AQ vs A8s: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQ (Ace-Queen) | 66.7% | 5.5% | 69.5% |
| A8s (Ace-Eight Suited) | 27.8% | 5.5% | 30.5% |
Suited vs offsuit: AQ
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQs | 67.7% | 5.3% | 70.4% |
| AQo | 66.3% | 5.6% | 69.1% |
How AQ vs A8s unfolds by street
Ace-Queen (AQ) is still ahead on 82% of flops against A8s, and the lead survives to the turn on 78%. A8s takes the lead on the other 18% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AQ still ahead | A8s flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 82% | 18% |
| Turn | 78% | 22% |
AQ vs A8s is textbook domination: the hands share a card, so A8s is fighting for barely three outs. AQ wins 66.7%, A8s wins 27.8%, and 5.5% of boards chop. Live to only its odd card (plus a thin straight or flush), A8s wins about 1 in 4; the 5.5% tie figure is the tell that these hands are tangled on the same rank.
At a final table the raw 69.5% / 30.5% split is only half the story — ICM bends it. As the 30.5% underdog, A8s 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 A8s is kicker discipline: A8s 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 A8s FAQ
Who wins AQ vs A8s preflop?
AQ (Ace-Queen) is the favorite, winning 66.7% of all runouts, while A8s (Ace-Eight Suited) wins 27.8%. The remaining 5.5% are split pots. Counting splits as half, AQ's preflop equity is 69.5%.
How often does A8s beat AQ?
A8s wins 27.8% 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 A8s so bad against AQ?
Because they share a card, A8s is drawing to roughly three outs and chops 5.5% 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 AQ hold up against A8s after the flop?
AQ is still ahead on 82% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 78% of boards; A8s takes the lead on the other 18% 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