Poker Equity Chart: Preflop Odds by Hand
Pocket aces have about 85% equity against one random hand, AK suited has about 67%, and a medium pocket pair is roughly 51% against two overcards. Use the charts below as a reference, then compare your hand with an opponent’s range before making a decision.
By Preflop Wizard Strategy Team · Values are rounded heads-up estimates for Texas Hold’em and may vary slightly by suit and card removal.
Quick answer: the preflop equity numbers worth knowing
What does a poker equity chart show?
A poker equity chart shows how often a starting hand is expected to win its share of the pot when the remaining cards are dealt. Equity includes split pots: if two hands tie, each receives its share of that outcome. It is a probability, not a prediction.
The opponent column is essential. A hand does not own one permanent equity number. AKo is strong against a random hand, less comfortable against a tight opening range, and crushed by AA. That is why useful poker strategy compares hand versus range or range versus range, not hand versus a mystery opponent.
The first table gives a quick baseline against one uniformly random hand. It is useful for learning relative strength, but it is not an opening chart. For decisions about which hands to raise from each seat, use preflop ranges by position.
Poker equity chart versus one random hand
| Starting hand | Approx. equity | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| AA | 85% | The strongest starting hand |
| KK | 82% | Dominant unless an ace-heavy range continues |
| 80% | Premium pair with two overcard threats | |
| JJ | 77% | Strong, but many flops contain an overcard |
| TT | 75% | Clear favorite against random cards |
| 99 | 72% | Strong raw equity; realization becomes harder |
| AKs | 67% | Best unpaired starting hand |
| AKo | 65% | Premium high-card and blocker value |
| AQs | 66% | Strong but vulnerable to domination |
| AJs | 64% | Playability and nut-flush potential |
| KQs | 63% | Connected, suited, and robust after the flop |
| 22 | 50% | A slight favorite over many random unpaired hands |
| 76s | 46% | Modest raw equity with useful playability |
| 72o | 35% | Among the weakest heads-up holdings |
Rounded heads-up estimates versus one uniformly random starting hand. Specific suits, dead cards, and tie handling can move the result slightly.
Common preflop matchups and odds
Overpair vs underpair
AA vs KK: about 81% vs 19%
The lower pair usually needs one of two remaining cards to make a set.
Pair vs two overcards
QQ vs AK: about 54% vs 46%
This is the classic race, though the exact split changes with suits.
Dominating ace
AK vs AQ: about 73% vs 27%
AQ has only three clean queen outs for a higher pair and suffers severe domination.
Pair vs one overcard
JJ vs A5: about 70% vs 30%
The ace can improve, while straight and flush possibilities make up the rest.
Two live cards vs a pair
76s vs AA: about 23% vs 77%
Suited connectors retain more ways to make straights and flushes than dominated big cards.
Dominated broadway
KQ vs AK: about 25% vs 75%
Pairing the king is often not enough because the stronger hand makes a higher pair.
Turn equity patterns into preflop decisions
Preflop Wizard lets you drill real positions, stack depths, raises, and responses instead of memorizing isolated percentages.
Why hand-versus-range equity is more useful
Imagine you hold AKo on the button. Against two random cards, your hand has roughly 65% equity. But an under-the-gun player who 4-bets is not holding two random cards. If that player’s range is only QQ+, AK, your equity drops sharply because you face premium pairs and often chop with another AK.
Now change the opponent to a loose player shoving 15 big blinds from the small blind. That range can contain weaker aces, broadway hands, and pocket pairs. AKo performs much better. The cards in your hand did not change; the range did.
Start with position and action, assign a plausible range, then estimate equity. Our guide to reading poker hand ranges explains the 169-hand matrix and 1,326 combinations behind this process.
How do pot odds turn equity into a call or fold?
In an all-in decision, calculate the equity required to call with one formula: call amount ÷ final pot after calling. Then compare that threshold with your estimated equity against the shoving range.
