Kickers - when do they come into play?

When do kickers come into play??? I'm sure I've played on sites that use different rules. Obv when both players have the same pair, the one with the highest kicker wins, but what about when both have the same Trips, or when the board has two pairs - does the highest kicker come into play then?
If anyone can enlighten me I will be grateful, as I'm starting a home game soon and obv won't have the software of a poker site to work it all out for me.
Regards,
Strims

P.S. and what is counterfeiting??

Kickers always play unless the board makes a better hand than what either players have in their hands.

I certainly hope you've never played anywhere that has different rules.

Just remember the best 5 cards win. So if you have 2 ppl with the same 2 pair and 1 person has a card higher than any of the non paired cards on the board that person wins. If 2 ppl have the same FH the pot is split regardless if one holds a higher kicker because a FH is a 5 card hand. Another thing to know is that if there are 2 flushes with the A of suit on the board the person with the next highest flush card wins (ppl seem to not know this for some reason) unless all the cards on the board are of the same suit and no one holds a higher ranking card of the suit in their hole cards.

The goal of poker is to make the best 5 card hand. If one of these 5 cards is a kicker, the kicker comes into play. This was explained by a few others.

Counterfitting is when usually you have 3 pair. Now as mentioned above, you take the best 5-card hand, and 3 pair would be 6 cards. There is no 3-pair poker hand. Here's an example.

33 vs. AK

board comes 55779

The best 5-card hand that can be made by the player with 33 is the board: 2 pairs, 5s and 7s, with a 9 kicker.

The best 5-card hand that can be made by the player with AK is:
2 pairs, 5s and 7s, with an A kicker.

By virtue of the A being a higher kicker, the AK hand would win.

One more example:

KJ vs. J5

flop comes, AJ5

J5 is now ahead with 2 pair vs. KJ's 1 pair.

turn comes: A

Now they both have 2 pairs, Aces and Jacks. The 5s held by the hand with J5 were "counterfitted" because the third pair doesn't matter in poker, you only get to use the best 5 cards.

Say you have QKo and another guy has JTo.
If the board is 3332A, YOU win with the best 5 card hand. 333AK beats 333AJ. Like they said before, best 5 card hand.

Two sets impossible? Not hardly....let's say you have AK and I have the AQ, flop comes AA10, We both have trip A's but your K outkicks my Q assuming that neither K nor Q pair on the board....



Best 5 cards wins showdown no matter how you look at it.

Many thanks to those who have replied, you've cleared it up, I can now host a home game and pretend I know what I'm doing.
Thanks a lot

Technically those are trips (single card in hand matching a pair on board). A set is when you have a pocket pair and the third one is on board. That's why it is impossible for ppl to have the same sets (would required 5 cards of same rank).

Kickers come into play if they can break a tie between two or more players. when kickers don't apply the pot is usually split.

Counterfitting (dislike very much) when the board pairs weakening your hand.