Royal Flush

Ace high Straight Flush.

1. Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and one card of a third rank (the kicker), such as J ♥ J ♣ 4 ♣ 4 ♠ 9 ♥ ('two pair, jacks and fours' or 'two pair, jacks over fours' or 'jacks up'). It ranks below three of a kind and above one pair.
2. Two pair Two different pairs. Pair Two cards of the same rank. Since 1988, CardPlayer has provided poker players with poker strategy, poker news.
3. Pair: One pair of two equal value cards constitutes a pair. High Card: If no one has any of the above winning hands, the tie is determined by the highest value card in the hand. If the highest cards are a tie then the tie is broken by the second highest card.

Ace of Spades King of Spades Queen of Spades Jack of Spades 10 of Spades in a single suit. Also frequently referred to as 'Broadway'.

Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Five sequential cards in the same suit. The highest type of Straight Flush is a Royal Flush, and the lowest is an A-2-3-4-5 hand (if Aces are low or high/low). This type of hand is referred to as a 'Steel Wheel'. Other Straight Flushes with special names include:

• King of Clubs Queen of Clubs Jack of Clubs 10 of Clubs 9 of Clubs - Off Broadway (because it's shifted down one rank from a Royal Flush, or 'Broadway').

Well it depends. There are many different types of 2 pair combinations. Assuming we are playing Texas Holdem at showdown with the flop, turn, and river out, there are many possibilities. 2 Pair; 1 Pair; nothing; If 2 Players have the same Hand (for example 3 of a Kind), the Player with the highest 3 of a kind wins. If 2 Players have a Flush with Hearts (5 cards with a heart on it), the Player with the highest heart card wins. When players share the highest card, the second highest card count.

Four of a Kind

One of each suit in a single rank.

Also known as Quads. Many of the Four of a Kind hands have their own nicknames:

• King of Clubs King of Diamonds King of Hearts King of Spades - Four Horsemen (of the Apocalypse)
• Queen of Clubs Queen of Diamonds Queen of Hearts Queen of Spades - Village People (four Queens)
• 10 of Clubs 10 of Diamonds 10 of Hearts 10 of Spades - Larry, after Larry Fortensky (four-ten-sky), Elizabeth Taylor's eighth husband
• 4 of Clubs 4 of Diamonds 4 of Hearts 4 of Spades - Yacht Club (because the 4 resembles a sail)
• 3 of Clubs 3 of Diamonds 3 of Hearts 3 of Spades - Forest (four 'trees')
• 2 of Clubs 2 of Diamonds 2 of Hearts 2 of Spades - Mighty Ducks (because the 2 resembles a duck)

Full House

Three of a Kind and One Pair.

A Full House is called as 'X over Y' where X is the Three of a Kind and Y is the Pair (e.g., in a A-A-A-Q-Q hand, you would call it as 'Full House, Aces over Queens').

A Full House is sometimes called a boat or a full boat. When called a Boat/Full Boat, the hand is announced as 'X full of Y' (e.g., the same A-A-A-Q-Q hand would be called a 'Full Boat, Aces full of Queens'). Some Full House hands have special nicknames:

• Ace of Clubs Ace of Diamonds 2 of Clubs 2 of Diamonds 2 of Hearts - Marksman (bows and arrows)
• 7 of Clubs 7 of Diamonds 7 of Clubs 4 of Diamonds 4 of Hearts - Sailing rednecks
• 3 of Clubs 3 of Diamonds 3 of Clubs 2 of Diamonds 2 of Hearts - Nits and Lice, Mites and Lice

Flush

Five cards of the same suit.

Any five cards, all of which are in the same suit. A Flush all in hearts is referred to as 'Valentine's' while a flush all in clubs is known as a 'Golf Bag'.

Straight

Five consecutive cards.

Five cards in sequential order (but not all in the same suit, or it would be a Straight Flush). Also known as a Run (in many melding/counting games, such as gin and its variants, cribbage, and canasta, a Straight is referred to as a Run, and the name has carried over into poker).

