Two-Tone Flop: What a Second Card of the Same Suit Changes
On a two-tone flop such as Q♠ 9♠ 8♣, any two spades hold a 9-out flush draw. Against A♥A♦, A♠5♠ goes from 2.7% on the rainbow Q♣ 9♦ 8♥ to 37.7%, and 4♠3♠ from 2.3% to 37.0%. Hands that already combine a straight draw and a flush draw climb highest: T♠7♠ reaches 55.8%. Against A♥A♦, which holds no spade, the straight J♥T♥ and the set 9♣9♥ do not care about the suits.
Aces on Q♠ 9♠ 8♣
In the cutoff with A♥A♦, you opened to 2.5 big blinds and the big blind called. The flop is Q♠ 9♠ 8♣ and the big blind checks. Check back, bet 33%, bet 60% or overbet 130%?
See the answer
Equity of A♥A♦ on this flop, next to the same hands on a rainbow Q♣ 9♦ 8♥:
| Big blind's hand | Q♠ 9♠ 8♣ | Q♣ 9♦ 8♥ |
|---|---|---|
| K♠K♣, smaller overpair | 85.7% | 90.0% |
| Q♦J♦, top pair and a gutshot | 67.1% | 64.2% |
| A♠5♠, nut flush draw | 62.3% | 97.3% |
| K♠J♠, flush draw and a gutshot | 53.1% | 81.3% |
| T♠7♠, flush draw and open-ended straight draw | 44.2% | 66.4% |
| 9♣9♥, set | 9.7% | 9.7% |
The aces are still ahead of every draw except T♠7♠, but each draw has a real share of the pot. A bet charges the draws while the aces are furthest ahead.
What the second spade adds to each draw
Equity against A♥A♦, with the turn and river to come:
| Hand | Q♠ 9♠ 8♣ | Outs | Q♣ 9♦ 8♥ | Outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A♠5♠ | 37.7% | 9 | 2.7% | 0 |
| 4♠3♠ | 37.0% | 9 | 2.3% | 0 |
| K♠J♠ | 46.9% | 12 | 18.7% | 4 |
| T♠7♠ | 55.8% | 15 | 33.6% | 8 |
| J♥T♥, made straight | 96.7% | — | 96.7% | — |
| 9♣9♥, set | 90.3% | — | 90.3% | — |
Keep going
- Three cards of one suit: the monotone flop.
- Flush and straight draw together: combo draw equity.
- The flush draw against top pair: flush draw vs top pair.
- Why the bet grows with the draws: c‑bet on wet boards.
- One spot every day: the daily poker puzzle.
- Three king-high flops side by side: the king-high flop.
- The strongest starting hand, before and after the flop: how to play pocket aces.
- AA on Q‑9‑8 against each type of hand: how to play overpairs.
- Every texture on one page, with how often each comes: poker board texture.
Sources
- Every equity is computed by exact enumeration of the remaining cards with the app's equity module, and outs are recounted from the cards, checked on October 11, 2026.
- The answer to the spot follows rules written by the app's author; it does not come from a solver.