Splitting Pots on Straights and Flushes
Written February 7, 2008 by Jack Jones
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There is always some confusions from beginners on splitting pots on flushes and straights. So let’s use this article to clear up some of the confusion on how this is done.
A flush is a hand in which all five cards are of the same suit. A straight is a hand composed of five cards of consecutive rank. Example: An Ace-2-3-4-5 is a five high straight (an Ace can count as high or low), or a straight to the five. An 8-9-T-J-Q is a Queen high straight, or a straight to the Queen.
Remember that there is a Five Card Rule: Every player’s final hand is made up of five cards and five cards only. The remaining two cards in Texas Hold’em will not factor into the equation.
As to your flush question, you compare the hands card-by-card in order to determine the winner. Therefore, an Ace-Q-10-7-5 of spades is more valuable than an Ace-Q-10-7-4 of spades. By sizing up these two flush hands, you will note that the hand with the highest card not shared, which in this case is the fifth card, the five, becomes the winning hand.
Of course, the second card could determine the winner, a Jack in one hand versus the Queen, or the third card and so on. Only in the case where the players have exactly the same flush in different suits, or where two or more players benefit from all five cards on the board being of the same suit would there be a tie, and the pot would be divvied up accordingly.
As for straights, the straight to the higher card wins. After your card-by-card comparison of your straights, and the hands are dead equal or all five cards are shared, you split the pot.
Regarding the kicker, the highest unpaired card in your hand; it never participates in five card hands like straights, flushes, and full houses.
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