• 6 of Clubs 5 of Diamonds 4 of Hearts 3 of Spades 2 of Clubs - Rabbit (the lowest Straight Flush if Aces are high)
• 5 of Clubs 4 of Diamonds 3 of Hearts 2 of Spades Ace of Clubs - Wheel, Bicycle, Bike, Spike, First Street, Little Wheel (the lowest run if Aces are low or high/low)

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank. Also known as Trips, a Set, or Triplets. Three-card combinations that have special names include:

• Ace of Clubs Ace of Diamonds Ace of Hearts - Beatles reunion
• King of Clubs King of Diamonds King of Hearts - Three Wise Men, Christmas Special (both references to 'Three Kings'), Alabama Night Riders, Ku Klux Klan (KKK is an abbreviation for the Ku Klux Klan, and 'Alabama Night Riders' is a colloquial term used to refer to this group, which has a history of carrying out their acts at night in rural ateas)
• Queen of Clubs Queen of Diamonds Queen of Hearts - Six Tits
• Jack of Clubs Jack of Diamonds Jack of Hearts - Hart, Schaffner, and Marx (Three Jacks)
• 10 of Clubs 10 of Diamonds 10 of Hearts - Dallas to Fort Worth (the I-10 connects these two Texas Cities), San Jose to Gilroy, Gilroy, Thirty Miles of bad road (the distance between San Jose and Gilroy, California, used to be 30 miles, although the two cities are now adjoining)
• 7 of Clubs 7 of Diamonds 7 of Hearts - 21, Slot Machine, Jackpot (all named after results in other casino games like Blackjack and Slots)
• 6 of Clubs 6 of Diamonds 6 of Hearts - The Devil, The Beast, Lucifer, Devil's Area Code
• 5 of Clubs 5 of Diamonds 5 of Hearts - Washington Monument, Pork Chop Sandwiches
• 4 of Clubs 4 of Diamonds 4 of Hearts - Grand Jury
• 2 of Clubs 2 of Diamonds 2 of Hearts - Huey, Dewey, and Louie (three ducks)

Two Pairs

Two pairs, each with two cards of the same rank. Notable named two pair combinations include:

• Ace of Clubs Ace of Diamonds 8 of Clubs 8 of Diamonds - Dead Man's Hand (Arrows and Nooses)
• King of Clubs King of Diamonds Queen of Clubs Queen of Diamonds - Mommas and Poppas
• King of Clubs King of Diamonds 9 of Clubs 9 of Diamonds - Pair of Dogs (because it's K9K9-- two canines)
• Queen of Clubs Queen of Diamonds 3 of Clubs 3 of Diamonds - San Francisco Waiters (Queens with Trays/Treys)
• Jack of Clubs Jack of Diamonds 5 of Clubs 5 of Diamonds - Jackson Five (Jacks and Fives), Motown, Rock and Roll
• Jack of Clubs Jack of Diamonds 3 of Clubs 3 of Diamonds - Hookers with Crabs (because the Jacks hook and the 3 is like a sideways crab)
• 9 of Clubs 9 of Diamonds 8 of Clubs 8 of Diamonds - Oldsmobile
• 9 of Clubs 9 of Diamonds 6 of Clubs 6 of Diamonds - Dinner for Four
• 3 of Clubs 3 of Diamonds 2 of Clubs 2 of Diamonds - Socks and Shoes, Mites and Lice, Mits and Mites, Nits and Lice

One Pair

Two cards of the same rank. The poker hand that contains a single pair that is the most worth noting is the Princess Leia (an A-A-2-3), so called because the room in which Leia was imprisoned in Star Wars was room A-A-2-3. The best known names given to (pocket) pairs include:

