Pilatch Card Games

Tie Breakers

Split pots are anticlimactic and slow down the game.

Compare suits instead!

rock beats scissors; scissors beats paper; paper beats rock

Two-Player Ties

Flush

Compare the suits of the flushes, regardless of rank.

Compare ranks only between flushes of the same suit, in which case the flush with the highest ranked non-community card in it wins. example

Full House
A full house with higher ranks beats a lower ranked full house. (The rank of the triples in the full house is more important.) With equal ranks, compare the suits of the non-community cards in each player's pair in the Full House. example
High Card
If the highest non-community card in your hand ties with another player's, compare those cards' suits. Otherwise the highest ranked non-community card wins.
Pair

A higher ranked pair beats a lower pair, but a ties can occur two ways:

  • When the pair is in community cards, ignore the pair and instead use the High Card tie breaker.
  • When two players each pair the same community card, compare the suits of the non-community cards in each player's pair.

example

Rags 'n Riches
If multiple players have this type of hand, settle it with the High Card tiebreaker.
Straight
Higher ranked straights win over lower ones. With multiple straights of equal rank, the highest non-community rank that each player's straight has in common is the "determining rank." Compare suits of each player's card of the determining rank. example
Straight Flush
As if this would ever happen! In case it does, use the same tie breaker rules as Flush, above.
Triples
Higher ranked triples win over lower ranked triples. However, when the triples appear in the community cards, ignore the triples and use the High Card tie breaker.
Two Pairs
If high and low pairs both tie, compare suits of the non-community cards in the two pairs, with preference to the higher pair. Otherwise the highest ranked of the two pairs wins.

Three-Player Ties

In the unlikely event of a triple-tie, play single elimination three-player Roshambo (rock, paper, scissors) until there is a winner. You may use Pilatch cards to represent your choice of rock, paper, or scissors, where only the suit matters.

Please note:

  • This list does not indicate rarity or value of hands, which can differ by game.
  • This list assumes a single-deck game.
  • Games that allow players to use a number of community cards that is greater than or equal to that game's valued hand size, will not benefit from these tie breakers in all cases.