In many games of poker you play, you will find that in a large number of them the “kicker” is the determining factor. But a lot of poker players don’t even think too much about their kicker card until they are on the losing end of a hand that is won by a top kicker hand. A very important thing to remember is to always consider your kicker when deciding to play a hand.
A “kicker” is the card which is unpaired in your hand. It determines the winning hand in the event of a tie with equal pairs. For example, if a pair of Aces was the winner, and you had Ace/King, and the other person had Ace/Jack, your King kicker would beat his Jack.
The Ace May be Weak
A commonly held belief is to play any Ace without giving consideration to the kicker. If you chose to play an Ace with a weak kicker, this is called playing a “weak Ace.” For example, if you make a play with an Ace/6 hand, and an Ace flops, you could still lose because of the weak kicker card.
If anyone else has an Ace, your chances of being the winner in the hand is not good. For someone else holding an Ace to lose, they would have to have a 5, 4, 3, or deuce for you to win against another Ace hand.
The Kicker Pairs Up
The odds are even to pair either of your cards when the flop comes. If you paired the kicker, for example, a six, you would have a small pair with an Ace kicker. However, if you chose to play a single Ace with a bigger card there could be situations where you would be better off pairing your kicker and not the Ace. For example, if you held an Ace/Queen, and the highest flop card is a Queen, you would now hold top pair with the highest possible kicker. Other players holding a Queen would surely give you action with a flop such as this. You could also gain action from opponents holding a solo Ace and are seeking another Ace on the turn or the river. Even if they do, you would win with two pairs.
When you are playing and notice someone who always plays an Ace without giving importance to the kicker, you can always beat them if you only play your Ace with a strong kicker. Many players won’t fold a pair of Aces with a weak kicker even though they should. This type of player will call you all the way through to the river, only to be defeated by a strong kicker.
Use Caution With Blinds
For the players in the Big Blind, they can many times find themselves with kicker problems when they achieve top pair in a flop but have a weak kicker. Many players in tournaments are eliminated when they face this predicament. The players moved all-in with the top pair, and were then defeated by someone with the better kicker. Stop and think about your kicker before you make this play.
Always Fold Weak Hands
You should know that the best way to not get beat holding a weak kicker is not to play the hand. Fold it. Learning to fold a bad hand with a weak kicker is essential to a winning strategy. Beware when you get top pair on the flop from the blinds with nothing as back up. Be alert to the potential pitfalls that can happen by small kickers . This will greatly improve your percentage of winning hands.
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