Starting Hand Matchup Calculator
Compare any two Texas Hold'em starting hands to see their head-to-head win, tie, and loss percentages. Understanding hand matchups is fundamental to poker strategy, helping you recognize when you're dominating an opponent or when you're in a "coin flip" situation. This calculator uses mathematically precise equity calculations based on all possible board runouts.
According to research from PokerNews strategy section, understanding hand matchups is one of the most important skills for poker players at all levels. Knowing whether your hand is a significant favorite, slight underdog, or in a "flip" scenario directly impacts your betting decisions and expected value calculations.
Compare Two Hands
Matchup Analysis
AA is a significant favorite over KK, winning approximately 4 out of 5 times. This is the classic "cooler" situation in poker where both players will often get all their chips in pre-flop.
Classic Poker Matchups
Understanding the equity distribution in common matchup categories helps you make better decisions at the table. These scenarios come up frequently in tournament and cash game play.
Understanding Hand Matchups
Hand matchups in poker fall into several distinct categories, each with predictable equity distributions. Learning these patterns helps you make faster, more accurate decisions during actual gameplay. The mathematics behind these matchups are well-documented in poker theory literature, including works referenced by the Card Player odds resources.
Overpair vs Underpair
When a higher pocket pair faces a lower pocket pair (like AA vs KK or QQ vs 77), the higher pair is typically an 80-82% favorite. The underpair needs to hit a set (approximately 12% chance by the river) to win most of the time. This is why getting all-in pre-flop with AA against any pair is always profitable.
Pair vs Two Overcards
A pocket pair facing two overcards (like 77 vs AK) is in a "race" or "coin flip" situation, typically winning 52-55% of the time. Despite popular belief, the pair is actually a slight favorite. The overcards need to pair up to win, while the pocket pair is already made.
Domination
Domination occurs when one hand shares a card with another but has a better kicker (like AK vs AQ or KQ vs KJ). The dominated hand wins only about 25-30% of the time because when both hands pair their shared card, the dominator wins with a better kicker. This is why position and hand selection matter so much.
Connected vs Pair
Suited connectors (like 87s) against an overpair (like QQ) are roughly 20-22% to win. While they have straight and flush potential, they need significant help from the board. Against underpairs though, suited connectors can have surprisingly decent equity due to more ways to make straights.
Why Equity Matters in Poker Decisions
Understanding hand matchup equity directly impacts three critical areas of poker strategy: pre-flop all-in decisions, pot odds calculations, and range construction. When you know the approximate equity your hand has against various opponent holdings, you can make mathematically sound decisions about whether to call, raise, or fold.
In tournament poker especially, as documented by the World Series of Poker Academy, understanding matchup equity becomes crucial during push/fold situations in the late stages. Knowing that AKo vs a random pair is close to 50/50 helps you evaluate whether calling an all-in makes sense based on pot odds and ICM considerations.
Common Matchup Misconceptions
Many recreational players overestimate or underestimate certain matchups. Here are common misconceptions addressed:
- AK is not "the best drawing hand" - Against pocket pairs below TT, AK is actually the underdog. It's only when AK faces unpaired cards or small pairs that it becomes a favorite.
- Suited cards add ~3-4% equity - While being suited helps, it's not as significant as many players think. AKs vs AKo only differs by about 3% equity.
- Small pairs aren't junk - A hand like 22 has roughly 50% equity against AK, making it a valid hand for certain situations.
- Domination is brutal - AK vs AQ isn't close to 50/50. The dominator wins about 70% of the time, making dominated hands very costly.
For a deeper understanding of how these matchups translate to real decisions, explore our guides on poker equity concepts and hand range visualization. Understanding individual matchups is the first step toward thinking in ranges like professional players do.
Applying Matchup Knowledge
This calculator provides exact equity percentages, but in real gameplay you'll need to estimate quickly. Use these rough categories as mental shortcuts:
- ~80% favorite: Overpair vs underpair (AA vs KK, QQ vs 77)
- ~70% favorite: Dominating hand (AK vs AQ, KQ vs KJ)
- ~55% favorite: Pair vs overcards "race" (JJ vs AK, 88 vs AQ)
- ~65% favorite: Pair vs one overcard, one undercard (TT vs AJ)
- ~50% split: Two different high-card hands (AJ vs KQ)
Practice with this calculator until these patterns become intuitive. The goal isn't to memorize every possible matchup, but to develop accurate intuition about relative hand strength in head-to-head situations.