JJ vs AA: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| JJ (Pocket Jacks) | 18.6% | 0.4% | 18.9% |
| AA (Pocket Aces) | 80.9% | 0.4% | 81.1% |
How JJ vs AA unfolds by street
Pocket Aces (AA) is still ahead on 89% of flops against JJ, and the lead survives to the turn on 85%. JJ takes the lead on the other 11% of flops, almost always by flopping a set. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | AA still ahead | JJ flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 89% | 11% |
| Turn | 85% | 15% |
JJ vs AA is two made hands colliding before the flop, and the higher pair owns it: AA wins 80.9%, JJ wins 18.6%, and 0.4% of boards chop — 4.3-to-1. The lower pair, JJ, is drawing to the two cards left in the deck that make it a set; miss those and only a runner-runner straight or flush saves it, which is why it gets there just 1 time in 5. 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 81.1% / 18.9% split is only half the story — ICM bends it. As the 18.9% underdog, JJ 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.
As the bigger pair, AA, your whole job is to get the money in before a scare card — there's no fold here and slow-playing only lets JJ realize its set equity for free. As the smaller pair, the discipline is recognizing when stacks are deep enough that calling off 18.6% equity is a leak, even though folding pre feels impossible.
JJ vs AA FAQ
Who wins JJ vs AA preflop?
AA (Pocket Aces) is the favorite, winning 80.9% of all runouts, while JJ (Pocket Jacks) wins 18.6%. The remaining 0.4% are split pots. Counting splits as half, JJ's preflop equity is 18.9%.
Does the JJ vs AA probability change all-in preflop?
No. Once both hands are all-in preflop the odds are set by the cards alone — position, stack size and who bet first change nothing. The only thing that moves the number is suits: JJ's equity runs from 18.2% to 19.5% depending on how many suits the two hands share, which is why different sites quote slightly different figures. It does change once board cards are dealt (AA leads on 89% of flops) and in multiway pots, where every extra caller takes equity from both hands.
Can you fold the smaller pair in JJ vs AA?
Almost never preflop all-in — but the 18.6% the smaller pair wins (about 1 in 5) means that when stacks are very deep and the action screams a bigger pair, laying it down is a real, if rare, fold. Set-mining the lower pair works only with the implied odds to win a full stack when you spike.
Does AA hold up against JJ after the flop?
AA is still ahead on 89% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 85% of boards; JJ takes the lead on the other 11% of flops. These are exact figures from full board enumeration.
Run any matchup in the free equity calculator · AA VS KK · KK VS AA · AA VS AK · AK VS AA · KK VS AK · AK VS KK
JJ against a range
All-in against one known hand is the textbook case; at the table JJ is usually up against a range. Exact equities, computed over every combo with card removal applied:
- JJ vs calling station — 71.9% against 670 combos (50.5% of hands)
- JJ vs BTN open — 70.9% against 586 combos (44.2% of hands)
- JJ vs SB open — 70.0% against 534 combos (40.3% of hands)
- JJ vs CO open — 68.5% against 366 combos (27.6% of hands)