Preflop Equity Chart: Hand Strength Before the Flop

A preflop equity chart shows how often each starting hand wins before any community cards appear — the raw strength of aces versus a random hand, of a pair versus two overcards, of a suited connector in a race. Equity is the number underneath every all-in call and every push/fold decision. This guide gives you the key equity figures, the famous matchups, and how to use them without over-trusting them.

Hand strength against a random hand

The most basic equity chart ranks each hand by how often it beats one random opponent hand. A few anchor numbers to memorize:

Hand	Equity vs. random hand	Notes
A-A	~85%	The strongest possible start
K-K	~82%	Only loses big to aces
Q-Q	~80%	Dominates all unpaired hands
A-K suited	~67%	Best non-pair hand
7-2 offsuit	~35%	The weakest starting hand

Notice even the worst hand, 7-2 offsuit, still wins about a third of the time against one random hand — a reminder that “worst” is relative when only two players are all in.

The matchups that actually come up

Equity against a random hand matters less than equity in the spots you face, because opponents don’t shove random hands. Three recurring matchups:

• Pair vs. two overcards (the race). 88 against AKo is about 55/45 for the pair. It’s roughly a coin flip — hence “race” or “flip.”
• Pair vs. one overcard, one under. 99 against A8s is about 70/30 for the nines; the ace can only pair up or make a flush/straight.
• Dominated hand. AQ against AK is a disaster — around 25/75 — because the shared ace kills most of AQ’s outs. Domination is why weak aces are dangerous.

Why suited and connected hands beat their raw equity

A pure equity chart undersells hands like 76s (about 38% against a random hand). That number describes an all-in showdown, but these hands rarely go all in preflop — their value shows up postflop:

• Suitedness adds only about 2-4% raw equity, but it adds flush potential that pays off on favorable boards later.
• Connectedness creates straight draws and disguised strong hands that win big pots.

That’s why solvers open 76s from many seats despite its mediocre all-in equity — its value is in playability, not a preflop coin flip. Raw equity is the floor, not the ceiling. This gap between raw equity and real value is central to what a poker range is.

Turning equity into a decision

Equity’s clearest use is the all-in call. Suppose a short stack shoves and you must call 10bb to win a 25bb pot. Your pot odds require:

• Amount to call: 10bb. Total pot after your call: 35bb.
• Break-even equity = 10 / 35 = ~28.6%.

Any hand with more than ~29% equity against the shover’s range is a profitable call. Against a wide shoving range, even KJo (well above 29%) is an easy call; against a tight range, KJo might be crushed and below the line. This math is the engine of short-stack push/fold play — the deeper treatment of pot odds lives in the odds and math hub.

A worked equity spot

You hold A♥ Q♥ in the big blind. A 12bb stack shoves from the button with what you read as a wide range (any pair, any ace, most suited hands, broadway offsuit). You need ~30% to call.

• Against that wide range, AQs has roughly 60% equity — you dominate their weaker aces and suited junk, and only their few big pairs and AK beat you.
• 60% is far above the 30% break-even, so you call instantly.

Now imagine the shove came from a rock who only jams TT+, AK. Your AQs equity collapses to about 35% — barely above break-even. Same cards, same 30% threshold, opposite comfort level. The opponent’s range, not your hand alone, sets your true equity.

Common equity mistakes

• Trusting equity vs. a random hand. Opponents don’t shove randomly; always estimate against their actual range.
• Ignoring domination. Weak aces and dominated kickers look like races but are often 3-to-1 dogs.
• Overvaluing suitedness. It adds only a few equity points; don’t call off stacks purely because a hand is suited.
• Forgetting position and playability. Raw equity ignores the postflop edge of acting last and the payoff of connected hands.

Wrapping up

A preflop equity chart is your starting-hand strength map: aces near 85%, the pair-vs-overcards race at 55/45, dominated aces getting crushed. Use it to solve all-in calls against a break-even threshold, but always measure against your opponent’s range, not a random hand, and remember that suited, connected hands earn their keep postflop. Combine equity with range thinking, apply it in short-stack spots, and back it with the odds and math hub as part of your full preflop strategy.