Author Topic: Poker/Hold 'em question (Read 586 times)

Tarmac · « **on:** April 28, 2006, 06:11:10 PM »

Ok, I'm new to this whole Texas Hold 'em phenomenon, but its something fun to do when a game is on... my buddies have been getting me into it. I know the basics of poker from learning 5 card draw when I was little, but there are some things in hold 'em that never occur in a 5 card game. One happened last night, and I know we've got some online poker players here that can answer my question. Google already came up empty, but maybe I'm not looking in the right place.

Here's the situation:

3 players (I'm one of them) going for a flush. Flop came out as 3 spades... the ace and two low ones (let's say 5 and 9). Next card comes out as another low spade (say a 3), so a total of 4 spades are showing. I'm holding the king of spades and an off suit junk card, so I've got an A-K-9-5-3 spade flush. The pot is pretty big. I milk it some more by raising; the river comes up as off suit junk.

So I've already got the ace-high flush, and I'm hoping that the two others were hoping to hit the flush on the river and had stayed in for that. I go all in. One guy folds, the other sees my bet.

We show our cards; I have an A-K-9-5-3 flush, he has an A-10-9-5-3 flush.

Here's the question: does the 2nd highest card in the flush break the tie when two players both have ace-high flushes? I had been hoping to bluff them out (at best) or at worst get one to fold and split the pot with one other who also had the ace-high flush. But before the river went out, there was some table talk between the folded players that established the rules (dunno if its a house rule or if it's official) that an A-K flush would beat, say, an A-Q flush.

Is this a real rule, or was that a house rule? As a poker noob, I figured one ace-high flush was as good as another, but the table didn't agree with me and I didn't make a big deal of it as I won big.

BlueJ1 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2006, 06:19:02 PM »

In any kind of tie the 2nd card breaks the tie. It goes down the line until the tie is broken. For example 2 players both have 2 pair. Kings and Queens. But player #1 has a 5 and player #2 has a 3. Player #1 would win.

Tarmac · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2006, 06:33:49 PM »

I know you use high card to break the tie when you've got pairs or something, but does that work in a flush, since there is technically not a high card that's not already in the flush?

BlueJ1 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2006, 06:53:39 PM »

It goes the same in a flush. Say both players have a Ace high flush like in your situation. It then goes to who ever has the highest 2nd card. And down the line if need be.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2006, 07:05:48 PM »

Every time I've ever played Texas Hold'em your high card is the kicker. If the high cards match then you have a split pot (tie).

Sandman · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2006, 07:44:31 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by BlueJ1
It goes the same in a flush. Say both players have a Ace high flush like in your situation. It then goes to who ever has the highest 2nd card. And down the line if need be.

Bingo.

An A-K-10-5-3 flush beats an A-K-10-4-3 flush.

If both players had A-K-10-5-3, they would split. Under no circumstances would you use a sixth card to break a tie... EVER.

SOB · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2006, 07:46:47 PM »

Yep, the cards in your hand determine it. That's why it would have been a bad idea to go in if you just had, say, a two of spades, 'cause chances are somebody else will have a higher spade.

Tarmac · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2006, 08:34:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Sandman
Bingo.

An A-K-10-5-3 flush beats an A-K-10-4-3 flush.

If both players had A-K-10-5-3, they would split. Under no circumstances would you use a sixth card to break a tie... EVER.

That's exactly what I was looking for. Glad I won fairly.