Velvet RiverStarting hand 165 of 169, nicknamed The Hammer
72o Seven-Two offsuit
- Wins vs 1 random hand
- 34.5%
- Wins vs 5 random hands
- 8.7%
- Dealt
- 1 in 110
- Opening guide
- Fold
Widely considered the worst starting hand in Hold'em: the cards are too far apart to make a straight and not suited for a flush. Some home games pay a bonus to anyone who wins with it.
How to play it. Fold in almost every spot, except defending the big blind against a small raise.
72o pairs at least one of its cards on the flop 32.4% of the time and makes two pair or better 5.7% of the time.
The suited version, 72s, wins 38.3% heads-up, 3.8 points more.
Against nine opponents it wins only 4.8%, less than its fair share of 10.0%, so it does poorly in crowded pots.
Win percentage by number of opponents
72o against common hands
| Opponent | 72o equity | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| AA Pocket Aces | 11.8% | Big underdog |
| KK Pocket Kings | 12.0% | Big underdog |
| QQ Pocket Queens | 11.6% | Big underdog |
| JJ Pocket Jacks | 11.9% | Big underdog |
| TT Pocket Tens | 11.7% | Big underdog |
| 77 Pocket Sevens | 6.5% | Big underdog |
| 22 Pocket Twos | 32.8% | Underdog |
| AKs Ace-King suited | 30.9% | Underdog |
| AKo Ace-King offsuit | 32.3% | Underdog |
| AQo Ace-Queen offsuit | 32.1% | Underdog |
| KQs King-Queen suited | 30.2% | Underdog |
| JTs Jack-Ten suited | 29.3% | Big underdog |
| 76s Seven-Six suited | 36.7% | Underdog |
All-in before the flop, averaged over every suit combination. 40,000 simulated boards per matchup.
72o on the flop
| Pair one of your hole cards | 32.4% |
| Two pair or better | 5.7% |
| Three of a kind or better | 1.7% |
| Straight or better | 0.1% |
| Flush draw or better (four or more of a suit) | 2.2% |
Exact, counted over all 19,600 possible flops.
Questions players ask
- Is 72o a good poker hand?
- 72o (Seven-Two offsuit) ranks 165 of 169 by heads-up equity and 169 of 169 against five opponents. Our simple opening guide puts it in the "Fold" group: Fold in almost every spot, except defending the big blind against a small raise.
- How often are you dealt 72o?
- There are 12 ways to be dealt 72o out of 1,326 possible starting hands, so it comes about 0.90% of the time, or 1 in 110 hands.
- What are the odds of 72o against Aces?
- All-in before the flop, 72o wins about 11.8% against AA (equity including split pots).