Tie Breaker Rules of Poker: How to Pick the Winner

You’re almost sure of winning the pot at the showdown, but something surprising happens. The dealer declares there is a tie between you and another opponent and he must use a tie-breaker to determine the winner.

The poker game is all about making the best hand of five cards. However, what happens when two or more players have the same poker hand ranking?

That’s where tie-breaker poker game rules come into play. Understanding tie-breakers is essential to determine who wins the pot when hands are identical.

Poker hands are ranked from high card to royal flush. When two players have a similar hand, the following factors determine the tie-breaker:

• Kicker cards (extra cards that help break the tie)
• Board cards (Texas Hold’em poker and other variants)
• Comparing hand ranks from highest to lowest

The following sections will break down the rules so that you know what to do when two hands seem equal.

How Ties Are Determined in Poker

Poker hands are ranked from weakest to strongest based on a set hierarchy. Sometimes, two players may end up with identical hands that don’t indicate a clear winner.

A tie happens when players have the same poker hand ranking after using the best five cards.

Example:

Let’s say two players, Gabbar and Kaalia, reach the showdown in a Texas Hold’em poker game.

• Kaalia’s hand: A♠ K♣
• Gabbar’s hand: A🔶 K🧡
• Board: A♣ 7🔶 4♠ 10♠ 2🔶

Now, both players have a pair of aces. So, we have to use the second card (the kicker) to determine the winner.

In this case, it is also the same for Kaalia and Gabbar. Therefore, the dealer will split the pot as their hands are identical – each will get half the winnings.

Tie Breaker Rules for Different Poker Hands

Tie-breaker rules decide who wins and gets the pot when poker actions indicate a tie. We can compare the highest-ranking cards and kickers to decide or share the pot equally if all cards are the same.

Below are the tie-breaker rules for different poker hands:

• Royal Flush

A royal flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker (A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠).

No tie-breaker is possible, as all royal flushes are equal. The pot will be split between all players with a royal flush, whether in live or online poker.

• Straight Flush

A straight flush is five consecutive suited cards, such as 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠.

The hand with the higher starting card will win in case of a tie.

Example: 

9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ beats 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠.

• Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same rank make a four of a kind (9♠ 9🔶 9♣ 9🧡 X).

The player with the higher four of a kind wins. If the cards are identical, the kicker card determines the winner.

Example: 

9♠ 9🔶 9♣ 9🧡 K♠ beats 9♠ 9🔶 9♣ 9🧡 Q♠. (K♠ ranks over Q♠)

• Full House

A full house is made of three of a kind and a pair (J♠ J🔶 J♣ 5♠ 5🔶).

The hand with the higher three-of-a-kind wins when there’s a tie. If those are the same, the higher pair decides the winner.

Example: 

J♠ J🔶 J♣ 5♠ 5🔶 beats 10♠ 10🔶 10♣ A♠ A🔶. (A♠ A🔶 ranks over 5♠ 5🔶)

• Flush

Five cards of the same suit make a flush (K♠ 10♠ 8♠ 5♠ 3♠).

The second card will be compared if the hand is identical. If the second card is the same, we compare the third card, and so on.

Example: 

K♠ 10♠ 8♠ 5♠ 3♠ beats K♠ 9♠ 8♠ 5♠ 3♠. (10♠ is higher than 9♠)

• Straight

A straight consists of five consecutive cards of varying suits (7♠ 6🔶 5♣ 4🧡 3♠).

The highest card in the straight is compared to pick the winner of the pot.

Example: 

8♠ 7🔶 6♣ 5🧡 4♠ beats 7♠ 6🔶 5♣ 4🧡 3♠. (8♠ higher than 7♠ )

• Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank makes a three of a kind in poker ( 6♠ 6🔶 6♣ X X).

The two cards (kickers) other than the three of a kind are compared for tie-breakers. The highest card will win.

Example: 

6♠ 6🔶 6♣ K♠ Q🔶 beats 6♠ 6🔶 6♣ J♠ 10🔶. (K♠Q🔶 ranks over J♠ 10🔶)

• Two Pair

Two pairs make a two pair in poker (Q♠ Q🔶 8♠ 8🔶 X).

If there is a tie, the higher second pair wins. If both are identical, we will compare the fifth card.

Example:

Q♠ Q🔶 8♠ 8🔶 J♠ beats Q♠ Q🔶 8♠ 8🔶 10♠. (J♠ is higher than 10♠)

• One Pair

As the name suggests, a single pair is one pair (A♠ A🔶 X X X).

