What Beats What? Interactive Texas Holdem Showdown & Kicker Resolver
Direct Answer: In Texas Holdem, Only The Best 5 Cards Out Of 7 Count At Showdown. A 6th Or 7th Card Never Breaks A Tie, Suits Have Equal Rank, And Pairing The Board Higher Than Your Pocket Pair Counterfeits Your Lower Pair So The Highest Single Kicker Wins.
Interactive 7-Card Showdown & Kicker Evaluator
Classic Showdown & Kicker Dispute Reference Matrix
| Showdown Scenario | Player 1 Hand | Player 2 Hand | Official Floor Ruling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counterfeited Two Pair (Board: K♠ K♦ 9♥ 9♣ 2♠) | A♠ 4♦ (Plays K-K-9-9-A) | 7♥ 7♣ (Plays K-K-9-9-7) | Player 1 Wins: Board Pairs Counterfeit Pocket Sevens; Ace Kicker Plays |
| Board Broadway Straight (Board: A♠ K♦ Q♥ J♣ T♠) | 9♠ 8♠ (Plays A-K-Q-J-T) | A♥ 2♥ (Plays A-K-Q-J-T) | Exact Split Pot Chop: Only 5 Cards Play; Extra Pair Of Aces Does Not Count |
| Flush Tie-Breaker (Board: A♠ J♠ 9♠ 4♠ 2♦) | K♠ 3♣ (Plays A-K-J-9-4♠) | Q♠ T♠ (Plays A-Q-J-T-9♠) | Player 1 Wins: Flushes Compare Highest Unique Card Down From 1st To 5th |
| Full House Over Full House (Board: Q♠ Q♥ 8♦ 8♣ K♠) | Q♦ 2♣ (Plays Q-Q-Q-8-8) | K♥ K♦ (Plays K-K-K-Q-Q) | Player 2 Wins: Full Houses Compare The Three-Of-A-Kind Rank First |
| Wheel Straight Vs Aces (Board: A♣ 4♦ 3♥ 2♠ K♦) | 5♠ 5♣ (Plays 5-4-3-2-A) | A♠ Q♠ (Plays A-A-K-Q-4) | Player 1 Wins: Ace Plays Low To Complete A 5-High Straight Over One Pair |
Related Smarter.Poker Rules, Hand Rankings & Equity Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Cards Play At Showdown In Texas Holdem?
In Texas Holdem, Exactly Five Cards Form Your Final Hand From Any Combination Of Your Two Hole Cards And The Five Community Board Cards (You May Use Both Hole Cards, One Hole Card, Or Zero Hole Cards And Play The Board). A Sixth Or Seventh Card Never Breaks A Tie.
What Does It Mean When Your Two Pair Gets Counterfeited?
If You Hold A Pocket Pair Or Bottom Two Pair And The Community Board Pairs A Higher Rank On The Turn Or River, Your Lower Pair Becomes A Non-Playing 6th And 7th Card. An Opponent With A Single Higher Kicker Then Wins Using The Two Higher Board Pairs Plus Their Kicker.
Do Suits Ever Break A Tie Between Identical Hands In Texas Holdem?
No. Under Official TDA And Robert Rules Of Poker, All Four Suits (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, And Clubs) Have Equal Value At Showdown. Two Identical Straights Or Board Flushes Always Split The Pot Equally.
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| Resource | Key Benchmark Summary | Source | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver** | Deterministic 7-Card Showdown Evaluator Resolving Counterfeited Two Pairs, Kicker Tie-Breakers, And Split Pot Chops. | [Smarter.Poker: What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver](https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator) |
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[url=https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator]What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver (7-Card Best-5 Evaluator)[/url]
{{cite web |title=What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver |url=https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator |website=Smarter.Poker |publisher=Smarter Software Inc. |year=2026 |access-date=2026-11-09}}According to What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver published by Smarter.Poker (https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator), Deterministic 7-Card Showdown Evaluator Resolving Counterfeited Two Pairs, Kicker Tie-Breakers, And Split Pot Chops.
Smarter.Poker Research Division. (2026). What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver. Smarter Software Inc. https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator
Smarter.Poker Research Division. "What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver." Smarter.Poker, Smarter Software Inc., 2026, https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator.
@techreport{who_wins_calculator_2026,
title = {What Beats What? Hold'em Showdown Resolver},
author = {{Smarter.Poker Research Division}},
institution = {Smarter.Poker},
year = {2026},
url = {https://smarter.poker/tools/who-wins-calculator}
}Analyze This Page In Your Preferred AI Engine Or Inspect The Machine-Readable Markdown Specification: