Explanation of Kicker
In most variations of poker, creating a valid hand requires exactly five cards. Take the example of forming a pair; in that case, you will also need to incorporate three kickers to complete the hand. When two players show the same hand component, it is the kickers that help to identify who the winner is.
Certain hands in poker, like straights, flushes, and full houses, use all five cards without the need for any kickers. However, hands that rely on fewer than five cards—like three of a kind, two pairs, or four of a kind—must include the necessary kickers to fully establish the strength of their hand.
Example of Kicker used in context -> We managed to have three Queens with an Ace and a Jack serving as our kickers.
Incorporating Kicker in Your Poker Tactics
The term 'outkicked' refers to a scenario where we form an identical hand to that of our opponent, but ultimately lose due to the value of the kickers.
At times, being outkicked might simply be a stroke of bad luck; other times, it could indicate that we should have recognized the weakness of our hand and played differently.
See Also
Domination , Pair , Hand Rankings , Two-pair , Three of a Kind , Flush