What is a kicker in video poker?

Hello @luxxyluxz,

In video poker, a kicker is a card that’s initially not involved in determining the primary hand value. In other words, it’s an extra card you can either use to enhance your hand or toss it in the hope of drawing something better.

For example, if your hand consists of a pair of Aces and a low kicker, like a 2, you could consider tossing the 2 and trying for a better one.

Or the other way around. If you get a pair of Aces with a high kicker, like a King or a Queen, you’ll want to hold onto it. 

Remember that kickers can be used when thinking about breaking hands up and devising the optimal combination of cards.

Kickers can greatly affect strategy, and that differs from one video poker variant to another. Generally speaking, bonus-type video poker games, like Double Bonus, Jacks or Better, and Deuces Wild, tend to favour kickers more. 

So, certain payouts do, in fact, depend on the kicker.

A simple example would be in Deuces Wild, so an Ace kicker with four-of-a-kind combos like Deuces. 

Kickers are an important and engaging element in video poker. 

They significantly impact gameplay and strategy, and you need to pay attention to the paytable, as you will need to figure out which kickers are most valuable in each game variation.