Poker Both Have Straight Who Wins

Assuming the 5th card on the board is a Q you both have a straight 10 to A so it's a split pot. And without a Q your opponent win. When both players have one pair or two pair that tie, kickers determine the best five cards. Only the highest straight wins, not the longest straight. Straights and flushes do not have kickers.The term kicker is slang that describes the next card in the five card hand when a player has one or two pair.

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One questions I hear all of the time from poker players new to Texas Hold'em is “what is a kicker and when does it count?”. At first, it can be quite a confusing concept to wrap your head around but once you have an understanding of what a kicker is, it's actually quite simple.

Here is the definition:

A kicker is a card in poker that decides the winner if two or more players are tied with the same hand rank. E.g. a player with AK will outkick an opponent's AQ on a AJ932 board. Both players have a pair but AK has the better 5-card hand of AAKJ9 vs AAQJ9 where the K/Q, J, and 9 count as kickers.

One key point to keep in mind is that the best 5-card hand wins in poker. Winners are usually determined from the rank of a hand (e.g. flush vs full house or Ace-high flush versus King-high flush) but when both players hold the same hand rank, a kicker must come into play to separate the winners from the losers by making a 5-card hand.

So you might be wondering who wins in this scenario:

Well think about it for a minute, and then if you can't work it out, have a read of the list below.

Table Of Contents

• How To Determine When A Kicker Play

How To Determine When A Kicker Play

Here is a list of the hands in poker and how/if a kicker is played:

High card:

A high card plays when neither player has a pair or better. When both players have a high card, all cards can be counted as a kicker. Take your two hole cards and five community cards, then start with the highest-ranking card and compare to your opponent while ignoring the two weakest cards of the 7 total.

An example of where a high card kicker plays:

• Your hand: A♠ 9♣
• Your opponent's hand: A♥ 5♠
• The community cards: K♥ Q♣ 8♦ 2♠ 3♠
• Your best 5 cards: A♠ K♥ Q ♣ 9♣ 8♦
• His best 5 cards: A♥ K♥ Q♣ 8♦ 5 ♠

We ignore the 3♠ and the 2♠ on the board since they are lower than the other 5 cards.

And now, let's take this situation where one of your kickers doesn't play:

• Your hand: A♣ 7♠
• Opponents hand: A♥ 5♥
• The community cards: K♦ Q♦ 9 ♣ 8♥ 3♣
• Your best 5 cards: A♣ K♦ Q♦ 9 ♣ 8♥
• Hist best 5 cards: A♥ K♦ Q♦ 9 ♣ 8♥

I.e. the 5♥ and the 7♠ are both lower than the other 5 cards on the board and therefore the pot is split.

One pair:

With one pair a kicker is used when your second card is better than your opponent and the remaining cards on the board.

• Your hand: A♥ K♥
• Opponents hand: A♦ Q♣
• The community cards: A♣ T♦ 7♠ 5♠ 2 ♦
• Your best 5 cards: A♥ A♣ K♥ T♦ 7♠
• Hist best 5 cards: A♦ A♣ Q♣ T♦ 7♠

In this case, you have your opponent out kicked with the hand of a pair of Aces with King kicker vs a pair of Aces with a Queen kicker.

Two pair

A single card kicker plays with two pair only when you do not make two pair with both of your hole cards. For example:

• Your hand: A♥ K♥
• Opponents hand: A♦ Q♣
• The community cards: A♣ T♦ 7♠ 5♠ 5♦
• Your best 5 cards: A♥ A♣ 5♠ 5♦ K♥
• Hist best 5 cards: A♦A♣ 5♠ 5♦ Q♣

The pot will be split if both players have the same two pair using both their hole cards.

Two pair winners are determined by first determining the best highest-ranked pair between you and your opponent, and then if these are the same, you compare the 2nd pair.

Can you now work out the example we gave in the introduction? Here is broken down:

• Your hand: A♣ 2♦
• Opponents hand: A♦ 7♠
• The community cards: A♥ 9♥ 9♣ J♦4♣
• Your best 5 cards: A♣ A♥ 9♥ 9♣ J♦
• Hist best 5 cards: A♦ A♥ 9♥ 9♣ J♦

Therefore the pot will be split since neither the 7♠ nor the 2♦ are played and both players have the same hand.

Three of a kind:

A kicker with three of a kind is determined in the same way as one pair. If you have AK on an AA752 board, vs AQ you will have the best 5 cards with AAAK7 vs AAAQ7.

• Your hand: A♥ K♥
• Opponents hand: A♦ Q♣
• The community cards: A♣ A♠ 7♠ 5♥2♦
• Your best 5 cards: A♥A♣ A♠ K♥ 7♠
• Hist best 5 cards: A♦ A♣ A♠ Q♣ 7♠

You have the best five cards in this scenario because the K♥ plays after the three Aces.

