AQ vs A4s: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQ (Ace-Queen) | 65.9% | 5.7% | 68.7% |
| A4s (Ace-Four Suited) | 28.4% | 5.7% | 31.3% |
Suited vs offsuit: AQ
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQs | 67.0% | 5.5% | 69.7% |
| AQo | 65.5% | 5.7% | 68.4% |
How AQ vs A4s unfolds by street
Ace-Queen (AQ) is still ahead on 81% of flops against A4s, and the lead survives to the turn on 77%. A4s takes the lead on the other 19% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AQ still ahead | A4s flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 81% | 19% |
| Turn | 77% | 23% |
AQ vs A4s is the matchup every "but I had top pair" cooler is made of: AQ wins 65.9%, A4s wins 28.4%, and 5.7% of boards chop. Note the chunky 5.7% chop rate — it surfaces whenever the shared rank plays and the kickers don't. Spots like this are where stacks quietly disappear: the dominated hand can't fold pre and can't outrun the kicker post.
At a final table the raw 68.7% / 31.3% split is only half the story — ICM bends it. As the 31.3% underdog, A4s 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.
The lesson of AQ vs A4s is kicker discipline: A4s is the hand that quietly costs people stacks because it's too strong to fold and too dominated to win. If you hold AQ, get value while you're ahead; if you hold the dominated side, this is the exact spot to find a preflop fold against a tight range.
AQ vs A4s FAQ
Who wins AQ vs A4s preflop?
AQ (Ace-Queen) is the favorite, winning 65.9% of all runouts, while A4s (Ace-Four Suited) wins 28.4%. The remaining 5.7% are split pots. Counting splits as half, AQ's preflop equity is 68.7%.
How often does A4s beat AQ?
A4s wins 28.4% of the time all-in preflop against AQ — roughly 1 in 4 — so it needs good pot odds or fold equity to get the money in profitably.
Why is A4s so bad against AQ?
Because they share a card, A4s is drawing to roughly three outs and chops 5.7% 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 AQ hold up against A4s after the flop?
AQ is still ahead on 81% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 77% of boards; A4s takes the lead on the other 19% 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