Weak Aces: ATo to A2o Against AK, KQ and Pairs
Weak aces like A♣9♦ or A♣3♦ are ahead of hands like K♥Q♠ or J♥T♥ but dominated by stronger aces. Before the flop, A♣3♦ has 57.8% against K♥Q♠ and 26.8% against A♥K♠. Against a pair you need two cards above it: A♣9♦ has 42.5% against 8♥8♠, A♣8♦ 29.9%. Suited, A♣3♣ gains a few points: 31% against A♥K♠.
A♣3♦ in the small blind at 15bb heads-up
Heads-up with 15bb effective stacks, you are in the small blind with A♣3♦. Fold, limp, min-raise to 2bb or jam?
See the answer
Against hands the big blind defends or would call a jam with, before the flop:
| Big blind's hand | A♣3♦'s equity |
|---|---|
| Q♥7♠ | 59.5% |
| K♦8♠ | 59.3% |
| K♥Q♠ | 57.8% |
| A♠2♥ | 52.9% |
| 9♥8♥ | 51.4% |
| J♥T♥ | 51.1% |
| 2♥2♠ | 46.5% |
| A♥5♠ | 44.1% |
| A♠8♥ | 34.7% |
| 5♥5♠ | 30.1% |
| 9♠9♥ | 30.1% |
| A♥K♠ | 26.8% |
A jam folds out most of the hands at the top of the table, which A♣3♦ is ahead of, and gets called mostly by the aces and pairs at the bottom, which are ahead of it. A min-raise keeps the first ones in and plays the pot in position.
Weak aces against AK, KQ, 88 and JT
| Hand | Against A♥K♠ | Against K♥Q♠ | Against 8♥8♠ | Against J♥T♥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A♣T♦ | 26.6% | 59.8% | 44.2% | 66.6% |
| A♣9♦ | 26.1% | 58% | 42.5% | 52.3% |
| A♣8♦ | 26.4% | 57.4% | 29.9% | 52% |
| A♣7♦ | 26.7% | 57.5% | 29.3% | 51.5% |
| A♣5♦ | 27.8% | 58% | 30.8% | 51.2% |
| A♣3♦ | 26.8% | 57.8% | 30% | 51.1% |
| A♣2♦ | 26.3% | 57.7% | 29.9% | 51% |
Against A♥K♠, all seven are dominated and the kicker barely changes anything. Against K♥Q♠, all seven are ahead. Against 8♥8♠, only A♣T♦ and A♣9♦ have two cards above the pair. Against J♥T♥, A♣T♦ dominates the ten; the other six are close to a coin flip.
Offsuit or suited: what the suit is worth
| Opponent's hand | A♣3♣ (suited) | A♣3♦ (offsuit) |
|---|---|---|
| Q♥7♠ | 62.1% | 59.5% |
| K♥Q♠ | 60.4% | 57.8% |
| 6♥5♥ | 55.6% | 52.9% |
| J♥T♥ | 53.9% | 51.1% |
| A♥5♠ | 47.3% | 44.1% |
| 8♥8♠ | 33.6% | 30% |
| A♥K♠ | 31% | 26.8% |
On every row the suited version has more equity.
Keep going
- The suited version of small aces: suited aces.
- A slightly stronger ace: how to play ace-jack.
- Why A♥K♠ dominates A♣3♦: dominated hands.
- Preflop with two players: heads-up preflop.
- A pair against two higher cards: pair vs overcards.
- One spot every day: the daily poker puzzle.
- The hands below the weak aces: the worst poker hands.
- The lowest straight, ace to five: the wheel straight.
- The side card that breaks ties: the kicker in poker.
Sources
- Every equity is computed by exact enumeration with the app's equity module, 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.