Disclosure before the tool
If commercial links appear elsewhere on the site, they do not change the hand-vs-hand numbers, supported coverage, labels, or limitations. This version labels instant class estimates separately from exact-card enumeration.
Preflop hand-vs-hand calculator
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Last updated May 19, 2026
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Method v2.0 reviewed May 19, 2026
Poker Equity Calculator: Texas Hold'em Preflop Hand Odds
This tool compares Texas Hold'em starting hands before the flop. It gives an instant 169-class estimate, offers an exact-card combinatorial check when you know the suits, and routes range or pot-odds questions to their own tools instead of pretending one calculator owns everything.
This page owns one job: comparing two Hold'em starting hands in a preflop all-in scenario.
Use it when you want a fast hand-vs-hand benchmark with clear coverage limits. Use the child tools for range study or pot-odds math. Do not use this root page as a board-card solver, tournament ICM tool, legal route, bankroll advice, or where-to-play page.
Privacy note
This lookup runs in your browser. Do not enter account IDs, ticket numbers, login details, private chat logs, document numbers, card numbers, SSN, address, or banking information.
Responsible-play boundary
If this result creates urgency, chasing, repeated deposits, loss-recovery thinking, or pressure to raise stakes, stop. Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET for confidential support. State-specific resources may vary.
Use this only for supported preflop hand-vs-hand matchups
This calculator supports all 169 Texas Hold'em starting-hand classes. The default result is an instant class estimate for speed. If you know exact suits, use exact-card mode to enumerate every possible five-card board for that specific combo matchup.
It is still not a live-action coach, not an ICM tool, not a rake model, not a legal route, and not a stake recommendation. Range and pot-odds questions now have separate owner routes below.
Inputs, output, and stop conditions
Required inputs
Choose exactly two starting hands from the 169 Hold'em hand classes. The tool uses classes such as AA, AKs, and AKo, not exact suit symbols.
Result meaning
The default percentages are rounded preflop all-in class estimates. The coverage note says whether the output is a maintained lookup row, instant class estimate, or exact-card enumeration.
Stop condition
Stop when you need board cards, multiway pots, Omaha, rake, ICM, legality, account help, or pressure-control support. Use the range and pot-odds child routes only for off-table study.
Run the calculator
This page does not model community cards, Omaha, postflop decisions, tournament ICM, or live action. Use the child routes for range study and pot-odds math.
Exact-card combinatorial check
Use this only when you know the exact suits. The check enumerates every possible five-card board from the remaining deck for one exact two-card combo against another exact two-card combo. It may take a few seconds in the browser.
This is exact for the chosen card identities. It is not a live-table assistant, not a range solver, and not the same as an automatic combo-weighted 169x169 class matrix.
Cards use rank plus suit: c clubs, d diamonds, h hearts, s spades. Do not use exact-card mode during live play unless platform rules explicitly allow assistance.
Exact-card result
Your exact cardsAs Ah
Opponent exact cardsKs Kh
Your equityPending
Opponent equityPending
TiePending
Boards checkedPending
Exact-card mode is ready. Run it only for off-table review.
What this page does not do
No range input
This root calculator compares one starting hand against one starting hand only. Use the Poker Range Equity Tool for range-vs-range study.
No board cards
The page does not add flop, turn, or river cards. It is strictly a preflop all-in benchmark.
No pot odds or ICM
Pot odds now live on the Poker Pot Odds Calculator. Tournament ICM, rake, stack-depth strategy, and action advice remain outside this root page.
No fake solver claim
The page labels fast class estimates, exact-card enumeration, and child-tool routes separately instead of pretending to solve ranges, boards, ICM, or rake in one box.
