Noun

A hand whose ranking is determined solely on the basis of the greatest card value held because it does not contain a pair, two pair, three of a kind, a straight, a flush, a full house, four of a kind, or a straight flush; in the hierarchy of hand values, the hand ranking immediately below a pair.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: When no player has a hand ranking above a high card, the hand with the highest card wins.

EXAMPLE: "I missed the flop and quickly folded when an opponent bet. I knew there was no way my high card would win."

APPLIES TO: Online and Land-based Venues

RELATED TERMS: Hand, High - [Card Value] High, Pair

Verb

Selecting a player for a given task or responsibility by dealing a card to each player and comparing cards to see who has received the one of highest value.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The suit of a card may be used to break ties for purposes of high-carding. Spades are the highest valued suit, followed by Hearts, Diamonds, and finally Clubs. Some common decisions determined by high-carding are who is assigned the button when a game first begins or who receives the extra chip in a split pot that does not split evenly.

EXAMPLE: "We decided to high-card for the button."

APPLIES TO: Online and Land-based Venues

RELATED TERMS: Button

Noun

The exposed card of greatest value or the player holding that card.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In razz, the high card is responsible for bringing in. In stud games played for high, the high card typically acts first in later betting rounds.

EXAMPLE: Player A asks, "Who is supposed to bring in?" Player B responds, "It's you. You're the high card."

APPLIES TO: Online and Land-based Venues

RELATED TERMS: Bring In, Bring It In