Split Pot Poker Flush

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A split pot is when the pot is divided among multiple players. In high/low games, a pot is only split when two or more players make identical hands. In high/low games, split pots are much more common. It is possible to have multiple split pots in the same game. Poker Rules FAQ - Q - Who wins if two players are holding a flush? A - If two or more players have five cards of the same suit, the player with the strongest cards wins.

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  • Poker rules can be confusing at times. You might think you know them all, but then during your play with friends, you come upon a situation, and you are unsure of the rule. One such scenario that might confuse you is when you see two players having a flush. So who wins? The answer is pretty clear to an experienced player like myself, and after reading this article, it will be simple for you to know next time also.

    A player with the highest flush rank wins. If both players have the flush of the same rank, then the pot would get split between them. This, of course, holds true only if no one else has a card combination higher than a flush.

    Flush is a very powerful hand in poker. You are expected to dominate your opponents very often once you hit it. Therefore it is no surprise it doesn’t usually happen that you get to hit one. You will hit a flush only 0.2% percent of the time. There is a common misconception that a flush is easier to hit, but in fact, you will hit flush half as often as you hit a straight (0.4% chance to hit a straight). And because a flush is harder to hit, your winrate with flush will be higher than with a straight.

    It is very crucial to play the right hands to maximize your chances of hitting a flush.

    Best cards to hit a flush are high suited hands. AK suited is, of course, the best one to have, followed by AQ suited. Your winrate will still be high with all of the suited broadway hands (JTs, QTs, KTs, ATs, QJs, KJs, AJs, KQs, AQs, and AKs).

    Of course, you can hit a flush with a non-suited hand also, but having a suited hand with increase your chances to hit a flush by a lot.

    Table of Contents

    Bigger cards are better for hitting a flush

    Why is a high double suited hand a lot better than the lower double suited hand? If you play AKs, AQs, or AJs, you will always have the nut flush (ace-high flush) when you hit a flush compared to 98s. A flush is a very strong hand, no matter how high your flush is. It is tough to lay down a flush, even to strong bets.

    If you hit the nut flush on 5hKcThJh7s board with AhQh and your opponent has 8h9h, it will be very tough of him to fold his flush (AQTJ5 high flush wins against JT895 high flush because it has higher ranking cards). It will also be very tough for you to hold a low flush when you are facing bets, after all, you beat many hands that are willing to bet – all sets, two pairs, some smaller flushes, and bluffs.

    Therefore you must be on the winning side of a flush as often as possible. And big suited cards do exactly that.

    Please note, due to the little chance of having a straight flush of 0.0014%, I just assume that Ace-high flush is the nut flush, and an opponent doesn’t have a straight flush, which would beat our ace-high flush.

    Split Pot Poker Flush Kits

    One exception – When the bigger cards are not always better

    Split pot poker flush kits

    There is one situation where having AKs is not optimal. It only matters when you hit a flush. In such a scenario, I would rather have any other ace-high flush but the AK high flush. That way, I can know that someoneelse might be holding a 2nd nut flush (K high flush) as I don’t hold the K myself. Some players might be folding lower flushes, but almost no one folds 2nd nut K high flush. And nobody can beat me anyway if I hold the A high flush in my hand.

    The chance to hit a flush is already low, and it happens even less often that someone has second nut flush. In all the other scenarios, it is better to have AK than AQ or lower, as our kicker is very valuable. This is also the reason that my winrate with AKs is still a lot higher than with AJs. Most of the time, when we hit a flush, our opponent will not have a flush.

    But the times when you see two players showing a flush do happen and it is important to distinguish from 3 possible scenarios:

    1. One person has a lower flush, and another person has a higher flush
    2. Both players have a flush of the same rank
    3. One player has a straight flush (with lower cards), and another player has a higher flush, but just a flush.

    Higher vs. Lower Flush

    The rules of poker are simple. A player that has a higher flush will win the hand. It doesn’t matter if both players have a flush; it only matters who has the highest flush.

    The value of the flush goes from lowest possible flush 23457 of the same suit, and not 23456 as this would also give us a straight flush, which is better than a normal flush. The value of flush goes all the way up to AKQJ9 of the same suit, and this is the biggest flush possible without having the strongest hand in poker – royal flush (AKQJT of the same suit).

    The highest flush beats not only all the lower flushes that will not be folding to our huge bets, but it also beats all sets (trips), two pairs, and pairs.

    If you don’t have the nut flush yourself (highest possible flush, depending on the board), then chances are someone else can have it. Scenarios where you have 2nd nut flush, and someone else holds the nut flush will happen, and you will pay him off. This will reduce your winrate. But all the other times you are up against worse hands you will make a lot of money. Any flush is a great hand to have as it beats so many other worse hands.

