A tie in poker is one of the most exciting things to happen at a table. It means that you and another player both hold hands that can win the pot – the amount of money that everyone contributes to the game. If this happens, you’ll need to use a tiebreaker to determine who wins and split the pot evenly between you. Here are some of the most common tiebreaker rules in poker.
Two Pair
If players have two pairs of cards that are the same rank, the highest pair wins. If the cards are not equal, they will compare their kickers (the highest card outside of their pairs). The winner is determined by the higher kicker.
Three of a Kind
When players make a three of a kind hand, their kickers will break the tie. The higher the kicker, the better the hand. For example, a hand made with AK and AQ has a much stronger kicker than a hand made with KK and QK. The higher hand will therefore beat the lower one and win the pot.
Flush
The highest flush wins a tie if it contains all cards of the same suit. If the hand is a royal flush, the kicker will be used to break the tie.
Straight
If a player has a higher straight at showdown, they will win the pot. This is because the straight is a better hand than the one that was tied with it.
Full House
A full house is a hand that includes a combination of three separate pairs of cards. The highest full house will win a tie if it is better than the other hand. The best way to determine this is by looking at the cards in the pair and their kickers.
High Card
The highest card breaks ties in all other types of hands except for a pair, flush, straight or royal flush. The highest card is compared to the second-highest, third-highest and so on until a winner is declared. This is the most common tiebreaker in poker.