55 vs QJ: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 (Pocket Fives) | 50.6% | 0.7% | 51.0% |
| QJ (Queen-Jack) | 48.7% | 0.7% | 49.0% |
Suited vs offsuit: QJ
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| QJs | 50.5% | 0.7% | 50.9% |
| QJo | 48.1% | 0.7% | 48.4% |
How 55 vs QJ unfolds by street
Pocket Fives (55) is still ahead on 60% of flops against QJ, and the lead survives to the turn on 59%. QJ takes the lead on the other 40% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | 55 still ahead | QJ flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 60% | 40% |
| Turn | 59% | 41% |
55 vs QJ is the classic preflop race — a pocket pair against two overcards (connected overcards). The pair noses ahead: 55 wins 50.6%, QJ wins 48.7%, and 0.7% of boards chop. The unpaired hand has six outs twice over (any Queen or Jack), and with its straight gappers live too the whole thing sits within a few points of a coin flip.
Here's the intuition behind 51.0% to 49.0%: it's essentially a flip, so over a session these two hands trade the pot back and forth almost evenly — the money is made by who gets it in with fold equity, not by the tiny edge itself.
Because 55 vs QJ is so close, the skill is in avoiding the flip when you don't need it and welcoming it when you do — short-stacked shove/call ranges, bubble pressure, or a juicy pot with antes. Two near-equal hands mean position and initiative postflop matter more than the half-point equity gap.
55 vs QJ FAQ
Who wins 55 vs QJ preflop?
It is close to a coin flip: 55 (Pocket Fives) has the slight edge, winning 50.6% of all runouts to QJ's 48.7%. The remaining 0.7% are split pots. Counting splits as half, 55's preflop equity is 51.0%.
How often does QJ beat 55?
QJ wins 48.7% of the time all-in preflop against 55 — essentially a coin flip, so it is close to even money.
Should you call all-in with QJ against 55?
QJ vs 55 is close to a coin flip (48.7% vs 50.6%), so calling off is correct whenever the pot is laying you a price near even money or you have a tournament reason to gamble. Deep-stacked with no dead money, it's a thinner spot — the edge is too small to commit a big stack without fold equity.
Does 55 hold up against QJ after the flop?
55 is still ahead on 60% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 59% of boards; QJ takes the lead on the other 40% of flops. These are exact figures from full board enumeration.
Run any matchup in the free equity calculator · JJ VS KQ · TT VS AQ · TT VS AJ · TT VS KQ · TT VS KJ · TT VS QJ