Supported hand-vs-hand coverage
This calculator now accepts every Texas Hold'em starting-hand class. The dropdowns include all pairs, suited non-pairs, and offsuit non-pairs. Benchmark rows use maintained lookup entries; the remaining class-vs-class pairings use an instant deterministic class estimate and are labeled that way in the result. Exact-card mode is available when suits are known.
| Hero hand | Supported opponent hands | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs | AA through 22 | All 13 pair classes selectable |
| Suited non-pairs | AKs through 32s | All 78 suited classes selectable |
| Offsuit non-pairs | AKo through 32o | All 78 offsuit classes selectable |
| Benchmark lookup rows | Maintained examples such as AA vs KK, AA vs AKs, QQ vs AKo, and other high-card benchmark pairings | Lookup row label shown |
| Non-benchmark class pairings | Examples: 22 vs AKs, 76s vs AA, suited connectors vs overpairs | Instant class-estimate label shown; exact-card mode can enumerate a specific suited combo if suits are known |
| Exact-card mode | Examples: As Ah vs Ks Kh, Ac Kc vs Qd Qs | Enumerates every possible five-card board for the selected exact cards |
Need a printable chart? Use the Texas Hold'em preflop equity chart.
How to read preflop equity
What the percentage means
Preflop equity is the share of all-in runouts your hand captures before community cards are dealt.
What it does not mean
It does not tell you how easy the hand is to play postflop, whether the stack depth is right, or whether tournament ICM changes the decision.
Tie percentage and rounding boundary
Instant class mode displays rounded win, equity and tie labels from a deterministic class estimate. Exact-card mode displays win, tie and split-equity labels from complete board enumeration for the selected exact cards. Neither mode decides pot odds, tournament ICM, rake, or action advice.
Unsupported contexts are not estimated
If the question moves outside preflop hand-vs-hand equity, the page stops instead of pretending.
That boundary is intentional. A focused honest tool is safer than a broad shell that implies it can solve ranges, boards, pot odds, ICM, rake, legality, or account issues.
Future expansion boundary
Not ranges or board cards
Range-vs-range analysis and board-card runouts would need a different engine and are intentionally outside this root calculator.
Not ICM or tournament pressure
ICM, stack depth, payout jumps, and postflop playability belong on separate tools if they ever go live. They are not implied by this preflop benchmark page.
Worked examples
AA vs AKs
This supported benchmark shows AA at 87% equity, AKs at 13%, and 0% tie in the current table.
QQ vs AKo
This supported benchmark shows QQ at 53% equity, AKo at 47%, and 0% tie in the current table.
AKs vs 22
This matchup runs through instant class mode unless you choose exact suits below. Treat class mode as an educational benchmark, then use exact-card enumeration for a specific suited combo.
Equity vs pot odds handoff
What this page can tell you
It can estimate how often a starting hand class wins, loses, or ties against another starting hand class before the flop.
What this page cannot decide
It does not say call, fold, shove, or raise. Pot size, price, rake, stack depth, position, player ranges, ICM, and bankroll limits decide that question.
| Question | This page answers? | Correct route |
|---|---|---|
| Which hand is ahead preflop? | Yes | Poker Equity Calculator |
| Do I have pot odds to call? | No | Poker Pot Odds Calculator |
| What if villain has a range? | No | Poker Range Equity Tool |
| What if board cards are known? | No | Future postflop/range tool |
| Should I increase stakes? | No | Bankroll Planner or responsible-gambling support |
| Is this allowed on my platform? | No | Operator or tournament rules |
Platform-use warning
Use this page for study or off-table review unless your poker platform or tournament rules explicitly allow live assistance. Operator rules can restrict calculators, charts, solvers, HUDs, or real-time decision tools during play.
| Question | Why it matters | Safer route |
|---|---|---|
| Does the platform allow calculators during live play? | Some sites prohibit real-time assistance, solvers, charts, HUDs or decision tools. | Use this page for off-table review unless rules explicitly allow it. |
| Is this for study rather than an active hand? | The calculator is built for preflop education, not live-action instructions. | Save the matchup and review it after the session. |
| Are ranges, board cards or HUD data involved? | Those are outside the root hand-vs-hand calculator. | Use the range route for off-table study or stop if platform rules are unclear. |
| Are you feeling tilt or chasing pressure? | Equity output can become a reason to raise stakes or recover losses. | Stop using calculators and call or text 1-800-MY-RESET. |
Practice drill: guess the equity
Use this as a learning loop. The drill shows a matchup, you choose an equity band, then reveal the rounded result. It is practice only, not betting advice.