• Ace of Clubs Ace of Diamonds - Pocket Rockets, Bullets, American Airlines
• King of Clubs King of Diamonds - Cowboys, King Kong
• Queen of Clubs Queen of Diamonds - Bitches, Double date, Canadian Aces, Siegfried and Roy
• Jack of Clubs Jack of Diamonds - Fish Hooks
• 9 of Clubs 9 of Diamonds - German Virgin (no, we don't know why.)
• 8 of Clubs 8 of Diamonds - Snowmen
• 7 of Clubs 7 of Diamonds - Sunset Strip, Hockey Sticks
• 6 of Clubs 6 of Diamonds - Route 66
• 5 of Clubs 5 of Diamonds - Speed limit
• 4 of Clubs 4 of Diamonds - Magnum, Sail Boat
• 3 of Clubs 3 of Diamonds - Crabs
• 2 of Clubs 2 of Diamonds - Ducks

High Card

While the high card is the lowest possible hand in poker (every poker hand automatically has a 'high card' in it-- the card with the greatest value), it comes into play in some poker variants more than others. Poker rookies often underestimate the value of the high card.

Texas Hold'em, for instance, is frequently referred to as a game of high cards because a player with higher cards always has an advantage. If player 1 holds K-Q and player 2 holds J-10, there are three possible outcomes:

1. The flop makes player 1's hand, and player 1 wins.
2. The flop makes player 2's hand, and player 2 wins.
3. The flop doesn't make either player's hand, and player 1 wins again.

The player with high cards has a statistical advantage and will win 63% of the time.

Well known nicknames given to pocket hands are:

• Ace of Clubs King of Diamonds - Big Slick, Anna Kournikova (looks great, never wins!)
• Ace of Clubs Queen of Diamonds - Big Chick
• Ace of Clubs Jack of Diamonds - Black Jack, Jack-Ass
• King of Clubs Queen of Diamonds - Royalty, Marriage
• King of Clubs Jack of Diamonds - Kojak
• Jack of Clubs 5 of Diamonds - Jackson Five
• Queen of Clubs 3 of Diamonds - Gay Waiter
• 9 of Clubs 5 of Diamonds - Dolly Parton
• Ace of Clubs 8 of Diamonds - Dead Man's Hand (player Wild Bill Hickok was shot in 1876 after winning with it!)
• King of Clubs 9 of Diamonds - Canine
• Jack of Clubs 4 of Diamonds - Flat Tire

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When I was just starting in poker, I was sure I know all the rules. It came as a small shock to me when I realized I have been wrong about so many rules. Knowing who wins in poker can be easy if one player has a weak hand, and the other one has a strong hand. But confusion may arise when both players have what seems to be the same hand. Such scenarios that happen quite often is when two players both show the same pair at showdown.

So, who wins if two players have a pair in poker? A person with a higher pair wins the hand. If they both have the same pair, then the winner is the one who has a better five hand card combination. One pair takes two cards, and the rest are the three highest cards possible, also known as kickers or side cards.

Players at the table don’t often check all three kickers. Instead, they look at the highest kicker first, and if someone has a higher kicker there, he is the winner. If the highest kicker is the same for both, then 2nd highest kicker comes into play, then the third. In the case that both players have the same pair and all of the three kickers are of the same rank, then the pot would get split.

Having a better kicker more often in poker is the difference in winrate.

It is what differentiates winners from losing players. Therefore you must stick to playing bigger cards. This is not the case just for when you hit one pair. It also holds for when you hit a straight or a flush or any other hand in poker.

Even in the case when you hit a flush, it matters how high flush you hit. Having higher cards is also helpful in getting bigger straights. You will hit the nuts more often and will win more money.

Let me explain a bit further in what I mean when I say bigger cards are better.

Table of Contents

The importance of playing higher cards

Three things that matter in poker the most are position, suitedness, and high cards. Correctly combining all three will give you the best chance to beat your competition. While having a suited hand is essential as it increases the likelihood to hit a flush, the real money is won in small pots, which happens far more often. You will hit a flush only 0.2% of the time by the river. On the other hand, you will get one pair 42% of the time.

