Suited Kings: K9s to K2s Against Aces, Pairs and High Cards
Suited kings like K♠9♠ or K♠5♠ are ahead of high cards without an ace or a king and behind aces. Before the flop, K♠7♠ has 58.4% against Q♦J♣ and 54.1% against J♥T♥, but 39.9% against A♥Q♦ and 34.8% against K♦9♣, which dominates it. Against a small pair the kicker decides: K♠9♠ has 48% against 6♦6♣, K♠5♠ only 33.7%.
K♠7♠ on the button heads-up
Heads-up, you are on the button with K♠7♠: you post the small blind and act first before the flop. Fold, open to 2bb or open to 3.5bb?
See the answer
The pot holds 1.5bb: your small blind and the big blind. What each option costs if the big blind folds right away:
| Option | What you add | Folds needed for a pure bluff |
|---|---|---|
| open to 2bb | 1.5bb | 50% |
| open to 3.5bb | 3bb | 66.7% |
When the big blind calls, before the flop:
| Big blind's hand | K♠7♠'s equity |
|---|---|
| Q♣8♦ | 61.5% |
| 8♥5♥ | 60% |
| J♥T♥ | 54.1% |
| 6♦6♣ | 46.7% |
| A♦2♣ | 44.8% |
| A♥Q♦ | 39.9% |
| K♦9♣ | 34.8% |
| T♦T♣ | 31.8% |
The small open risks less for the same pot, and K♠7♠ stays ahead of Q♣8♦, 8♥5♥ and J♥T♥ when called. The expected answer is the open to 2bb.
Suited kings against AQ, 66, QJ and JT
| Hand | Against A♥Q♦ | Against 6♦6♣ | Against Q♦J♣ | Against J♥T♥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K♠9♠ | 40.5% | 48% | 60.2% | 55.6% |
| K♠8♠ | 39.7% | 46.8% | 59% | 54.4% |
| K♠7♠ | 39.9% | 46.7% | 58.4% | 54.1% |
| K♠6♠ | 40.2% | 34.8% | 58.5% | 53.4% |
| K♠5♠ | 39.9% | 33.7% | 58.6% | 53.5% |
| K♠4♠ | 39.6% | 33.5% | 58.5% | 53.5% |
| K♠2♠ | 38.8% | 33.1% | 58.3% | 53.3% |
Against A♥Q♦, all seven are behind. Against 6♦6♣, K♠9♠, K♠8♠ and K♠7♠ have two cards above the pair; from K♠6♠ down, only one is left. Against Q♦J♣ and J♥T♥, all seven are ahead.
Suited or offsuit: what the suit is worth
| Opponent's hand | K♠7♠ (suited) | K♠7♣ (offsuit) |
|---|---|---|
| 8♥5♥ | 60% | 57.6% |
| Q♦J♣ | 58.4% | 55.5% |
| J♥T♥ | 54.1% | 51.5% |
| 6♦6♣ | 46.7% | 43.8% |
| A♦2♣ | 44.8% | 41.2% |
| A♥Q♦ | 39.9% | 35.8% |
| K♦9♣ | 34.8% | 30.1% |
On every row the suited version has more equity.
Keep going
- The same idea with an ace: suited aces.
- Kings with a better kicker: suited broadway hands.
- Why K♦9♣ dominates K♠7♠: dominated hands.
- Preflop with two players: heads-up preflop.
- The whole two-player strategy: heads-up poker strategy.
- One spot every day: the daily poker puzzle.
- How much being suited really adds: suited vs offsuit.
Sources
- Every equity is computed by exact enumeration with the app's equity module, checked on October 11, 2026; the fold thresholds are bet / (bet + pot) ratios.
- The answer to the spot follows rules written by the app's author; it does not come from a solver.