Choose a new drill hand to start.
What to know before using preflop equity as a decision input
- Confirm the exact hand classes: pair, suited, or offsuit.
- Remember that preflop all-in equity is not the same as profitable play.
- Do not use this for ranges, board cards, multiway pots, stack depth, ICM, rake, or tournament pressure.
- Use bankroll boundaries before turning equity practice into real-money action.
What to save before relying on this result
Evidence packet
- Your selected hand and opponent hand.
- Displayed equity percentages and coverage note.
- Model version: Poker Preflop Equity Model v2.0.
- Whether the output came from a lookup row, instant class estimate, or exact-card enumeration.
- Reminder that ranges, board cards, ICM, rake, legality, and account issues are excluded.
Do not save private data here
This page does not need account screenshots, operator chat, payment records, identity documents, exact location, or private table history. Keep the exported summary limited to the assumptions and output.
Formula registry
| Field | Current entry |
|---|---|
| Tool name | Poker Equity Calculator |
| Tool type | Educational preflop equity calculator with instant class estimates and exact-card enumeration. |
| Formula owner | The Playbook USA Tools Team |
| Formula version | Poker Preflop Equity Model v2.0, reviewed May 19, 2026 |
| Inputs | Fast mode: your starting-hand class and opponent starting-hand class. Exact-card mode: four exact cards with suits. |
| Outputs | Your equity, opponent equity, tie label, coverage note, source label, exact-card board count, and copyable evidence summary. |
| Assumptions | Heads-up Texas Hold'em all-in before the flop; instant class estimates for the 169 hand-class grid; exact-card mode enumerates every five-card board for the selected exact two-card combos; exact suits are required for exact-card mode. |
| Known exclusions | Live-action assistance, board-card solving, multiway pots, Omaha, ICM, rake, stack depth, position, betting line, legal status, operator approval, payout, tax, personal suitability, and a guarantee that class estimates match every exact suited combo. |
| Review cadence | Re-check coverage, labels, QA cases, and unsupported-matchup handling before each quarterly tools update. |
QA cases and edge conditions
Public fixtures: root poker fixtures, range-equity fixtures, and pot-odds fixtures.
| Case | Expected behavior |
|---|---|
| AA vs AKs | Returns AA 87%, AKs 13%, rounded tie estimate, lookup-row coverage note. |
| QQ vs AKo | Returns QQ 53%, AKo 47%, rounded tie estimate, supported coverage note. |
| AKs vs 22 | Returns an instant deterministic class estimate and labels it as an estimate rather than exact-card enumeration. |
| 76s vs AA | Runs as a suited-connector vs overpair class estimate with a route to exact-card mode when suits are known. |
| As Ah vs Ks Kh | Exact-card mode enumerates all possible five-card boards from the remaining deck and reports equity, wins, ties, and board count. |
| Same hand class | Returns 50% / 50% for supported identical benchmark hands, with tie still labeled by model coverage. |
| Duplicate exact cards | Exact-card mode refuses the calculation and asks for four unique cards. |
| Missing input | Prompts the user to choose both hands before calculating. |
| Scenario presets | Preset buttons load known training matchups without changing the owner boundary. |
| Practice drill | Drill reveals an equity band and reminds users it is practice only. |
| Copy summary | Copied text includes hand inputs, equity output, model version, coverage note, source label, and exclusions. |
| No JavaScript | Page remains useful through coverage table, examples, formulas, source registry, and limitations. |
Source registry
| Source | Used for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Poker Preflop Equity Model v2.0 | Benchmark lookup rows, 169 hand-class selector, instant class estimate fallback, exact-card enumeration, presets, and drill mode. | Reviewed May 19, 2026 |
| Texas Hold'em rules context | Owner boundary: two-card Hold'em starting hands only. | Educational rules framing, not operator-specific |
| NCPG help route | Responsible-play stop gate and helpline wording. | Checked May 19, 2026 |
When this tool stops being the right owner
Legal, state, or operator approval question
This tool does not verify legality, state approval, operator status, license claims, or whether a route is available where you are.