It is a common scenario when you are value betting, and an opponent calls your bet, and he holds the same pair as you.

Playing big cards gives you the chance to be on the winning side of those small pots more often.

Which cards are good and qualify as big cards?

It depends a lot on your position and the position of the opponent to be really sure which high cards are good enough.

For the sake of simplicity, all the broadway cards will do a lot better versus opponents who play many hands.

From the image, you can tell that there are many worse Ax, Kx, Qx, Jx, and Tx type of cards, that are worse than our broadway hands. You might think this is all good, but you are maybe still unsure who wins if both you and the opponent have just a pair.

Possible scenarios when both players have exactly one pair

Several different scenarios can happen. I will show you many various examples that are possible, so your doubt will be gone forever. I will be mostly looking at situations where both players have top pair, but of course, the same rules apply for any other pair.

1. One person has a higher pair
   
2. Both players have the same pair, but one has a higher first kicker
   
3. Both players have the same pair and the equal highest kicker, but one has a higher 2nd kicker
   
4. Both players have the same pair and the same highest and 2nd highest kicker, but one person has higher 3rd kicker
   
5. Both players have exactly the same pair, and all three kickers are the same rank – pot gets split.
   

1. Someone has a higher pair

Okay, so we start with a simple one. The person with the higher pair wins, given that nobody else showed a better hand at showdown, of course. In this case, kickers don’t even matter, as higher pair always wins.

2. The same pair but someone has higher highest kicker

This is a widespread scenario in poker. Both players have top pair, and on a dry board, nobody will be willing to fold their top pair. If we hold KQ on 89K23 board, then we win against KJ. Our first kicker is better than the opponent’s first kicker. Our hand is a pair of kings with a Q98 sidecards, while the opponent has a top pair of kings with J98 side cards.

3. The same pair and first kicker, but 2nd kicker is different

Many players would get scared to bet in this situation. But experienced players know that we have a top pair with a very good kicker. The only top pair that is better than our KJ is AK. All other top pair hands are either the same as our hand or worse. In this situation, we hold top pair of kings and have QJ7 side cards. Our opponent holding KT has a pair of kings with QT7 side cards. Therefore our 2nd kicker is higher than his, and we win the pot.

4. The same pair and the same first two kickers, but the 3rd kicker is different

This doesn’t happen as often as the first 3 examples, but it is still common. The board needs to have 2 cards that are higher than our hole card that is not used to form a pair. Let me illustrate it to you. A player with K9 on this board has a pair of kings with QT9 side cards. While opponent holding K7 has a pair of kings with QT7 kickers.

5. The same pair and all kickers are the same

There are 2 most common ways that this will happen:

• Our hole cards are of the same rank as our opponent’s
  
• The board has many high cards, and therefore our card not used to form a pair has no value (is not part of the best five-card combination). A good example of this is A7 on the AKQ98 board, where our opponent has A2. Both of us have a pair of aces with Q98 sidecards

Who wins if there is a pair on the table

Again the player with the best 5 card combination will win. If one player holds A7 and the other player has KQ, then a pair of twos with AJT kickers wins as it is better than a pair of twos with KQJ kickers. The player that has A7 in his hand has the higher first kicker.

If player one would have A7 and player two has A6, then the pot would get split as player one has pair of twos with AJT kickers, and player two has also pair of twos with AJT kickers. That is the best 5 card combination that any of the two players can have. One pair and all the kickers are the same, so the pot gets split.

If you enjoyed this article, then you might also like

• AK vs. AJ, see how much of a difference in winrate does a better kicker make
  
• Who wins if both players have a flush
  
• Who wins if both players have a straight a straight
  

Conclusion

Poker Two Pair Beats What

I showed you many possible examples of a very common scenario, where the best hand on the table is one pair. It is also very common that 2 players will have the same pair at showdown, and now you know exactly in which way all the chips will go. Until next time, good luck at the tables.