Velvet RiverStarting hand 1 of 169, nicknamed Pocket Rockets
AA Pocket Aces
- Wins vs 1 random hand
- 85.3%
- Wins vs 5 random hands
- 49.0%
- Dealt
- 1 in 221
- Opening guide
- Premium
The best starting hand in Hold'em. It is still only one pair after the flop, so the classic mistake is slow-playing it into a multiway pot where it can be outdrawn.
How to play it. Raise from any position and re-raise often.
You flop three of a kind or better with AA 12.0% of the time, about 1 in 8.3. A pair this high is often best even when you miss, so you can bet it for value on many flops.
Against nine opponents it still wins 31.1%, 3.1 times its fair share of 10.0%.
Win percentage by number of opponents
AA against common hands
| Opponent | AA equity | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| KK Pocket Kings | 81.8% | Big favourite |
| QQ Pocket Queens | 82.0% | Big favourite |
| JJ Pocket Jacks | 81.3% | Big favourite |
| TT Pocket Tens | 80.8% | Big favourite |
| 77 Pocket Sevens | 80.8% | Big favourite |
| 22 Pocket Twos | 82.3% | Big favourite |
| AKs Ace-King suited | 88.1% | Big favourite |
| AKo Ace-King offsuit | 93.2% | Big favourite |
| AQo Ace-Queen offsuit | 92.7% | Big favourite |
| KQs King-Queen suited | 82.6% | Big favourite |
| JTs Jack-Ten suited | 78.9% | Big favourite |
| 76s Seven-Six suited | 77.7% | Big favourite |
| 72o Seven-Two offsuit | 87.9% | Big favourite |
All-in before the flop, averaged over every suit combination. 40,000 simulated boards per matchup.
AA on the flop
| Two pair or better | 28.2% |
| Three of a kind or better | 12.0% |
| Straight or better | 1.2% |
| Flush draw or better (four or more of a suit) | 2.2% |
Exact, counted over all 19,600 possible flops.
Questions players ask
- Is AA a good poker hand?
- AA (Pocket Aces) ranks 1 of 169 by heads-up equity and 1 of 169 against five opponents. Our simple opening guide puts it in the "Premium" group: Raise from any position and re-raise often.
- How often are you dealt AA?
- There are 6 ways to be dealt AA out of 1,326 possible starting hands, so it comes about 0.45% of the time, or 1 in 221 hands.
- What are the odds of AA against Aces?
- Aces against Aces split the pot most of the time; each wins outright only when one hand makes a flush.