AK vs 86s: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK (Ace-King) | 60.1% | 0.4% | 60.3% |
| 86s (Eight-Six Suited) | 39.5% | 0.4% | 39.7% |
Suited vs offsuit: AK
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKs | 62.0% | 0.5% | 62.2% |
| AKo | 59.5% | 0.4% | 59.7% |
How AK vs 86s unfolds by street
Ace-King (AK) is still ahead on 69% of flops against 86s, and the lead survives to the turn on 67%. 86s takes the lead on the other 31% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AK still ahead | 86s flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 69% | 31% |
| Turn | 67% | 33% |
Two unpaired hands with all four ranks live: AK vs 86s. AK wins 60.1%, 86s wins 39.5%, and 0.4% of boards chop. The favorite isn't running away with it — 39.5% of the time 86s pairs up first or backs into the better runout — but higher cards making higher pairs is enough to keep AK in front.
Here's the intuition behind 60.3% to 39.7%: AK wins roughly 2 of every 3 times the chips go in, but the underdog cashing 39.7% of the time is exactly why you can't slow-play and let it draw for free.
How you play AK vs 86s depends on which side you hold. With AK you're not crushing, so keep the pot controllable and take the 60.1% edge to showdown when you can; with 86s, your equity is enough to continue with initiative but thin enough that bloating the pot out of position is a trap.
AK vs 86s FAQ
Who wins AK vs 86s preflop?
AK (Ace-King) is the favorite, winning 60.1% of all runouts, while 86s (Eight-Six Suited) wins 39.5%. The remaining 0.4% are split pots. Counting splits as half, AK's preflop equity is 60.3%.
How often does 86s beat AK?
86s wins 39.5% of the time all-in preflop against AK — a genuine underdog, but with enough live outs (about 1 in 3) that the matchup is closer than the favorite would like.
Is AK vs 86s a good spot to get all-in?
For AK, yes — a 60.3% favorite should happily commit, especially with fold equity. For 86s at 39.7%, it depends on the price: enough to continue with initiative, but thin enough that stacking off out of position is usually a leak.
Does AK hold up against 86s after the flop?
AK is still ahead on 69% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 67% of boards; 86s takes the lead on the other 31% of flops. These are exact figures from full board enumeration.
Run any matchup in the free equity calculator · AK VS QJ · AK VS QT · AQ VS KJ · AQ VS KT · AQ VS JT · AJ VS KQ