Quick answer
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AQo by the numbers
- vs 1 random hand
- 64.5%
- all-in equity
- vs 5 random hands
- 26.1%
- full 6-max table
- Flop a pair or better
- 32.4%
- pairing a hole card
- How often dealt
- 0.90%
- 1 in 110.5
How to play AQo by position
6-max cash game, around 100 big blinds deep.
- Early position (UTG)
- Open-raise. It is a standard open from every 6-max seat.
- Middle position (hijack)
- Open-raise. Against an early open, calling or folding is reasonable; 3-bet later opens.
- Late position (cutoff, button)
- Open-raise, and 3-bet against cutoff or button opens.
- Blinds
- Raise when folded to, and 3-bet against wide late openers.
- Facing a raise
- 3-bet against late-position opens. Against tight early openers, calling or folding is often better. Facing a 4-bet, usually fold.
After the flop
- Top pair with a queen kicker is a good hand against wide ranges but weaker against tight ones.
- On dry boards, continuation-bet; on wet boards, check more often.
- Without the suit, there are fewer backdoor draws, so give up more easily when you miss.
AQo against common hands
Ace-queen offsuit wins 47% against 22, a near coin flip, but only 23.7% against AKo, with ties 4.6% of the time. Against KQo it wins 73.6%, because the ace dominates.
| Against | AQo wins | Tie | AQo loses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2 | 47% | 0.6% | 52.4% |
| A-K offsuit | 23.7% | 4.6% | 71.7% |
| K-Q offsuit | 73.6% | 1.1% | 25.3% |
All-in before the flop, exact results from every possible board. Suits as dealt in our example; figures shift slightly with other suit combinations.
What AQo makes by the river
If you see all five board cards, your best five-card hand ends up as each of these this often. Exact figures from every possible board.
- Straight flush0.01%
- Four of a kind0.1%
- Full house2.2%
- Flush2.0%
- Straight3.7%
- Three of a kind4.4%
- Two pair22.7%
- One pair45.4%
- High card19.5%
Common mistakes with AQo
- Calling 3-bets out of position and getting dominated by ace-king.
- Stacking off with top pair against a tight player’s heavy action.
- Treating it like ace-king.
Where AQo sits in the chart
Suited hands above the diagonal, offsuit below, pairs on it. Number = equity against one random hand. A white dot means the hand has a full guide.
Ace-queen offsuit FAQ
Why is AQo weaker than AQs?
The suited version can make flushes and has more backdoor draws, so it realises more equity after the flop.
Should I call a 3-bet with AQo?
Often fold out of position. In position against a loose 3-bettor, calling is reasonable.
How do I play AQo with a short stack in a tournament?
With 15bb or less, push from every position and call most late-position shoves.