KQ vs K5s: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| KQ (King-Queen) | 66.9% | 5.6% | 69.7% |
| K5s (King-Five Suited) | 27.5% | 5.6% | 30.3% |
Suited vs offsuit: KQ
| Matchup | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| KQs | 67.9% | 5.4% | 70.6% |
| KQo | 66.5% | 5.6% | 69.4% |
How KQ vs K5s unfolds by street
King-Queen (KQ) is still ahead on 82% of flops against K5s, and the lead survives to the turn on 78%. K5s takes the lead on the other 18% of flops. These figures come from full board enumeration, not a simulation.
| Street | KQ still ahead | K5s flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 82% | 18% |
| Turn | 78% | 22% |
KQ vs K5s is the matchup every "but I had top pair" cooler is made of: KQ wins 66.9%, K5s wins 27.5%, and 5.6% of boards chop. With the shared rank gutting its outs, K5s is a 2.4-to-1 underdog, and 5.6% 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, KQ carries 69.7% equity and K5s 30.3%. Against a pot-sized shove you need about 33% to call and about 25% versus a half-pot bet — so K5s needs real fold equity, not just its raw share, to justify stacking off.
Domination is where preflop hand-reading pays off. With KQ you want stacks in; with K5s 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.
KQ vs K5s FAQ
Who wins KQ vs K5s preflop?
KQ (King-Queen) is the favorite, winning 66.9% of all runouts, while K5s (King-Five Suited) wins 27.5%. The remaining 5.6% are split pots. Counting splits as half, KQ's preflop equity is 69.7%.
How often does K5s beat KQ?
K5s wins 27.5% of the time all-in preflop against KQ — roughly 1 in 4 — so it needs good pot odds or fold equity to get the money in profitably.
Why is K5s so bad against KQ?
Because they share a card, K5s is drawing to roughly three outs and chops 5.6% 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 KQ hold up against K5s after the flop?
KQ is still ahead on 82% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 78% of boards; K5s 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