1 wins.

Both players have a pair of Tens. Both players share the same highest kicker on the board — an Ace — but Player #1 has a King as the second kicker. Player #1 wins.

Both players have a pair of Nines. The two highest kickers — Ace and King — are on the board (shared). The third kicker — a Queen held by Player #1 — determines the winner.

Both players have a pair of Jacks. All three highest kickers are on the board and are shared (Ace, King, Ten). Since a hand always consists of exactly five cards, both players split the pot (even though Player #1's Seven is higher than Player #2's Three).

On the board is a pair of Twos. Each player has a seven in their hand, and a seven is also on the board. Both players have two pair: Sevens and Twos. However, Player #1 wins with a higher kicker — a King.

Players have two pair: Kings and Queens (Kings are on the board, each player has a Queen matching the Queen on the board). The shared kicker — an Ace — is also on the board. Two Pair has only one kicker, so the pot is split.

Both players have three Fives. The highest kicker (King) belongs to Player #1, who wins.

Both players have three Sevens. The Jack on the board is the highest shared kicker. The winner is determined by the nine in Player #1's hand — the second kicker.

Three of a Kind includes only two kickers (every hand consists of exactly five cards). Both players have three Queens. The two highest kickers — Ace and King — are on the board. The pot is split.

A rare situation: four Sevens are on the board. The winner is determined by the kicker — a Queen in Player #1's hand. Player #1 wins the pot.