Quick answer
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22 by the numbers
- vs 1 random hand
- 50.4%
- all-in equity
- vs 5 random hands
- 15.5%
- 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 22 by position
6-max cash game, around 100 big blinds deep.
- Early position (UTG)
- Fold in most games, or open-raise in loose 6-max games and fold to a 3-bet.
- Middle position (hijack)
- Open-raise when folded to in loose games; otherwise fold.
- Late position (cutoff, button)
- Open-raise. Stealing the blinds and seeing flops in position is the best use of twos.
- Blinds
- From the small blind, raise or fold when folded to. From the big blind, call opens when stacks are deep.
- Facing a raise
- Call a single raise if stacks are roughly 15–20 times the call or more. Fold to 3-bets.
After the flop
- You flop a set or better about 11.8% of the time. Without one, you are almost always facing overcards.
- A set of twos is disguised and can win big pots on boards like K♣ 8♦ 2♥.
- When you miss, check and give up instead of calling bets with an underpair.
22 against common hands
Twos win 52.7% against AKo and 49.6% against AKs, showing how close a small pair is to two overcards. Against 33 they win only 17.8%, with ties 4.9% of the time.
| Against | 22 wins | Tie | 22 loses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-3 | 17.8% | 4.9% | 77.3% |
| A-K offsuit | 52.7% | 0.6% | 46.7% |
| A-K suited | 49.6% | 0.6% | 49.8% |
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 22 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 kind0.8%
- Full house8.6%
- Flush2.0%
- Straight1.2%
- Three of a kind11.8%
- Two pair39.7%
- One pair36.0%
Common mistakes with 22
- Calling raises with short stacks.
- Calling down with twos on boards with several overcards.
- Opening twos from early position in tough games.
Where 22 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 twos FAQ
Are pocket twos better than ace-king?
All-in before the flop, twos are a slight favourite against AKo and roughly even against AKs. But AK makes top pair often and plays much better in most situations.
Why are pocket twos called ducks?
Because the 2 looks a little like a duck. It is a nickname only.
How do I play twos with a short stack in a tournament?
With 15bb or less, push from late position and the blinds when folded to you; fold from earlier seats in most cases.