AQ vs AK: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQ (Ace-Queen) | 24.1% | 4.6% | 26.4% |
| AK (Ace-King) | 71.3% | 4.6% | 73.6% |
Suited vs offsuit: AQ
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQs | 27.4% | 4.4% | 29.6% |
| AQo | 23.0% | 4.6% | 25.3% |
How AQ vs AK unfolds by street
Ace-King (AK) is still ahead on 84% of flops against AQ, and the lead survives to the turn on 80%. AQ takes the lead on the other 16% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AK still ahead | AQ flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 84% | 16% |
| Turn | 80% | 20% |
AQ vs AK is the matchup every "but I had top pair" cooler is made of: AK wins 71.3%, AQ wins 24.1%, and 4.6% of boards chop. Live to only its odd card (plus a thin straight or flush), AQ wins about 1 in 4; the 4.6% tie figure is the tell that these hands are tangled on the same rank. It's one of the most-quoted spots in poker, so the exact figure is worth committing to memory.
At a final table the raw 73.6% / 26.4% split is only half the story — ICM bends it. As the 26.4% underdog, AQ 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 AK is kicker discipline: AQ is the hand that quietly costs people stacks because it's too strong to fold and too dominated to win. If you hold AK, 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 AK FAQ
Who wins AQ vs AK preflop?
AK (Ace-King) is the favorite, winning 71.3% of all runouts, while AQ (Ace-Queen) wins 24.1%. The remaining 4.6% are split pots. Counting splits as half, AQ's preflop equity is 26.4%.
How often does AQ beat AK?
AQ wins 24.1% 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 AQ so bad against AK?
Because they share a card, AQ is drawing to roughly three outs and chops 4.6% 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 AQ after the flop?
AK is still ahead on 84% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 80% of boards; AQ takes the lead on the other 16% of flops. These are exact figures from full board enumeration.
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