Note the difference between an ordinary 3 of a kind and a set – a set is when you make three you of a kind using the two hole cards whereas an ordinary three of a kind is when you have three of the same card using only one of your hole cards.

Take this example of having 99 on an A9642 board, you have three of a kind (or set) on this board but it's impossible for anyone else to also have 99.

So there are no kickers when you have a set, because it's impossible for your opponent to have three cards of the same rank, but a kicker can count for an ordinary three of a kind where only one card is used from your hole cards.

Straight:

There is no kicker with a straight because a straight is made using 5 cards.

Flush:

Similar to a straight, there can be no kickers with flushes as these hands require the 5 cards to be used.

Full house:

There are no kickers with a full house. Hands are ranked in a similar way to two pair.

Firstly, the best three of a kind is the winner, if both players have the same three of a kind, the best pair wins. If both players have the same three of a kind and pair, the hand will always be split.

Four of a kind:

A kicker does not play with a four of a kind (quads) unless the four of a kind is on the board.

• Your hand: A♥ 5♠
• Opponents hand: K♦ J♦
• The community cards: Q♥ Q♦Q♠ Q♣ 4♦
• Your best 5 cards: Q♥ Q♦Q♠ Q♣ A♥
• His best 5 cards: Q♥ Q♦Q♠ Q♣ K♦

You will win this hand as your Ace kicker players after the four Queens.

Straight flush/Royal Flush:

Similar to a straight and flush, kickers do not play as a straight or royal flush require 5 cards.

Here is a summary of when kickers do and don't count in poker:

When A Kicker Doesn't Play

We already mentioned when a kicker doesn't play e.g. in a straight, flush or full house. However, a kicker also won't decide the winner when you and your opponent has the same hand e.g. A5 vs A5.

A kicker also doesn't decide the best hand when there are better kickers already on the board.

For example, if you have A4 and your opponent has A3 on an AK762 board, the best 5 cards for both opponents is AAK76 and the kicker won't be included in the hand. Therefore, the pot will be split between the two players despite us having a better hole card than our opponent.

Kickers can also be counterfeited. If you have a hand of A5 on a AQT2 board, any card higher than a 5 on the river will mean that your kicker has been counterfeited and won't play. E.g. if the river was a 7 the best 5 cards would be AAQT7.

When Is A Kicker Important?

A kicker most often comes into play when you have a high card or single pair.

Poker Same Straight Who Wins

However, the best hand you can get with a kicker is AK, because if your opponent has an Ace or King in their hand, you will have them outkicked and you will be a big favourite to win the hand (roughly 75% favourite).

AK always makes top pair top kicker which is the best one pair hand you can make.

Since players most often play high-rank hands, kickers are most important when you have a high card. This is why it is not advisable to play weak ace hands (e.g. A2 or A3) very often (see poker position).

A2 will make top pair bottom kicker on an ace-high board (e.g. AQ753) and is a significantly weaker hand than top pair top kicker.

If you do happen to have top pair bottom kicker on an ace-high board, it is quite likely that you could be facing another ace with a better kicker (or better) if a lot of money goes into the pot.

Being outkicked is one the common poker mistakes I recommend watching out for, so make sure you carefully consider your kicker the next time you are on the table!

Related questions

Do suits matter when counting kickers?

Kickers do not depend on suits and suits should not be considered when determining the winner of the hand except when a flush is possible.

Does kicker matter in 3 of a kind?

Yes, a kicker will be counted with 3 of a kind in the same way that it would be for a single pair.

Does the kicker matter in a straight or flush?

No, a kicker does not matter in a straight or flush as the best 5-card hand is made up of the 5 flush or straight cards. In this case, you can resort to who has the highest straight or flush.

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This one might be a post for complete poker beginners. If you are one of those who are not exactly sure of the rules yet, then I am sure it will be of help to you. You might be confused, who wins if two players have a straight. Well, the answer is pretty straightforward.

A player with the highest rank of straight wins. If both players have the straight of the same rank, then the pot is split. This holds true, of course, if none of them has a higher ranking hand than a straight.

You will hit a straight only 0.4% of the time. So you must play the right hands to maximize those chances. Connected cards are the best, followed by one gappers. It is even better if your hole cards are suited, so you also have an opportunity to hit a flush. Higher cards will hit higher straight.

Read more in this article about the difference of suited connectors vs. suited one gappers.

So, for example, if you play AK, you will hit higher straights more often than with 98. Also when you have AK and other player has T9, and the board consists of QJT, you will win a lot of money if any of your opponents hold T9.

Straight is a strong hand, and players have a tough time folding it. So if you can, elect to play higher connected hands, and your winrate when you hit straight will be higher.

