Quick answer
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KQo by the numbers
- vs 1 random hand
- 61.5%
- all-in equity
- vs 5 random hands
- 25%
- 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 KQo by position
6-max cash game, around 100 big blinds deep.
- Early position (UTG)
- Open-raise in 6-max. Be ready to fold to a 3-bet.
- Middle position (hijack)
- Open-raise. Facing an early open, folding is often better than calling.
- Late position (cutoff, button)
- Open-raise, and 3-bet against wide opens.
- Blinds
- Raise when folded to; call or 3-bet against late opens.
- Facing a raise
- Fold against tight early opens, call or 3-bet against late ones. Fold to most 3-bets and all 4-bets.
After the flop
- Top pair is good against wide ranges but often dominated against tight ones.
- Without the suit, you have fewer draws, so give up more often when you miss.
- Use position to control pot size with one pair.
KQo against common hands
King-queen offsuit wins only 25.3% against AKo and 40.1% against AJo. Against KJo it wins 70.8%, with ties 5.5% of the time, because the queen kicker dominates.
| Against | KQo wins | Tie | KQo loses |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-K offsuit | 25.3% | 1.1% | 73.6% |
| A-J offsuit | 40.1% | 0.4% | 59.5% |
| K-J offsuit | 70.8% | 5.5% | 23.7% |
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 KQo 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%
- Straight5.0%
- Three of a kind4.4%
- Two pair22.5%
- One pair44.7%
- High card19.0%
Common mistakes with KQo
- Calling raises out of position against tight players.
- Stacking off with top pair against heavy action.
- Treating it like the suited version.
Where KQo 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.
King-queen offsuit FAQ
Why is KQo weaker than KQs?
The suited version makes flushes and has more backdoor draws. The offsuit version is more often dominated and has fewer ways to improve.
Should I call a raise with KQo?
Against tight early raisers, often no. Against wide late-position openers, calling in position is fine.
How do I play KQo with a short stack in a tournament?
With 15bb or less, push from late position and the blinds when folded to you.