Ties in poker aren’t common. Determining the winner of two players with the same hand isn’t always easy.
We will give you the full breakdown on tie-breaking poker hands, as well as suggest pitfalls to avoid to master breaker poker rules.
WHAT IS A TIE IN POKER?
Quite simply, a tie is poker jargon that will describe two or more players who have identical hole cards at the showdown (including kickers). The hands will be tied, meaning they will split the pot equally at the showdown.
The top card will determine the winner of games where there is a tie. A good example of this will be a player that has a royal flush or a straight flush. Whereas, with one pair and two pair hands, the winner will hold the highest kicker.
Essentially, the highest combination will separate tied hands in two pairs. In the next section, we will provide some examples to show how you can determine a clear winner.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON A TIE?
In many cases, the best way to work out who wins at the table, is to get everyone to place their hands from the highest to lowest or the best to worst.
Once you have started at the top, you can work your way down to break the tie. As mentioned, the player with the highest cards from one suit will come out on top. To split the pot, you will start with the highest chip colour before moving your way down.
There are a few variations in poker, namely in Omaha Hi-Lo where the low hand will take more money from the pot. So, those who can form the lowest possible hands in Hi Lo games will be the winner. A 5-4-3-2-A, for example, is the best combination and they will get their hands on the pot.
But to be eligible for the low hand, the highest of the five community cards will be in the following sequence – 8,5,4,3,2 whereas if the five cards were 9,5,4,3,2, then these community cards won’t suffice.
We will now address the rules for when players tie. This will show all the rules for players with a full house, royal flush, straight flush, and so forth.
POKER TIE-BREAKER RULES
In many cases, two or more players could have the same suit from a draw. But generally speaking, the tie-breaker rules will vary depending on the strength of the hand they possess.
Remember, if no part of anyone’s hand can be broken, then the pot will be split equally among the players that are playing with live cards.
But to break things down further, let’s assess which player will win if they hold the same hand in poker.
FOUR OF A KIND TIEBREAKER
In a four of a kind kind hand, the highest four of a kind will win. In terms of examples, a 7-7-7-7-2 will better someone who is playing with a 5-5-5-5-A.
FULL HOUSE TIEBREAKER
A full house is a five-card hand that will contain a three of a kind and a pair in the same holding. It is of course a better hand compared to many other hands in the official rankings. With full houses, the player will win if they have a higher ranking three of a kind.
So, to illustrate, K-K-K-2-2 will beat J-J-J-2-2. The king kicker comes into effect here. Alternatively, the first player may have J-J-J-T-T which will eclipse the other player that has T-T-T-4-4.
FLUSHES TIEBREAKER
Flushes, even a straight flush, are premium connectors in poker. Therefore, it is rare to see a split pot for two or more players to have the same hand. Like with any other flush, the highest ranking card of the two hands will be the one that wins.
So, when two flushes duke it out after a player makes a bet, the high card wins. So, A9623 will beat KT623, while JT742 will outgun and overpower 98742.
In Texas Hold’Em, if both players have an ace high flush, then the player holding the king will settle the tie, as the king is the second-highest card on the board.
STRAIGHT TIEBREAKER
Once again, whoever has the top card wins. A-K-Q-J-10 beats 10-9-8-7-6 as the A will beat the 10. If both straights contain cards of the same value, then the pot is split.
They will have the same characteristics as straight flushes as the high card here will prevail in any given poker game.
TWO PAIRS TIEBREAKER
Inevitably, the highest ranked pair wins in this scenario. In terms of examples of two pairs, A-A-7-7-3 will surpass K-K-J-J-9.
If the top pairs are the same, then the second pair will resolve the tie. However, in a game, if both have the same second pair, then the kicker or next highest card will qualify in terms of deciding how the pot is split.
Similarly, with a one pair, the player that boasts the stronger one pair hand or has the highest ranking card will claim the win in this situation. Even a pair with aces can be a blessing in disguise!
SPLITTING THE POT
At this point, you may wonder how the pot is split in poker? Well, in Texas hold’em, the easiest method is to start with the high card and work your way down. You should be able to distinguish between different suits, and if there is an uneven amount, then you can pull in enough from another amount to level things up.
However, if there is an extra chip left over after a tie-breaker or once there has been a split in the pot, then the process will start over again. Pairs will be refigured to decide who wins.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TIES IN TEXAS HOLDEM AND OMAHA?
The fundamental difference between texas hold’em and Omaha, is that with texas hold hold’em, players are dealt two hole cards. In many respects, there are fewer chances of having a tie in Texas hold’em with the hole cards of the same rank that have been dished out during a game.
In Omaha, low hands will often tie, but in Texas hold’em, you may find players with two hands of the same rank. If a player can pick up aces on the turn, then this could result in more wins.
WHAT HAPPENS IF PLAYERS ARE LEVEL AFTER A TIEBREAKER?
In poker, the rules dictate that if no winner can be determined following a tiebreaker, then the hand will be declared a tie and the two players will share what is in the pot.
Nevertheless, when the board is paired up twice and two or more players hold the same high card won’t be the only time where there is a tie.
Below, we have illustrated some examples of hands that are of equal value, and we have illustrated which hand is better in each scenario:
One player has an ace where they have an Ace and King, while the other has an Ace and a Queen, and the board is J-2-2-5-5. Each player will have an ace as they will be sitting on A-2-2-5-5 on the board.
Alternatively, one player might have an Ace and 8, while the second player will have an Ace and 6, so the final board would be A-Q-J-J-9, and this would constitute a tie with the pot split.
ODDS OF A TIE IN POKER
A tie in poker is not as improbable as you may think. To work out the chance of two players gaining an equal pair on the board can be worked out in the following example with the various card rankings in the game:
| Hand | Number of combos | Probavility | Number of ways to tie | Probability of tying with this exact hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 40 | 0,00001539077169 | 3 | 0,0000000000301004897 |
| Four of a kind | 624 | 0,0002400960384 | 0 | 0 |
| Full House | 3744 | 0,00144057623 | 0 | 0 |
| Flush | 5108 | 0,001965401545 | 3 | 0,000000003843832536 |
| 2 suit straight | 1880 | 0,0007233662696 | 241 | 0,000000113649156 |
| 3 suit straight | 7800 | 0,00300120048 | 242 | 0,0000004734807031 |
| Two Pair | 123552 | 0,04753901561 | 3 | 0,00000009297439261 |
POKER TIE-BREAKER MISTAKES
While you may be able to detect games where players have the same pair, there are clear cases of players scooping a pot quite a lot when it should have been a tie. The kicker will be counterfeited at some point with their three cards on the board and below, we have shown an example or two of where mistakes have been made, and that is perhaps through a lack of understanding of the rules. Here’s an example:
- AA v KK – The board will run out at 97568 and with a straight on the board, it will see a split pot. However, you will be surprised at how the guy with two aces will try and drag in the entire pot.
SUMMARY
The rules and objectives of poker never change. The aim is to have the strongest five cards and this is something that you need to have at the forefront of your mind before you start playing. Of course, you will do everything you can to gain a better hand, but whether you have a straight flush or a full house, you can’t take anything for granted.
There will be times when a tiebreaker will come into place and you need to be aware of that before you go all in seeking kind wins. However, in this guide, we have given you the tools to approach such poker games with more confidence.