Example: calling a preflop shove
Blinds are 500/1,000. After your 2,000 open, the big blind shoves for 12,000 total. Suppose the pot is 16,500 before your decision and calling costs 10,000.
Required equity = 10,000 ÷ 26,500 = 37.7%. If your hand has more than 37.7% equity against the estimated shove range, the chip-EV call is profitable before tournament risk premiums. Near a bubble, ICM can require a higher threshold.
Do not divide the call by the pot currently displayed and stop there. Your call becomes part of the final pot. Also include antes and previous calls, and remember that rake can make marginal cash-game calls worse.
Why raw equity is not the same as equity realization
Raw equity assumes the hand reaches showdown. Real poker includes betting. Equity realization describes how much of that theoretical share you actually capture after folds, bluffs, value bets, and difficult decisions.
Position helps you realize equity because you act last after the flop. Suited and connected hands can make strong draws and nutted hands, while disconnected offsuit hands frequently make weak pairs. That is why a hand with slightly less raw equity may be the better big-blind call.
For example, A8o can show respectable equity against a wide button open, but it is often dominated when an ace flops and must play out of position. A suited connector may have less raw equity yet clearer continues on many boards. Use an actual big blind defense strategy, not a ranking made only from all-in equity.
How does multiway equity change the chart?
Every extra opponent reduces your chance of winning at showdown. AA is about an 85% favorite against one random hand, but only around 73% against two random hands and roughly 64% against three. It remains the favorite, yet the chance that somebody outdraws it grows.
This does not mean you should slow-play premiums. Multiway pots reward hands that can make strong, nutted holdings and punish marginal one-pair hands. Tighten cold-calling ranges, raise larger over limpers when appropriate, and read our multiway pot preflop adjustments for practical scenarios.
How should you study preflop equity?
Learn matchup families
Remember 80/20 for pair over pair, near 50/50 for pair versus two overcards, and roughly 70/30 for common domination spots.
Estimate the range first
Ask which hands take this action from this position and stack depth. An equity estimate against the wrong range is precise but useless.
Practice the decision
Drill open, call, 3-bet, 4-bet, and shove spots. Immediate feedback connects equity patterns to the action you must take.
Review close spots
Use an equity calculator after the session for unusual hands. Do not use real-time assistance where site rules prohibit it.
Poker equity chart FAQ
What is equity in poker?
Poker equity is your estimated share of the pot based on how often your hand or range will win or tie if no one folds. If you have 60% equity in a $100 pot, your current equity share is about $60, but that does not guarantee the result of one hand.
What is the best preflop hand by equity?
Pocket aces have the highest preflop equity in Texas Hold'em. Heads-up against one random hand, AA has about 85% equity, although its equity falls as more players enter the pot.
How much equity does AK have preflop?
Against one random hand, AK suited has roughly 67% equity and AK offsuit roughly 65%. Against a tight calling or all-in range, both figures can be much lower, so the opponent's range matters more than the headline number.
How do I calculate the equity needed to call?
Divide the amount you must call by the final pot after your call. Calling $20 to make a final pot of $80 requires 25% raw equity before accounting for future action, rake, and how well your hand realizes its equity.
Is equity the same as pot odds?
No. Equity estimates your chance of winning your share of the pot, while pot odds tell you the minimum equity a call needs to break even. Compare the two: a call is profitable in a simple all-in spot when your equity exceeds the pot-odds threshold.
Why does suitedness add only a few equity points?
Two suited cards make a flush by the river infrequently, so suitedness usually adds only a few points of raw preflop equity. Its strategic value can be larger because suited hands make strong draws and often realize equity better after the flop.
Should I memorize a full poker equity chart?
Memorize matchup families and thresholds, not every cell: pair versus two overcards is near a race, a higher pair dominates a lower pair, and a dominated ace is in poor shape. Train actual ranges so those patterns become decisions rather than trivia.