The higher pair wins a poker trick and the pot. If the pair is identical, we will compare the next highest card, then the second and third.

Example:

A♠ A🔶 Q♠ 10♠ 7♠ beats A♠ A🔶 Q♠ 9♠ 7♠. (10♠ is higher than 9♠)

• High Card

It is the lowest-ranking poker hand (K♠ Q🔶 10♠ 8♠ 4♠).

The highest card wins the pot. If the card is identical, we will compare the second-highest, then third, and so on.

Also see: High Card in Poker

Example:

K♠ Q🔶 10♠ 8♠ 4♠ beats K♠ Q🔶 9♠ 8♠ 4♠. (10♠ is higher than 9♠)

Below is a summary table for quick reference:

What Happens When There’s a Tie in Poker?

Sometimes, two or more players have identical hands, and no tie-breaker can determine a winner. In such cases, we divide the pot equally between those two players.

This is called a split pot and occurs when the kicker and the board cannot break the tie.

When Does a Split Pot Happen?

• Identical Five-Card Hands

It happens when both players have the exact same five cards, including board cards. The pot is divided equally among the winners.

Example:

• Board: K♠ Q🔶 10♠ 8♠ 5♠
• Kaalia: K♣ Q♠ (Best hand: K♠ Q🔶 10♠ 8♠ 5♠)
• Gabbar: K🔶 Q♣ (Best hand: K♠ Q🔶 10♠ 8♠ 5♠)

The pot is split since both players have identical hands.

• Same Two-Pair and Kicker

Another split pot scenario occurs when two players have the same two-pair and kicker.

Example:

• Board: J♠ J🔶 8♠ 8🔶 4♠
• Gabbar: K♣ Q🔶 (Best hand: J♠ J🔶 8♠ 8🔶 K♣)
• Kaalia: K♠ Q♣ (Best hand: J♠ J🔶 8♠ 8🔶 K♠)

The two players have the same jacks, eights, and kings as the kickers. Therefore, they will divide the pot equally.

• Best Hand for Everyone

Sometimes, the community cards (board) create the best hand for all remaining players.

Example:

• Board: 10♠ 10♦ 10♣ 10🧡 K♠
• Every player has tens as four of a kind with a king as kicker.

The pot is split as no one has a stronger hand.

Role of Kicker Card in Tie Breakers

A kicker card is a card that is not part of the main poker combination, such as a pair, three-of-a-kind, or straight. It is used to break ties between players who have the same ranked hand.

Below is a look at how kickers break ties in poker:

• One Pair Hands

When two players have the same pair, we will use the kicker or the highest unmatched card to pick the winner.

Example:

• Gabbar: A♠ A🔶 10♣ 7♠ 5♠
• Kaalia: A♠ A🧡 9♠ 8🔶 4🔶

Gabbar wins because their 10♣ kicker is higher than Kaalia’s 9♠ kicker.

• Two Pair Hands

The fifth card (the kicker) determines the winner when two players have the same two pairs.

Example:

• Board: K♠ K🔶 Q♠ Q🔶 6♠
• Gabbar: J♠ 10♣ (Best hand: K♠ K🔶 Q♠ Q🔶 J♠)
• Kaalia: J🔶8♣ (Best hand: K♠ K🔶 Q♠ Q🔶 J🔶)

Gabbar and Kaalia have the same five cards. So, they will share the pot equally.

• High Card Hands

Let’s say none of the tied players could make a hand like a pair or better. We will compare the highest card in their hands to decide the winner.

If that turns out to be the same, we use the second-highest card, and so on.

Example:

• Gabbar: A♠ J🔶 9♠ 6♣ 3🔶
• Kaalia: A🔶 10♠ 8♣ 6🔶 3♠

Gabbar wins because their J🔶 kicker is higher than Kaalia’s 10♠ kicker.

Poker Tie Breaker Rules on Pocket52 App for Real Money

Pocket52 hosts real money poker games. A tie occurs when two or more players have hands of equal strength.

At such times, we use poker rankings to determine the best hand and rely on tie-breaker rules to pick the winner.

For example, kicker cards and the board can help determine the winner of poker ties.

If no tie-breaker is possible, the pot is divided equally between the players. For example, each player will get ₹50 from a ₹ 100-pot when two players are in a tie and no tie-breaker applies.

Understanding tie-breaker rules is essential for fair play, transparency and preventing disputes in real money poker games.

Explore Important Poker Terms:

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