QQ vs KK: Preflop Equity & Odds
| Hand | Win | Tie | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| QQ (Pocket Queens) | 17.8% | 0.5% | 18.1% |
| KK (Pocket Kings) | 81.7% | 0.5% | 81.9% |
How QQ vs KK unfolds by street
Pocket Kings (KK) is still ahead on 89% of flops against QQ, and the lead survives to the turn on 86%. QQ 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 | KK still ahead | QQ flipped the lead |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | 89% | 11% |
| Turn | 86% | 14% |
QQ vs KK is a pair-over-pair cooler — the kind of all-in nobody at the table can fold. KK wins 81.7%, QQ wins 17.8%, and 0.5% of boards chop, a 4.6-to-1 edge for KK. QQ has only two clean outs — the case cards of its own rank — so it must flop or turn a set, or back into a straight or flush, to claim the 17.8% of pots it wins. It's a benchmark spot every serious player should know cold.
Think in variance terms: 81.9% equity means KK loses this all-in nearly 18 times in 100, so even a "dominant" spot is a coin you'll see come up tails plenty. Getting it in as the 81.9% favorite is correct every time; the 18.1% that goes the other way is math, not a misplay.
As the bigger pair, KK, your whole job is to get the money in before a scare card — there's no fold here and slow-playing only lets QQ realize its set equity for free. As the smaller pair, the discipline is recognizing when stacks are deep enough that calling off 17.8% equity is a leak, even though folding pre feels impossible.
QQ vs KK FAQ
Who wins QQ vs KK preflop?
KK (Pocket Kings) is the favorite, winning 81.7% of all runouts, while QQ (Pocket Queens) wins 17.8%. The remaining 0.5% are split pots. Counting splits as half, QQ's preflop equity is 18.1%.
Does the QQ vs KK 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: QQ's equity runs from 17.4% to 18.8% 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 (KK 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 QQ vs KK?
Almost never preflop all-in — but the 17.8% the smaller pair wins (about 1 in 6) 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 KK hold up against QQ after the flop?
KK is still ahead on 89% of flops and stays ahead through the turn on 86% of boards; QQ 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
QQ against a range
All-in against one known hand is the textbook case; at the table QQ is usually up against a range. Exact equities, computed over every combo with card removal applied:
- QQ vs calling station — 75.2% against 670 combos (50.5% of hands)
- QQ vs BTN open — 74.2% against 586 combos (44.2% of hands)
- QQ vs SB open — 73.3% against 534 combos (40.3% of hands)
- QQ vs CO open — 72.2% against 366 combos (27.6% of hands)