    Who wins if both players have a flush of the same rank

    In the case when both players have the same flush at showdown, and no one else has a better hand than this flush, then the pot would get split between them. First, the rake would get deducted from the pot, and afterward, the pot gets equally split.

    Who wins if there is a flush on the table?

    Split Pot Poker Flush Kit

    Scenario, where both players have the flush of the same rank, is only possible if a flush is present on the table. There is no other option, as that is the only way that both players have all 5 cards of the same rank and same suit.

    In my poker career (more than 5 million hands played online), I have seen quite some flushes on the board. A few scenarios are possible:

    1. Nobody has a stronger hand than the flush on the board: When nobody has a higher card of the same suit in the hole cards (in their hand) at showdown, then the pot would get equally split among the players that are still involved in the hand at showdown. Of course, if you fold before the showdown, then you give up on your hand and can’t win the pot (get equal share in this scenario).
    2. Someone has a better hand: If there isn’t a royal flush on the board, then chances are some player can have a bigger flush. Remember, in poker, the player that has the best 5 card combination wins. So on a 5689T all hearts, any player having J of hearts or higher still beats 5689T flush. But if someone has 7 of hearts, then that player will have the better nuts. As 6789T of hearts will give him a straight flush and the better hand combination. If someone would hold QhJh they would have the absolute nuts (QJT98 high straight flush).

    Straight flush vs. Ace-high flush

    If, by any chance, you come upon a situation where one player has a straight flush, and another player has an ace-high flush, then the rules are simple here also. A straight flush is a better hand and wins against any other non-straight flush and against all lower straight flushes (if both players have a straight flush, then the one with higher straight flush wins).

    You will hit a straight flush once roughly every 72,000 hands. When on the other hand, you will hit a flush once every 508 hands. So it makes sense that a straight flush wins.

    Related Articles:

    • Why is flush worth more than a straight?
    • Is a flush or a straight more likely to hit?
    • A flush beats 3 of a kind. Here is why

    Conclusion

    Now you know of all the possible scenarios where two players might have the flush. You know correctly who wins and when the pots get split. I am sure there will be no more confusion next time when you see two players have hit a flush.

    When two players appear to have the same hand in poker, deciding who is the winner is not always easy. I’ve played for over 10 years and will show you how to determine whether there is a winner or if there it is a tie.

    What happens if you have the same hand in poker? If two or more players have the same hand the high card determines the winner. For straights or flushes, the highest top card is declared the winner. For one pair and two pair hands, the highest kicker wins. If players have the same 5-card hand, it is a tie and the pot is split equally.

    Sometimes the basics are not enough and further explanation is needed. Let’s go through all the possible hands and show how a tiebreaker is handled for each and every possible situation in poker.

    Poker Tiebreaker Rules

    Having a tie in poker is actually a fairly rare thing. For the purposes of this article we will focus on ties in Texas Hold’em. However, the methodology works for any form of poker.

    Who Wins If No One Has a Pair? High Card Tiebreaker Rules

    The easy way to determine who wins if no one has even a pair is for everyone to put their hands in order from high to low. Then, simply start at the top and work your way down until the tie is broken. The highest non-tie card wins.

    High-Card Tiebreaker Examples:

    • AJT85 beats AJT82
    • T8542 Beats T7653
    • 85432 Beats 76542
    • K6542 Beats K6532

    What Happens If Two Players Have the Same One-pair Hand?

    If two or more players have the same pair, you use the same methodology as you do for high-card hands. The next highest non-tie card determines the winner.

    One-Pair Tiebreaker Examples:

    • KKT75 beats KK942
    • 88652 Beats 88642
    • AAK83 Beats AAK82

    Who Wins in Poker If Both Players Have 2 Pair? Two-Pair Tiebreaker Rules

    Two pair winners are really easy to determine, the player with the higher pair wins. For example, JJ22 beats TT99.

    If both players have the same two pair, it is also easy to figure out the winner since there is only one kicker. Whichever kicker is higher wins.

    Two-Pair Tiebreaker Examples:

    • 7733A beats 55442
    • JJTT8 beats JJTT5
    • 8822A beats 8822K

    Three of a Kind Tiebreaker Rules

    The person with the highest three of a kind wins. If two players have the same three of a kind, then the kickers are used to determine the tiebreaker.

    Three of a Kind Tiebreaker Examples:Which Hand Is Best in High-Low Poker?

    • TTT92 beats 77743
    • QQQT2 beats QQQ76

    What Happens If Two Players Have a Straight or Flush?

    If two or more players have a straight or flush, whoever has the top card wins.

    Straight & Flush Tiebreaker Examples:

    • 76543 beats 5432A (Ace is a one in this case)
    • J♠ 9♠ 5♠ 3♠ 2♠ beats T♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 4♠

    What If Two Players Have a Full House?

