Split Pots & Ties in Poker

Key takeaways

• The best five cards—not all seven available cards—determine the result.
• Identical straights and flushes can tie when the board supplies the relevant cards.
• A sixth or seventh card cannot break a tie.
• Odd chips are distributed according to house or tournament rules.

Playing the board

Suppose the board is A-K-Q-J-10 with no relevant flush distinction. Every player still in the hand has the same ace-high straight. Hole cards cannot improve that five-card combination, so the pot is split.

Same pair, same kickers

Board: A-A-K-Q-J. One player holds 9-8 and another holds 7-6. Both use A-A-K-Q-J. Their hole cards do not enter the best five, so the result is a tie.

Side pots

When players are all-in for different amounts, the hand can contain a main pot plus one or more side pots. A player is eligible only for pots to which that player contributed. Each pot is awarded independently to the best eligible hand.

Odd chips

If a pot cannot be divided evenly into the smallest chip denomination, one or more odd chips remain. The exact rule for awarding them depends on the room or tournament rules.

Related reading

How to resolve a tie step by step

1. Construct the best five-card hand for every remaining player.
2. Compare hand categories.
3. Compare ranks and kickers only within those five cards.
4. If the five-card hands are identical, divide the eligible pot.

This process removes most apparent tie disputes. The suit of a card does not normally award the pot in Hold’em, and an unused sixth or seventh card cannot break an otherwise identical five-card hand.

Side pots are evaluated separately

When players have contributed different all-in amounts, each pot has its own eligible players. A player can win the main pot and lose a side pot, or vice versa. Resolve each pot against only the players who contributed enough to be eligible for it.