Kicker meaning: a kicker is the highest side card that isn't part of your made hand, used to break a tie when two players hold hands of the same rank. Pair of kings with an ace beats pair of kings with a queen, and the ace is the kicker. It decides many dealer-versus-player hands, yet in standard video poker it rarely earns anything.
A kicker is an unpaired side card that breaks ties between hands of the same rank.
It matters in poker-style table games where your hand is compared with the dealer's.
In Jacks or Better there's no opponent, and holding a kicker cuts your possible draws from 16,215 to 1,081.
Some bonus pay tables, such as Double Double Bonus Poker, pay extra for a four of a kind with certain kickers.
Term
Kicker (side card)
Job
Breaks ties between hands of equal rank
Matters most in
Dealer-versus-player poker games
Video poker
Only in kicker-bonus pay tables
Exact ties
Settled by each game's own rules
Kicker meaning: the card that settles equal hands
Poker hands are compared by rank first: a pair loses to two pair, which loses to three of a kind, and so on up to the royal flush. When both hands share the same rank and the same main cards, the leftover cards decide it. The highest of those leftovers is the kicker; if it ties, the next one counts, and so on.
Take two five-card hands. One holds K♠ K♦ A♣ 7♥ 3♠, the other K♥ K♣ Q♦ 9♠ 4♥. Both are a pair of kings, so the kings cancel out and the ace beats the queen. If every card matches by rank, the hands are equal, and what happens next depends on the game's rules rather than the cards.
How a kicker works for each poker hand
Not every hand uses a kicker. When all five cards are part of the hand, as with a straight or flush, the whole hand is compared card by card instead.
Where kickers count in a five-card hand
Hand
Cards in the made hand
Kicker cards
Example tiebreak
One pair
2
3
Q-Q-A-6-2 beats Q-Q-J-10-8
Two pair
4
1
9-9-5-5-K beats 9-9-5-5-J
Three of a kind
3
2
Matters when trips match, as in shared-card games
Four of a kind
4
1
Matters when quads match, as in shared-card games
High card
0
All five compared
A-J-8-5-3 beats A-J-7-6-4
Straight, flush, full house
5
None
Compared as a whole hand
In games with shared cards, like the Hold'em style used by Caribbean Hold'em, two hands often share the same pair or trips from the board, which is why kickers come up so often there.
Kickers in casino poker games, with a dollar example
Worked example: you have $30 riding on a hand, a $10 ante plus a $20 follow-up bet. You and the dealer both hold a pair of jacks. Your ace kicker against the dealer's king wins the hand, paid according to the game's pay table. Swap the kickers and the full $30 is lost.
Exact ties are handled by each game's rules. In Pai Gow Poker under standard rules, identical hands (called copies) go to the dealer, which is part of the game's edge. Check the help screen in any RTG table game before you play.
Kicker meaning in video poker: when it pays and when it hurts
Standard video poker has no opponent. In Jacks or Better a pair of queens pays the same whether the side card is an ace or a three, so the kicker never changes the payout. Holding it also costs you draws: keeping a pair and a kicker leaves two cards to replace, for 1,081 possible draws from the 47 unseen cards, while keeping just the pair leaves three, for 16,215. That's why published strategy charts usually throw the kicker away.
Bonus-style games change the picture. In Double Double Bonus Poker, certain four-of-a-kind hands pay more when the fifth card is a specific low card or ace, so the kicker becomes part of the payout. Read the pay table for the exact hands and amounts, and see our Double Double Bonus Poker page and the video poker strategy guide before you adjust holds.
Related terms
Full pay: the best standard pay table for a video poker variant.
Ante: the opening bet in many dealer-versus-player poker games.
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Frequently asked questions
What does kicker mean in poker?
A kicker is the highest unpaired side card, used to separate two hands of the same rank. With a pair of tens each, the player whose fifth card is an ace beats the one holding a king. If all side cards tie, the hands are equal and the game's rules decide. Our how to play video poker guide covers hand rankings.
Does the kicker matter in video poker?
In standard games like Jacks or Better, no: payouts depend only on the hand's rank, and keeping a kicker usually lowers your return because it shrinks your draw. Some bonus pay tables, such as Double Double Bonus Poker, pay more for certain four-of-a-kind hands with a specific fifth card. Check the pay table; our video poker strategy guide explains holds.
