In Texas Holdem, a "kicker" (also called a side card) is a card in your hand that does not actually take part in determining the rank of your hand. However, it may be called into play to break ties between hands of the same rank. For example, if you held a Q and 6 in your hand and the board showed a Q10538, your hand would be a pair of queens. If this was the case, your hand would beat hands with no pair, or hands with a lower-ranked pair such as a pair of jacks. However, if someone else at the table is holding a Q and 7, you're dead. Since Texas Holdem uses the best five-card poker to determine the winner, your hand would be QQ1086 while theirs would be QQ1087.

Knowing your starting hands and playing them well will hopefully reduce, but can never eliminate, losing to the dreaded kicker.