Poker Tip 1: The Side Card
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
In a game that features communal cards that all players must use to make their hands, it is not unusual for two holdem player to end up with hands that are identical except for their unpaired side cards. It is your side cards, or kicker, which often makes the difference between winning or losing.
The reason A-K is regarded as a big hand , while A-2 is better thrown away the majority of the time is strength of the kicker. If you flop a pair with A-K, it is guaranteed to be the highest possible pair with the best possible kicker. But with A-2, you will flop either a pair of aces with the worst possible kicker or a pair of deuces that seldom figures to be the best hand.