[Rand al Thor]

I've got a question regarding the rules governing this hand and which is the winner in a Texas hold'em matched pair game.

The situation is. All the community cards have been delt, and these are a King (hearts), Queen (hearts), 10 (diamonds), 7 (clubs), and a 2 (spades).

Two players are still in the game and have been called. Both show hands revealing;

Player1 = 7 (diamonds) and 5 (clubs)
Player2 = 7 (Spades) and 9 (hearts)

Basically I want to know who wins. I was in this situation in a game recently. I argued that Player2 (me) wins because he has the higher kicker card; the 9 (hearts).
Player1 argued that it was a draw and a split pot because, the strongest fiver cards were the pair of 7s, and the community cards, King, Queen and 10. By his reasoning because there were three community cards higher than my 9 kicker, the 9 had no bearing on the game and it was a drawn hand.

I was over-ruled by a majority vote and we split but we have a seperate bet on this so any and all knowledgable opinions are welcomed. Links to official poker rule sites that give examples of this situation would help .

Cheers.

[Corsair]

Pretty sure you win. That's just a gut feeling though.

[achtung]

I'm pretty sure you won with the kicker there bud.

You just lost half a pot that was yours. 

[Rand al Thor]

Yeah, thats obviously what I think. but I needs definate proof to punish him for his transgressions.

Unfortunately I'm getting opposite responses on boards.ie. I better not have to hope he forgets about it.

[achtung]

Well, I just asked my dad, who plays poker probably more than he should, and he confirmed you won.  You can only play five cards, and you *must* play the cards in your hand.  You play your two cards and the three highest cards in the community, and the other player does the same.   Your nine kicker should have overruled his five, and you would have won.

[Dough with Fish]

Dude... You won. The kickers do matter. Like Swantz says, you have to play the two cards in your hand, and since you had a higher kicker, you win.

[Ulala]

While I agree with Swantz if the rule is there that you must use your cards, I've played with guys before who would use four community cards and only one of theirs, usually when making a flush or a straight or something, so.. I'm no help.

[BS403]

Its a split pot, in Texas you don't need to use both cards in your hand.

[watsisname]

You won the hand with the better kicker.  Neither of you had a combination better than a pair (of 7's), and you had the higher card left over (kicker).  This is coming from me, an avid player of no-limit Texas hold-em.

At BS403:  It's true you don't need to use both cards in your hand, but when the highest combination for both people is the same pair, it doesn't matter because all the community cards are shared.  Highest leftover card in each person's hand decides.  If it were a case of both people having the same 2-pair, and both people had a card of each pair in their hand.  For example, say both people had 2-7, and community cards were 2-7-9-K-A (no flushes), then it'd be a split pot.

Edit:  Rules to back up my statement: 
http://www.partypoker.com/how_to_play/poker_school/basic_poker_rules/rank_of_hands.html

[kode]

It is a split pot in that situation for the exact reason BS403 mentioned.

[Col. Fishguts]

I'd vote for split pot too. The hand with the best 5 cards wins, which is in this case for both players the pair of 7s, K, Q and 10. Where I come from, your hand has 5 cards. Period.

Counting your 9 as a kicker would be playing with 6 cards.

[watsisname]

*sigh*

From link in previous post:

In the event of a tie with either four of a kind, three of a kind, two pair, or one pair, the highest unpaired side card or 'kicker' in a player's hand wins the pot.

For example: Player A: Kc, Kh, 6s, 6h, Qh
Player B: Ks, Kh, 6s, 6h, 9d

Player A wins the hand with Q kicker.

[Flipside]

I think the Vegas rules would say it's a split pot, but strictly speaking, watsisname has pointed out the correct rule. The highest hand wins, including the card you choose to withhold. Even if the last two cards are of the same value, then the suit hierarchy would decide the winner. The original idea of Poker in any description is that there is no such thing as a draw. 'Dealer always wins' was added by Vegas later to maximise profits.

[Ashrak]

kicker matters

[Nix]

It's a split pot because you'd play the highest value cards available.  Why would you play your 9, and he play his 5, when you're already playing a pair of sevens, a king, queen and 10 to get the highest value hand possible?  Say you went and DID play your 9.  The fact that your opponent would choose to play the 10 in his hand of five cards would make him the winner.  That's why community cards can be confusing, in a situation like this.  The only card that would have helped you in your hand would be an ace, something higher than the king, and THAT would be your Kicker card.  Ace kicker, is the only way to win that hand, otherwise it's a draw.

[aldo_14]

I think this the most confused I've ever been, except for maybe when I tried to eat lobster with chopsticks.

[Col. Fishguts]

*sigh*

From link in previous post:

In the event of a tie with either four of a kind, three of a kind, two pair, or one pair, the highest unpaired side card or 'kicker' in a player's hand wins the pot.

For example: Player A: Kc, Kh, 6s, 6h, Qh
Player B: Ks, Kh, 6s, 6h, 9d

Player A wins the hand with Q kicker.

Sadly, that example has not much to do with the problem in the first post.

The question is, do you allow a sixth card to be played as a kicker ?

[Ulala]

It's not a matter of a sixth card, but rather which fifth card. Can you use four of the community cards? Or five? What if the community cards were: A, A, A, A, K. Does everyone win or is it based on their pocket?

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Well I don't play poker but since I had some time I figured I'd do some research.  Using the info from the Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_hold_'em#Play_of_the_hand

and Roberts rules of poker it seems as if it is a split.  You can use both your cards, 1 of your cars or none of your cards.  The highest hands both being 7 7 K Q 10 would be a tie since suit hierarchy cannot be used to determine the pot.  Of course like anything else this is subject to interpretation and is overridden by house rules.   

[watsisname]

It isn't playing a 6th card as the kicker.  I think you're under the impression that in the event of a tie, you're comparing the highest combination of 5 cards for each person. 
If that were the case, then both players would have 7-7-k-q-10.

But to avoid ties like this, the rules of hold 'em state that the highest remaining card unique to each player decides the winner.  One player has a 9, the other a 5.  The 9 is the higher card (the kicker), and hence is the winner.  This is not the same as saying "take the highest 5 cards, then the 6th one decides.