Tie Breaker Rules Question

[jeeves]

My home poker game has been arguing about this for months. We basically play a $5 SnG tourney once a week.

What are the rules for deciding who wins when 2 or more players have a flush and the high card for the flush is on the board? And... where can I find concrete information to that effect to present to my game? I've done google searches on flush rules, casino rules, etc. but haven't found anything good.

I've been playing online for a while so I understand that in these situations the player with the highest flush card in his/her hand wins, since you play the best five cards you can, but my game can't be dissuaded from thinking that when the top flush card is on the board the pot is split. This isn't a house rule; they actually think they are playing correctly and I would like to educate them.

Thanks!

[ThaSaltCracka]

suppose there are two hands:

Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Board is:
A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Then the hand with the Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] wins because you have:
A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
which beats
A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about. Its the best 5 card flush for a reason, AQ is higher than AJ. Think about if people were playing just their highest card. Who would win? AQ or AJ? or would they tie just because they both have an A? You seem smart enough to know the answer. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Rudbaeck]

Ask them to specify all five cards used in their respective hands.

[jeeves]

I understand all that and I've explained it to them in just that way, but basically they *don't* know what they are talking about and are absolutely convinced that the only card that matters in a flush is the high card. (I should say not ALL the guys I play with are this dumb. It's really just two of them.) So most of us get the rule, but I need some sort of official source or something official to show them to concvince them that they are wrong. So that's more what I was going for. Thanks.

PS - Your example is incorrect, each player only has 4 to a flush. But I know what you're getting at.

[ThaSaltCracka]

hehe oops.

Here I should have done this then

5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 beats K-J-7-6-5 because the nine beats the seven.

half way down the page, this is for standard poker games(no wilds)

[jeeves]

That should help, thanks!

[Demana]

Since the web page cites two differently suited flushes (and some of your super anal people may not believe it), you can also use Super Systems. I don't remember the exact page, but Mr. Brunson explained how the winner is determined when he first explains how the rank of poker hands works.

[Big Country]

http://www.pokertips.org/rules/poker-hands.php

This should help.

"A Flush consists of 5 cards of the same suit. The flush with the higher top card wins. If two flushes have the same top card, then the flush with the higher 2nd-top card wins."

[jeeves]

Thanks, that is definitely helpful. Well, tonight is when I'm going to show these kids some "hard evidence," so I'll let you all know if anything goes comically awry during that discussion.

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]

I've been playing online for a while so I understand that in these situations the player with the highest flush card in his/her hand wins....

[/ QUOTE ]

Just to be extremely pedantic, there is one case where this isn't true in Hold Em. If the board is:

A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Your hand is 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (hopefully from the big blind!)

and your opponent's is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], then you have a higher heart in your hand but it doesn't matter because you're both playing all five cards off the board.

Like i said, extremely pedantic.