Kicker
word type: noun
- The card used to break ties in poker. For example if one player held A-K and another player held A-J, the king and jack are "kickers," which may be used to determine a winner.
- In draw poker, an unpaired card that a player keeps in his hand in order to attempt to pair it on the draw, or to make his opponent think he has a stronger hand than he really does.
Popular Uses
If you re-raise a raiser, and he doesn't raise you back, you know he has kicker problems. -Crandall Addington
I had no choice. I couldn't let myself get blinded off, so I had to go all-in with any Ace, kicker be damned. -Unknown
You Should Also Know...
In hold'em, kickers frequently come from a player's hole cards, as it is quite common for two players to make a pair or with their highest card, one that they have in common. To break the tie, their second card, or kicker, is compared. Sometimes, the non-paired cards on the board are higher than the second hole card, thus negating the kicker. In this case, the "board plays."
