<P> A kicker, also called a side card, is a card in a poker hand that does not itself take part in determining the rank of the hand, but that may be used to break ties between hands of the same rank . For example, the hand Q-Q - 10 - 5 - 2 is ranked as a pair of queens . The 10, 5, and 2 are kickers . This hand would defeat any hand with no pair, or with a lower - ranking pair, and lose to any higher - ranking hand . But the kickers can be used to break ties between other hands that also have a pair of queens . For example, Q-Q-K - 3 - 2 would win (because its K kicker outranks the 10), but Q-Q - 10 - 4 - 3 would lose (because its 4 is outranked by the 5). </P> <P> The term is also used in draw poker to denote an unmatched card (often an ace) retained by a player during the draw in the hope that either it will be paired on the draw, or else play as a kicker (in the first sense) on the showdown . A kicker may also be retained in order to deceive an opponent, for example, to represent a three - of - a-kind when the player has only a pair . </P>

When do you use a kicker in poker