A question about breaking "tie" hands

[chrome_gnome]

I have read through the other posts on here about the topic and I want o make sure I am understanding correctly the rule on determing the highest hand. If I say smething that is not right please let me know because this is the toughest area of the game for new players to understand. I am concerned mainly with how the rules are interpreted in a casino.

The basic rule as I understand it is....The best 5 card hand wins the pot and if two players have the same 5 card hand the pot is split.

So if the board shows 7-7-7-4-4 and the last two players have A-K and K-Q so the pot is split since the best five card are board cards. The A versus K does not matter since they are not part of the hand correct? Or will a casino dealer use the A over K to award the pot to the A holding player?

If the board shows 2-5-7-9-K and the two players hold 9-8 and 9-6 then the two hands would read 9-9-K-8-7 and 9-9-K-7-6. In this case the highest card after the 9-9 pair both players share is the board K, which is also shared. Therefore you compare the 8 to the 7 and award the pot to the player holding the 8.

Am I understanding and applying the rule correctly? I know these examples are on the rare side as far as how often the come up but I want to ensure I'm not only understanding part of the rule or applying it correct in only some situations.

[karasz]

you got it man