Quick answer
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55 by the numbers
- vs 1 random hand
- 60.5%
- all-in equity
- vs 5 random hands
- 18.3%
- full 6-max table
- Flop a set or better
- 11.8%
- about 1 in 8.5
- How often dealt
- 0.45%
- 1 in 221
How to play 55 by position
6-max cash game, around 100 big blinds deep.
- Early position (UTG)
- Open-raise in 6-max games, or fold in tougher games. Don’t call a 3-bet.
- Middle position (hijack)
- Open-raise. Facing an open, call when stacks are deep enough.
- Late position (cutoff, button)
- Open-raise. You can steal blinds and see flops in position.
- Blinds
- Raise when folded to. Call opens when stacks are deep; fold to most 3-bets.
- Facing a raise
- Call a single raise if effective stacks are about 15–20 times the call or more. Against 3-bets, fold.
After the flop
- You flop a set or better about 11.8% of the time; otherwise you usually have an underpair.
- Fives can make the bottom of a wheel straight (A-2-3-4-5) on boards like A♠ 3♦ 4♣, giving extra value.
- When you miss on a high board, give up rather than calling several bets.
55 against common hands
Fives win 54.8% against AKo and 52.9% against KJo, a near coin flip. Against 66 they win only 18.4%, the standard result for an underpair.
| Against | 55 wins | Tie | 55 loses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-6 | 18.4% | 1.9% | 79.7% |
| A-K offsuit | 54.8% | 0.4% | 44.8% |
| K-J offsuit | 52.9% | 0.5% | 46.6% |
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 55 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 flush0.02%
- Four of a kind0.8%
- Full house8.6%
- Flush1.9%
- Straight2.4%
- Three of a kind11.7%
- Two pair39.5%
- One pair35.1%
Common mistakes with 55
- Stacking off with an underpair after missing the flop.
- Calling raises out of position with shallow stacks.
- Treating fives as a medium pair rather than a speculative hand.
Where 55 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.
Pocket fives FAQ
Should I play pocket fives from early position?
In 6-max games, opening is usually fine. In full-ring games, it is often better to fold.
How much do I need in stacks to call with fives?
A rule of thumb is roughly 15–20 times the raise you are calling in effective stacks.
How do I play fives with a short stack in a tournament?
With 15bb or less, push from late position and the blinds when folded to you. Calling shoves is more marginal and depends on the shover’s range.