Use state guidesAccount, payout, document, or support issue
Move to banking, withdrawal, or scam routes when KYC, payment rails, account records, or support behavior decide the outcome.
Withdrawal verificationControl, chasing, or harm issue
Use responsible-gambling support before opening another calculator, simulator, or gambling page.
Responsible gambling basicsNext pages by poker problem
Poker guide
Use for rules, game formats, and learning context beyond preflop equity.
Hand rankings
Use before interpreting equity between starting hands.
Preflop chart
Use for a printable 169-class chart and crawlable matchup examples.
Range equity
Use for off-table range-vs-range study with clear estimate labels.
Pot odds
Use when the question is required equity from pot size and call amount.
Poker tournaments
Use when ICM, blinds, re-entry, or tournament pressure is the real question.
Poker terms
Use when rake, position, blinds, outs, pot odds, or tilt are unclear.
Bankroll Planner
Use before turning equity output into stake decisions.
Session Result Tracker
Use after a session for records, not as proof that preflop equity was right.
FAQ
What does this poker equity calculator measure?
It measures Texas Hold'em preflop hand-vs-hand all-in equity. Fast mode gives a labeled class estimate; exact-card mode enumerates all boards for four exact cards. It does not model board cards, ICM, rake, legality, or where to play.
Why can the tool still stop instead of giving a poker answer?
The calculator supports the 169 Texas Hold'em starting-hand classes, but it still stops when the question becomes ranges, board cards, multiway pots, Omaha, pot odds, ICM, rake, legality, account status, or pressure-control support.
Can I use this for poker ranges or board cards?
Use the linked range-equity child tool for off-table range study. This root page remains one starting hand against one starting hand before the flop. Flop/turn/river cards, Omaha hands, and ICM require separate tools.
Is exact-card mode the same as a full 169 by 169 class solver?
No. Exact-card mode enumerates all five-card boards for one specific two-card combo against another. The 169-class grid remains labeled as class estimates and chart support unless a result is explicitly marked exact-card enumeration.
Does a higher equity number mean I should bet more?
No. Preflop equity is educational context, not a stake recommendation. Use bankroll boundaries and stop if the result creates urgency, chasing, or pressure to increase stakes.
What should I save before relying on a result?
Save the two selected hands, the displayed equity, the coverage note, the model version, and the reminder that the result excludes ranges, board cards, ICM, rake, legal status, and payout or account issues.
Changelog
May 19, 2026: upgraded to Poker Preflop Equity Model v2.0; added exact-card combinatorial enumeration, all 169 starting-hand classes, instant class estimates for non-benchmark pairings, scenario presets, practice drill mode, safe share URLs, safe matchup summary copy, platform-rule checklist, pot-odds calculator route, range-equity route, preflop chart route, public fixtures link, disclosure, privacy boundary, responsible-play stop gate, copyable evidence summary, formula registry, QA matrix, source registry, FAQ schema, no-News navigation, and accessibility labels.
Apr 24, 2026: earlier benchmark hand-vs-hand lookup with limited coverage notes.
Maintained and reviewed by
Maintained by The Playbook USA Tools Team.
Review scope: equity table coverage, exact-card enumeration labels, child-tool routes, output labels, model limitations, accessibility, privacy, RG routing, schema parity, and unsupported-matchup behavior. This page is reviewed as a preflop hand-vs-hand calculator, not as live play advice.
Method reviewed: May 19, 2026. Next review trigger: coverage expansion, rules engine change, schema change, or quarterly tools update.
Responsible gambling help
For national help in the U.S., call or text 1-800-MY-RESET or use online chat through the National Council on Problem Gambling. Existing access points may remain active, and state-specific resources may vary.
Help routing checked: May 19, 2026. Re-check NCPG phone, text, chat and state-resource wording before each quarterly tools update.
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