Velvet RiverStarting hand 2 of 169, nicknamed Cowboys
KK Pocket Kings
- Wins vs 1 random hand
- 82.2%
- Wins vs 5 random hands
- 43.1%
- Dealt
- 1 in 221
- Opening guide
- Premium
The second-best hand, beaten before the flop only by Aces. When an Ace lands on the flop, about 22% of the time with one Ace or more, Kings lose a lot of their value.
How to play it. Raise from any position and re-raise often.
You flop three of a kind or better with KK 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 26.1%, 2.6 times its fair share of 10.0%.
Win percentage by number of opponents
KK against common hands
| Opponent | KK equity | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| AA Pocket Aces | 18.1% | Big underdog |
| QQ Pocket Queens | 82.2% | Big favourite |
| JJ Pocket Jacks | 81.5% | Big favourite |
| TT Pocket Tens | 81.0% | Big favourite |
| 77 Pocket Sevens | 80.4% | Big favourite |
| 22 Pocket Twos | 81.7% | Big favourite |
| AKs Ace-King suited | 66.0% | Favourite |
| AKo Ace-King offsuit | 69.3% | Favourite |
| AQo Ace-Queen offsuit | 71.9% | Big favourite |
| KQs King-Queen suited | 86.3% | Big favourite |
| JTs Jack-Ten suited | 80.5% | Big favourite |
| 76s Seven-Six suited | 77.7% | Big favourite |
| 72o Seven-Two offsuit | 88.0% | Big favourite |
All-in before the flop, averaged over every suit combination. 40,000 simulated boards per matchup.
KK 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 KK a good poker hand?
- KK (Pocket Kings) ranks 2 of 169 by heads-up equity and 2 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 KK?
- There are 6 ways to be dealt KK 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 KK against Aces?
- All-in before the flop, KK wins about 18.1% against AA (equity including split pots).