Should I hold a kicker with a pair in Jacks or Better?
Usually not. Keeping a pair plus one kicker leaves two cards to draw, 1,081 possible combinations, while keeping only the pair leaves three cards and 16,215 combinations, more chances to make trips, a full house or four of a kind. The kicker adds nothing to the payout. Use a chart for your exact pay table; see Jacks or Better.
What happens if the kickers are the same?
The next-highest side card is compared, and so on. If every card matches by rank, the hands are tied, and the game's rules decide what happens. In many dealer-versus-player games that's a push, but Pai Gow Poker under standard rules gives identical hands to the dealer. Check the help screen; our push entry explains returned stakes.
Do straights and flushes have kickers?
No. A straight or a flush uses all five cards, so there are no leftover side cards to act as kickers. Two flushes are compared by their highest card, then the next, down the line, and two straights by their top card. A full house is compared by its three of a kind first. See our royal flush entry for the top of the rankings.
Why do kickers matter more in Hold'em-style games?
Because players share community cards, two hands often contain the same pair or trips from the board, and the private side card is all that separates them. That makes kicker strength a frequent deciding factor in games like Caribbean Hold'em. It doesn't change the house edge built into the game. Our Caribbean Hold'em page covers the game.
Does a kicker matter in Tri Card Poker?
Yes, a kicker can decide a Tri Card Poker hand, because your three cards are compared with the dealer's. With only three cards, a pair has a single side card, and that card settles the hand when you and the dealer hold the same pair. SlotCatalog lists RealTime Gaming's Tri Card Poker at a 95.51% return and a 40x top win, which works out to about $4.49 lost per $100 wagered over the long run. See our Tri Card Poker page and three card poker guide.
How does the kicker pay extra in Double Double Bonus Poker?
In Double Double Bonus Poker, the kicker pays extra when it's the right fifth card beside certain four-of-a-kind hands. That makes it one of the few video poker games where the side card earns money rather than just breaking ties. SlotCatalog lists RTG's version with a 4,000x top win but no return figure, so read the in-game pay table for which quads and kickers pay extra. Our Double Double Bonus Poker page and video poker pay table entry explain more.
Is a kicker the same as a high card?
Not quite: a kicker is a side card that breaks a tie, while high card is the weakest hand rank, used when nobody holds even a pair. In a high-card hand all five cards act like kickers, compared from the top down. In a pair, two pair, trips or quads, only the unused side cards are kickers. Both ideas come from the same ranking ladder, which our how to play video poker guide and Caribbean Stud Poker page walk through.
Does a kicker change the house edge in casino poker games?
No, a kicker decides single hands, but the house edge comes from the game's rules and pay table. In video poker, the 99.54% return GamesHub lists for RTG's Jacks or Better assumes the best hold on every hand, so keeping kickers that strategy says to discard drags your return below that figure. At 99.54%, $500 of total bets costs about $2.30 on average; misplays cost more. Read our house edge guide and the Jacks or Better page.
Can I clear a casino bonus by playing kicker-bonus video poker?
Usually only slowly, since most casinos cut or exclude video poker from bonus wagering. Miami Club's terms count video poker at 10%, so a $50 deposit with a 100% match ($100 × 20x = $2,000 of wagering) would need $20,000 of video poker bets. Silver Oak's terms ask 60x for video poker against 40x for slots, and SlotoCash's welcome terms exclude it. Check before you play; our game weighting guide and video poker bonus page show the math.
Is online video poker legal in Iowa?
No, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission says Iowa law does not allow online casinos, slots or poker, so no state-licensed site offers real-money video poker there. Its September 3, 2025 release adds that unlicensed operators aren't subject to independent testing or player protection rules. Iowa does license sports betting and fantasy contests under 2019's SF 617, and its help line is 1-800-BETS OFF. See our Iowa online casino guide and online poker laws page.
Can I play Double Double Bonus Poker on my phone?
Yes, at casinos that carry it you can usually play in a mobile browser rather than through an app. SlotoCash names Double Double Bonus Poker on its own site and says no app or software is required, suggesting a home-screen shortcut instead. Silver Oak describes a browser mobile casino for iPhone, Android and tablets, with no dedicated app listed. Pay tables should match desktop, but check the help screen. Our SlotoCash review and playing on iPhone guide cover setup.
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