A kicker is an unpaired side card that decides the winner when two poker hands have the same rank, such as two players both holding a pair of kings. In casino poker games kickers settle player-against-dealer ties, and in some video poker games a specific kicker raises the payout for four of a kind.
A kicker only matters when two hands share the same rank; it never beats a higher-ranked hand.
Only the best five cards count, so a sixth or seventh card can never act as a kicker.
In Casino Hold'em a true tie with a qualifying dealer pushes both bets; kickers often prevent that tie.
In 9/6 Double Double Bonus, four aces with a 2, 3 or 4 kicker pays 400 instead of 160.
Used in
Poker hand comparisons and video poker pays
Cards that count
Best five only
Casino Hold'em tie
Push on Ante and Call
Double Double Bonus aces + 2-4 kicker
Pays 400 (160 without)
Chance of that kicker, given four aces
12 in 48 (25%)
What a kicker is
Poker hands are ranked first by type, from high card up to royal flush, as set out in our poker hand rankings. When two hands are the same type, the cards that make the type are compared first; if those match too, the leftover cards are compared from highest to lowest. Those leftovers are the kickers.
So a pair of kings with an ace beats a pair of kings with a queen, and two pairs of tens and fives with a jack beats the same two pairs with a nine. A kicker can never lift a hand into a higher category: a pair with an ace kicker still loses to any two pair. The term appears throughout our casino glossary, next to high card and qualifying hand.
How kickers break ties: examples
Kicker tie-break examples (best five cards shown)
Hand A
Hand B
Result
Why
K-K-A-9-4
K-K-Q-J-10
A wins
Same pair; ace kicker beats queen
10-10-5-5-J
10-10-5-5-9
A wins
Same two pair; jack kicker beats nine
8-8-8-A-3
8-8-8-A-2
A wins
Second kicker decides, 3 beats 2
Q-Q-7-6-2
Q-Q-7-6-2
Tie
All five cards match in rank; suits don’t count
A-K-9-6-3 (high card)
2-2-5-7-8 (pair)
B wins
A kicker never beats a higher hand type
Suits never break a tie in standard poker rankings. If the five cards match in rank, the hands are equal, and in a casino game that usually means a push.
Kickers in casino poker games
In Casino Hold'em you and the dealer each make the best five cards from two hole cards and five shared cards. Wizard of Odds’ Casino Hold'em rules (opens in a new tab) say a tie with a qualifying dealer pushes both the Ante and the Call. Because the board is shared, kickers settle many hands: with a board of A-7-7-3-2, your A-K plays A-A-7-7-K and beats a dealer’s A-Q, which plays A-A-7-7-Q.
When the five board cards are the best hand for both of you, say K-K-Q-Q-J, neither hole card plays and the hand is tied. This is called playing the board. The same five-card limit applies in Ultimate Texas Hold'em.
Three Card Poker compares three cards rather than five. Wizard of Odds’ Three Card Poker strategy (opens in a new tab) is to play Queen-6-4 or better and fold anything lower. That cut-off is really a kicker rule: Q-6-4 plays and Q-6-3 folds, because the third card is the deciding kicker. Playing every hand raises the edge from 3.37% to 7.65%.
9/6 Double Double Bonus: four of a kind pays (per unit bet)
Hand
Pays
Kicker chance, given the four of a kind
Four aces with a 2, 3 or 4
400
12 in 48 (25%)
Four aces, any other kicker
160
36 in 48 (75%)
Four 2s, 3s or 4s with an A, 2, 3 or 4
160
12 in 48 (25%)
Four 2s, 3s or 4s, any other kicker
80
36 in 48 (75%)
Four 5s to kings
50
Kicker irrelevant
The chances are simple counting: once four cards of one rank are in your hand, 48 cards remain, and 12 of them (four each of three ranks) are qualifying kickers. On a £1 bet, four aces pay £400 with a 2, 3 or 4 beside them and £160 otherwise. The whole game returns 98.98% with perfect strategy, so the average cost is about £1.02 per £100 staked. Our Double Double Bonus guide covers strategy choices that come from this pay table.
Other meanings of kicker
Outside card games, casinos sometimes borrow the word for extras. PlayOJO, for example, calls its daily perks ‘Kickers’ within its rewards scheme, alongside OJO Levels and the invitation-only OJO Club; our page on PlayOJO’s loyalty scheme explains what is published about them. That use has nothing to do with poker ranks.
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Frequently asked questions
What does kicker mean in poker?
A kicker is a side card that is not part of the hand’s main combination but is used to break a tie between hands of the same rank. If two players hold a pair of jacks, the player with the higher unpaired card wins. Kickers are compared from highest to lowest, and only cards within the best five count. Our poker hand rankings list every combination in order.
Can a kicker beat a pair?
No, a kicker cannot beat a pair or any other higher-ranked hand. It only separates two hands of the same type. Ace-king high loses to a pair of twos, because a pair outranks high card regardless of the side cards. The kicker comes into play only after the hand types and their main cards have been compared. See our high card entry for how unpaired hands rank.
What happens if the kicker is the same?
If every card in both five-card hands matches in rank, the hands tie, because suits do not rank in standard poker. In Casino Hold'em, a tie against a dealer who has qualified pushes both the Ante and the Call, so your stake is returned. You then compare the next kicker only if there is one inside the best five. Our Casino Hold'em guide explains the payouts.
Do kickers count in Three Card Poker?
Yes, but with only three cards the comparison is shorter: highest card first, then the second, then the third. The standard strategy of playing Queen-6-4 or better turns on the kickers, since Q-6-4 plays while Q-6-3 is folded. Following that strategy gives a 3.37% edge on the Ante and Play. Our Three Card Poker strategy page sets out the full rule.
Why does the kicker matter in Double Double Bonus?
In Double Double Bonus video poker, a low kicker beside certain fours of a kind raises the payout. Four aces with a 2, 3 or 4 pay 400 per unit on the 9/6 table, against 160 with any other card. Given four aces, 12 of the 48 remaining cards qualify, a 25% chance. Our page on video poker pay tables shows how these schedules change the return.
What is playing the board?
Playing the board means the five shared community cards are your best hand, so your own hole cards do not count. If the dealer is in the same position, the hands tie. In Casino Hold'em that results in a push when the dealer qualifies, which the board itself may achieve if it holds a pair of fours or better. Our guide to Casino Hold'em strategy covers related decisions.
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