Every here and there, you will notice two players having a straight at showdown. There are 2 possible scenarios:

1. One person has a lower straight, and another person has a higher straight.
2. Both players have straight of the same rank

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Higher vs. lower straight

A player that has a higher straight will win the hand. It doesn’t matter if both players have a straight, it only matters who has the highest straight.

Of course, if someone has a flush or full house or better hand, they will still beat all the opponents who have a straight.

The value of straights starts at A2345 (also known as the wheel) and goes all the way up to the AKQJT straight. The highest possible straight consists of only broadway cards and is a very powerful hand.

Not only it beats all the lower straights, which will be willing to pay off big bets, but it also beats trips, two pairs, and pairs.

If you don’t hold the nut straight (highest possible straight depending on the board), then there are higher possible straights possible in that hand. So sometimes it will happen you get beaten by the nuts when you hold the 2nd nuts. This will reduce your winrate. Nonetheless, you will still make decent money with any straight you have.

Both players have straight of the same rank

In a scenario when both players have the same rank as straight, and no one else has a better hand than a straight, then the pot would get split between them. First, the rake would get deducted from the pot, and then pot gets equally split.

When you are facing a lot of action on the river, and you hold the best possible straight, it is not super uncommon that another person also has the nut straight.

Who wins if there is a straight on the table?

There are a few possible scenarios when a straight is dealt on the table in poker.

• AKQJT straight on the table
• Lower straight than the nut straight is on the table
• A2345 (the wheel) straight is dealt on the board

AKQJT straight on the board

If a flush would be possible on AKQJT board, then someone holding a flush would still win the hand. But in the case that the nut straight gets dealt on the board and no flush is possible, then the pot will always get split.

It is important to note that the pot will get split after the rake is deducted. In some live games, it can bet up to 5% uncapped. So imagine if one player decides to shove on the river, then it might cost you 25€ on NL500 just to call to what is guaranteed split pot.

That is truly a disaster. It might not even be worth to you to call this river shove if there was only 10€ in the pot until a person in front of you shoves.

In online games, there often is the cap on the rake, and a scenario like this shouldn’t happen, so you should call such shove every time. But it is still essential to have a good rakeback deal. Read more in this article – hint: FREE guaranteed money.

Even if you hold any of T – A cards in your hand, and the board is AKQJT, it doesn’t matter. The best 5 cards possible combination still is straight from T-A.

Lower straight than the nut straight is on the table

On such boards, you need to be very careful. If you are facing any action, it is quite likely that someone has a higher straight. They now only need 1 card in their hole cards that is precisely 1 rank higher than the highest card on the board. On top of what is on board, and they have a higher straight.

An example of this is the 6789T board. Now the pot isn’t necessarily split. Someone could have a J in their hand or even QJ for the nut straight, and they win the hand.

A2345 (the wheel) straight is dealt on the board

This scenario is quite similar to the lower straight than the nut straight on the table that I explained above. It is common for someone to have a higher straight. Be careful on such boards, and don’t pay off big bets.

Related questions

What happens when a straight is dealt in poker?

If nobody has a better hand than straight that is on the board, then the pot will get split to everyone that stayed in play, until the showdown.

Does a straight and a pair beat a straight?

In Texas Holdem, you need to use 5 cards to have a straight. This means you can have only a straight (as 5 cards are needed for that). It doesn’t matter how many of those 5 cards are your hole cards (that you get dealt in your hand) and how many are from the board. But it needs to be 5 of them, no less, no more.

So a straight and a pair doesn’t beat a straight as it can’t exist at showdown. Both players’ hands will be a straight. If that straight is of the same rank, then they will split the pot. Otherwise, the person with a bigger straight will win the hand.

What is a wheel in poker?

The poker term “wheel” stands for the lowest possible straight that can be made in Holdem. It consists of precisely the following cards: A-2-3-4-5. The order doesn’t matter, as long as you can make this 5 card hand combination, then you have the wheel. Any straight higher than a wheel beats the wheel straight. But even the lowest straight is a great hand, and it will win you a lot of money.

Related links:

Article: What happens when two hands tie in poker

Article: Who wins if both players have a full house? With Examples

Article: What is a Gutshot Straight in Poker? (with 11 examples)

Article: What is a backdoor straight draw in poker (with 4 examples)

Article: Who wins if both players have a flush?

Poker Both Have Straight Who Wins Losses

Article: Who wins if both players have a pair?

Conclusion

Now you know about all the scenarios when 2 people have a straight in poker. You know who wins, and you know which kind of hands are better to hit straights that will make you the most money.

What Happens If You Both Have A Straight In Poker

No matter which straight you will have, you should be making very nice money with it as there are plenty of worse cards that are willing to call the bets. If you are facing a lot of aggression on flush or full house possible boards, then you should reconsider if your straight is strong enough to call or stack off. It depends a lot on the opponent’s playstyle.

In Poker If Both Players Have A Straight Who Wins

Good luck and see you at the tables.