Poker is a game of many skills. One of those first things that you have to master is knowing your odds. If you were to go to showdown every hand without a set bet, it would be all about percentages and if you’re going to go all the way to the river with a hand, you want to go there with the best odds to win.

So in this post, I’m going to go over is starting hand strength and percentage that they win vs. other hands. All hands are heads up and preflop. So, basically this assumes a head’s up, all-in situation. These percentages are all approximations, there are variances for various things like suited vs. unsuited and straight possibilities. I try to explain those variances in notes, when I can.

Pocket pair vs. Smaller Pocket Pair (i.e. KK vs 77)
Winning percentage: 80% vs. 20%

Pocket Pair vs. Two Overcards (i.e. 55 vs AK)
Winning percentage: 55% vs. 45%
Notes: Suited hands have slightly better odds and hands like JTs have slightly better odds than pocket 55 due to the straight and flush draw ability and the fact that 55 does NOT interfere with that.

Pocket Pair vs. Two Undercards (i.e. KK vs 85)
Winning percentage: 80% vs 20%
Notes: The undercard variance is anywhere from 14% to 23% depending on the ability of it to make a flush or straight draw and how the pocket pair interferes with that.

Pocket Pair vs. One Overcard and One Undercard (i.e. JJ vs. A6)
Winning percentage: 65% vs 35%
Notes: Again, a slight variance of -2% depending on the ability to make flush or straight draws. Any straight draw will be interfered with by the pocket pair.

Pocket Pair vs. Same Card and One Overcard (i.e. JJ vs AJ)
Winning percentage: 70% vs 30%
Notes: Pocket pair percentage can sink as low as 60% vs. middle suited connectors.

Pocket Pair vs. Same Card and One Undercard (i.e. AA vs. AK)
Winning percentage: 80% vs. 20%

Two Overcards vs. Two Undercards (i.e. KQ vs JT)
Winning percentage: 65% vs. 35%
Notes: Slight variance of about -5% is made if the two undercards have a straight and/or flush draws.

Overcard and Undercard vs. Two Middle Cards (A8 vs KJ)
Winning percentage: 60% vs. 40%
Notes: Winning percentage can go as low as 52% vs. 48% depending on suited or straight draw potential of the two middle cards vs. the overcard/undercard.

1st and 3rd Highest vs. 2nd and 4th Highest
Winning percentage: 70% vs. 30%
Notes: About a +/- 5% variance for suited or potential for a straight.

Dominated with same high card (i.e. AK vs. AQ)
Winning percentage: 65% vs. 35%

Dominated with same low card (i.e. QT vs. AT)
Winning percentage: 40% vs. 60%

Same Ranks (i.e. 87 vs. 87)
Winning percentage: 50% vs. 50%… surprise surprise
Notes: Suited cards gain about +2.5%

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