    To break a tie with a full house, whoever has the highest “trips” parts of their hand wins. The “pair” part of the hand does not matter except as a tiebreaker. If the pairs are the same as well, then the hand is a tie and the pot is split.

    Full House Tiebreaker Examples:

    • TTT22 beats 777AA
    • 555JJ beats 444KK
    • QQQ33 beats QQQ22

    Four of a Kind, Straight Flushes, and Royal Flushes

    Unless the hand is on the board, it is extremely rare for there to be two players with the same ultra-premium hand like four of a kind, a straight flush, or a royal flush. However, it is easy to decide who is the winner.

    • Four of a kind – The highest four of a kind hand wins
    • Straight flush– Usually when this happens, one player will have the top of the straight flush and the other the bottom. The top wins.
    • Royal flush– The only time it is possible for two players to have a royal flush is if it is on the board. Even if it was possible, two royal flushes is always a tie. Contrary to what some people believe, one suit does not beat another suit unless a specific local rule dictates it.

    What Happens If Players Have the Same Hand Even After a Tiebreaker?

    Can there be a tie in poker? In poker, if no winner can be determined with a tiebreaker, then the hand is declared a tie and the tied players split the pot. The most frequent time there is a tie in poker is where the board is paired twice and two or more players each have the same high card.

    Examples of tied hands:

    • One player has AK and the other has AQ and the board is J2255. Each player has A2255 and for a tie.
    • One player has A8 and another has A6. The final board is AQJJ9. Both players have a pair of Aces with kickers of QJJ9. They would split the pot.
    • One player has 98 and the other has 92. The final board is AKQT5. Both players have the high card hand AKQT9. The pot is once again split between them.

    What If the Best Hand Is on the Board?

    If no part of anyone’s hand can break the tie, then the pot is split equally among the players with live cards. This commonly happens when there is a straight or a flush on the board. This is known as “playing the board.”

    How Do We Split up the Pot?

    The easiest method to split up a pot in poker is to start with the highest chip color and work your way down. If there is an uneven number of a color, you pull in enough from the next lowest amount to even it up. Then start the process again with the next highest color available.

    What If There Is an Uneven Amount in the Pot?

    If there is an extra chip left over after the pot has been split, then the first player seated clockwise from the dealer gets it. In heads-up, the player who was the Big Blind gets the extra chip.

    Which Hand Is Best in High-Lo Poker?

    There are a few variations of poker, namely Omaha Hi-Lo where the low hand wins half of the pot. In this case, whoever can make the lowest possible hand that isn’t a straight wins. 5-4-3-2-A is known as the “nut low.” and is a really strong hand in Hi-Lo games.

    In order to qualify for a low hand, the highest card has to be 8 or lower. 86532 qualifies but 95432 does not.

    What Are Common Tie-Breaker Mistakes?

    In pub poker or home games, I see people scoop a pot quite frequently when it was supposed to be a tie. The most common time this happens is when someone is dominated and then their kicker is counterfeited at some point during the hand.

    Here are some examples:

    Split Pot Poker Flush Tool

    AQ vs. A2– Board runs out A588K, which means they both are holding two pair Aces and eights with a King kicker. I have witnessed the pot be pushed to the AQ guy and the next hand be about to start before anyone notices.

    66 vs. 44– Board runs out KTT7K, which means they both are playing the board with two-pair, Kings over Tens with a seve kicker. I swear, I wish the guy with 66 would notice the counterfeiting just one time. I’ve seen supposedly “experienced” players not even understand that 66 and 44 are tied here.

    AA vs. AK– Board runs out 97568, with a straight on the board it’s a split pot. Yet you’d be surprised how often the guy with AA will try to drag in the entire pot.

    Remind Me, What Is the Hand Ranking Order Again?

    Ranked from best hand to worst:

    • Royal Flush
    • Straight Flush
    • Four of a Kind
    • Full House
    • Flush
    • Straight
    • Three of a Kind
    • Two-Pair
    • One-Pair
    • High Card

    Final Thoughts

    Now you know how to break any possible tie in poker if two players seem to have the same hand. If you want to learn the basics of poker strategy, you might want to check out my complete poker tutorial. Thanks for reading!

    Related Questions

    Can you have two hands in poker? You are required to always play your highest hand possible in Texas hold’em or other poker games. However, if you verbally announce a weaker version of your hand then you actually have, the dealer may actually force you to play the weaker hand.

    Which is higher straight or flush? According to the hand ranking rules of poker, a flush always beats a straight.

    Is JQKA2 a straight? AThis is know as an around-the-corner straight and is only used as a special rule in some home games. In games that follow the exact rules of poker, JQKA2 is not considered a straight and is just an Ace-high high-card hand.





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