Texas Hold’em Pairs — Who Wins?
It’s showdown time, somebody is going to win the pot, somebody is going to go home empty-handed, but who? Many beginner poker players are not sure about how the pair-situations in showdown are resolved. We know that pair beats the high card, that’s easy, but which pair is stronger? When both players have pairs, how to know who is the lucky winner? Well, as you are going to discover soon, answering these questions is not hard at all. There are a few straightforward and simple rules that resolve this enigma. Let’s see the rules about the pairs in Texas Hold’em!
Two Pairs, Two Players, What Happens?
Let’s imagine the following situation. Two players at the table both have a pair. Who is the winner? Well, the lucky winner is the player who holds the higher pair — it’s actually that simple. Which pair beats them all? We hope that you know the answer to this question since this one is quite easy to assume. The unbeatable pair is no other than a pair of aces. So we have resolved the first scenario. Now we know what happens when two players both have a pair to show off. Let’s get to more complicated stuff now.
Two Identical Pairs, Two Players, What Happens Now?
This is scenario number two — it’s a showdown, two players both hold a pair in their hands, but things get even more intense as both of them have the same pair! So what do we do now? Do these players just split the pot and both go home happy? Unfortunately, no! One of them is going to go home with some cash, and the other one is going to have to wait for another chance to win something. Why? Because the other three cards from the five-card combo come to save the day! Did you forget about the other three cards in this story? We hope not, because they are also important, and here, they are the heroes!
So in this situation, the highest card of the three remaining will decide who is going to be our lucky winner. The kicker will solve the dilemma when we have two identical pairs in a showdown. As you can see, even this situation is not that hard to solve. All you need to do is compare the kickers.
Four Pairs, Two Players, How to Solve This One?
Now let’s say that at the showdown, two players both have two pairs each. What to do now? How to know who is a winner here? Well, in this third pair scenario, we need to take a closer look at those double pairs. Luckily, one simple rule here will solve it all! A hand with the highest pair is the hand that wins! So here, only one thing is important — which pair of all four pairs is the strongest one. When you determine this, you can give its holder a pot, since they won it fair and square. Also, there is one more thing that you have to note in this scenario — a hand with the highest pair wins regardless of the strength of the other pair in that hand. It all comes down to one killer combination, and all others are not important anymore.
The Last Scenario — the Identical Two Pairs
In this fourth pair scenario, the fifth kicker card jumps in to solve the problem. So in a situation where two players hold identical two pairs (sounds far-off but it does happen), the strength of the fifth card will decide who takes the pot. Once more, it’s kickers time to shine! However, as you could see in this, and each previous situation, resolving the pair issue at showdown is not that big of a deal. Sometimes you need to compare the pairs, sometimes you need to call the kickers to help, but you can always resolve it in a matter of seconds.
What Did We Learn so Far?
The first important thing that we have learned here is that everything is clear and straightforward in Texas Hold’em poker rules. Even though this game is complex, its rules are clear. Moreover, each possible showdown scenario is covered by Texas Hold’em rules. It’s virtually impossible to come in the situation that can’t be resolved. When it comes to showdown principles, Texas Hold’em is fair, straight, and crystal-clear.
The second crucial thing that we’ve learned today is that when you assemble a pair, even if it’s a pair of aces, it’s not time to gloat yet. Never forget about your other three buddies, because they can be the ones that send you home rich or poor. Pay attention to all five cards, and don’t get too carried away by the strength of your pairs. Why? Because some of the other players can have that exact pair that you are holding in your hand.
Is It Important to Learn About These Rules?
Some of these four scenarios that we’ve covered here in the article may seem a bit far-fetched. However, you need to understand that everything can happen in Texas Hold’em, and these scenarios are not that, unlike as you could think. We already explained that these rules about pairs would help you learn about the importance of kickers. That much is clear. But is there another reason why you should remember these rules?
Well, you need to understand that every lack of knowledge of poker rules makes you a weak player and increases your chances of losing. First of all, if you are playing with real money, how can you feel calm about other players telling you whether you won or not, and you do not know the answer. Sounds a bit dangerous, right? Learning rules about hand rankings is crucial for poker playing. You don’t want to be that guy that wanders about the rules in the middle of the game! Remember, each thing you don’t know about poker is your weakness that someone is going to take advantage of. Are you now motivated enough to learn about all showdown scenarios? We hope that you are.
Conclusion
Which Texas Hold’em poker rules are most important to learn? Are the rules about dealing with community cards most important? About pairs? About poker hand rankings? Let us tell you; all poker rules are equally important to know! It’s not as you can choose to focus on hole cards rules or to learn about the strongest hands-only, such as a royal flush or full house.
You need to learn about all the rules, all scenarios, all poker strategies, all rules about determining the winning hands if you want to play it smart and safe. This goes both for playing poker in land-based casinos and playing poker online. It goes even for playing poker with your friends, or in poker rooms. After all, each thing that you learn about playing poker makes you a better poker player and gives you some advantages. We hope that we’ve motivated you enough to do your thorough research about the game of Texas Hold’Em poker. Now, as for the pair showdown scenarios, we already got you covered! Just follow our simple guidelines, and you are good to go!