AK vs AJ: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK (Ace-King) | 71.0% | 4.5% | 73.3% |
| AJ (Ace-Jack) | 24.4% | 4.5% | 26.7% |
Suited vs offsuit: AK
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKs | 71.9% | 4.4% | 74.1% |
| AKo | 70.7% | 4.6% | 73.0% |
How AK vs AJ unfolds by street
Ace-King (AK) is still ahead on 84% of flops against AJ, and the lead survives to the turn on 80%. AJ takes the lead on the other 16% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AK still ahead | AJ flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 84% | 16% |
| Turn | 80% | 20% |
AK vs AJ is textbook domination: the hands share a card, so AJ is fighting for barely three outs. AK wins 71.0%, AJ wins 24.4%, and 4.5% of boards chop. With the shared rank gutting its outs, AJ is a 2.9-to-1 underdog, and 4.5% of runouts split outright when both play the common card.
Translate that into a decision and it's simple pot-odds math: counting split pots as half, AK carries 73.3% equity and AJ 26.7%. Against a pot-sized shove you need about 33% to call and about 25% versus a half-pot bet — so AJ needs real fold equity, not just its raw share, to justify stacking off.
Domination is where preflop hand-reading pays off. With AK you want stacks in; with AJ you want out, because three outs and a prayer is not a stack-off — recognizing that you're crushed against a strong range is worth more than any postflop move.
AK vs AJ FAQ
Who wins AK vs AJ preflop?
AK (Ace-King) is the favorite, winning 71.0% of all runouts, while AJ (Ace-Jack) wins 24.4%. The remaining 4.5% are split pots. Counting splits as half, AK's preflop equity is 73.3%.
How often does AJ beat AK?
AJ wins 24.4% of the time all-in preflop against AK — roughly 1 in 4 — so it needs good pot odds or fold equity to get the money in profitably.
Why is AJ so bad against AK?
Because they share a card, AJ is drawing to roughly three outs and chops 4.5% of the time — it wins only about 1 in 4. That's the danger of a dominated hand: too strong to fold, too far behind to outdraw, which is how kicker problems quietly cost full stacks.
Does AK hold up against AJ after the flop?
AK is still ahead on 84% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 80% of boards; AJ takes the lead on the other 16% of flops. These are exact figures from full board enumeration.
Run any matchup in the free equity calculator · AK VS A2S · AK VS A3S · AK VS A4S · AK VS A5S · AK VS A6S · AK VS A7S