AA vs 44: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA (Pocket Aces) | 81.1% | 0.4% | 81.3% |
| 44 (Pocket Fours) | 18.4% | 0.4% | 18.7% |
How AA vs 44 unfolds by street
Pocket Aces (AA) is still ahead on 89% of flops against 44, and the lead survives to the turn on 85%. 44 takes the lead on the other 11% of flops, almost always by flopping a set. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AA still ahead | 44 flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 89% | 11% |
| Turn | 85% | 15% |
Set one pocket pair against a bigger one and you get AA vs 44: AA wins 81.1%, 44 wins 18.4%, and 0.4% of boards chop. AA is a 4.4-to-1 favorite. The lower pair, 44, is drawing to the two cards left in the deck that make it a set; miss those and only a runner-runner straight or flush saves it, which is why it gets there just 1 time in 5.
At a final table the raw 81.3% / 18.7% split is only half the story — ICM bends it. As the 18.7% underdog, 44 pays an extra survival premium, so the chip-EV "close enough" call can be a clear ICM fold. The pure equity sets the floor; the payout ladder sets the real price.
As the bigger pair, AA, your whole job is to get the money in before a scare card — there's no fold here and slow-playing only lets 44 realize its set equity for free. As the smaller pair, the discipline is recognizing when stacks are deep enough that calling off 18.4% equity is a leak, even though folding pre feels impossible.
AA vs 44 FAQ
Who wins AA vs 44 preflop?
AA (Pocket Aces) is the favorite, winning 81.1% of all runouts, while 44 (Pocket Fours) wins 18.4%. The remaining 0.4% are split pots. Counting splits as half, AA's preflop equity is 81.3%.
How often does 44 beat AA?
44 wins 18.4% of the time all-in preflop against AA — roughly 1 in 5 — so it needs good pot odds or fold equity to get the money in profitably.
Can you fold the smaller pair in AA vs 44?
Almost never preflop all-in — but the 18.4% the smaller pair wins (about 1 in 5) means that when stacks are very deep and the action screams a bigger pair, laying it down is a real, if rare, fold. Set-mining the lower pair works only with the implied odds to win a full stack when you spike.
Does AA hold up against 44 after the flop?
AA is still ahead on 89% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 85% of boards; 44 takes the lead on the other 11% of flops. These are exact figures from full board enumeration.
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