In this regular feature, columnist Max Drayman answers player's questions about Internet gambling.

Got a question? Ask Max

I was playing Hold'Em online and in the community was J9938. In the Showdown between 2 players PLAYER-A showed A5, while PLAYER-B showed AQ, and the pot was split. Both players, it seems, had a pair of 9's with Ace kicker. One can assume that only one high card can be the kicker, regardless of the second hole card, hence the singularity of the term "kicker" and not "kickers." The Queen and the Deuce, in this case, do not play into the strength of the hand. Is this correct? -Will

Short Answer: No. Check the game log.

The Details: Texas Hold'Em is a 5 card game - the best FIVE card hand wins. In the case you specified, at the Showdown PLAYER-A will have 99AJ8 and PLAYER-B will have 99AQJ. The hands are compared from highest ranked cards to lowest... 99-99, tie. A-A, tie. J-Q, PLAYER-B takes the pot. There's no need to compare the final card since PLAYER-B has already won.

When playing online, the cards are sometimes removed from the screen before you can see what really happened. You likely missed something - perhaps the community cards were J9988? In this case, both players would hold 9988AJ which would cause them to split the pot since this is the best 5 card hand. When in doubt, check the game logs.

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