If I have a K and a 6 in my hand and another player has a K and a 4 in their hand and there’s a K on the table so we both have a pair does the high card matter?
Using all available cards to you, make your best 5 card hand. (K, K, 2, 2, 6)
Using all cards available to them, make their best 5 card hand. (K, K, 2, 2, 5)
Compare the 2 best hands and the best best hand wins. (K, K, 2, 2, 6)
The trouble people have is they try to do those 3 things above all at the same time. Do the first, then the second and then the third. With five shared cards and it coming down to the 5th card in each person hands gets people confused when they try it all at once. Do it a step at the time and with practice it becomes almost second nature.
Just to further clarify - if you had the same two starting hands (K6 and K4) and the board is KQJ97 (no flushes), then both players would have KKQJ9 as their best five cards and the kickers would not matter (pot would be split). That is why “it depends on the board” is the correct answer to your initial question.
