AJ vs a value 3-betting range: Equity & Strategy

Ace-Jack (AJ) has 32.4% equity all-in preflop against a value 3-betting range — 72 combos, 5.4% of all starting hands. It wins 31.2% of runouts outright, loses 66.4% and chops 2.5%. These are exact figures from full board enumeration against every unblocked combo in the range, not a simulation.

The range this is computed against

A pure QQ+/AK 3-bet is only 34 combos — 2.6% of hands — which is far tighter than anyone actually 3-bets for value in a modern game. The merged value range a good regular uses adds the mid pairs and the second-best broadways: 99+, AQs+, KQs and AQo+, about 5.4% of hands.

3-bet (value) — 72 combos, 5.4% of all starting hands: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AKs, AQs, KQs, AKo, AQo

After card removal, 58 of those 72 combos are still available (14 are blocked by the cards AJ holds). AJ is ahead of 4 and behind 54.

Hardest parts of the range for AJ

Easiest parts of the range for AJ

Put AJ up against a value 3-betting range — 72 combos, 5.4% of all hands — and the exact answer is 32.4% equity: 31.2% outright wins, 66.4% losses and 2.5% chops. Your own two cards remove 14 of those combos before the flop is even dealt — a blocker effect this number already accounts for, because every combo containing one of your exact cards is stripped out of the range first. You are ahead of only 4 of the 58 combos still live (7%) — the rest of the range is level with or in front of you, which is why the figure sits below even money.

Where does the range come from? A pure QQ+/AK 3-bet is only 34 combos — 2.6% of hands — which is far tighter than anyone actually 3-bets for value in a modern game. The merged value range a good regular uses adds the mid pairs and the second-best broadways: 99+, AQs+, KQs and AQo+, about 5.4% of hands. Broken down hand by hand, AJ does worst against AA (9.0%), AKs (25.9%) and AQs (26.1%) and best against KQs (57.0%), 99 (45.2%) and TT (43.7%). Across the whole range AJ's equity swings from 9.0% at the bottom to 57.0% at the top — the single 32.4% headline is the combo-weighted average of all of it.

A value 3-betting range is where AJ either continues or folds, and 32.4% is the number that decides it. At 32.4% you are behind the range, so continuing is about price and position — calling a 3-bet in position with a hand that flops well is fine, stacking off preflop is not. A pot-sized bet needs about 33% to call, so raw equity alone does not get AJ there.

AJ vs 3-bet (value) FAQ

What is AJ's equity against a value 3-betting range?

AJ has 32.4% equity all-in preflop against a value 3-betting range — it wins 31.2% of runouts outright, loses 66.4% and chops 2.5%. The range holds 72 combos (5.4% of all hands); AJ blocks 14 of them, leaving 58 live. This is exact full board enumeration, not a simulation.

Which hands in a value 3-betting range beat AJ?

AJ is behind 54 of the 58 live combos and ahead of the other 4. The worst matchups are AA (9.0%), AKs (25.9%) and AQs (26.1%); its best are KQs (57.0%), 99 (45.2%) and TT (43.7%). Every figure is exact, computed against that hand's unblocked combos only.

What hands are in a value 3-betting range?

11 hand classes and 72 combos — 5.4% of the 1,326 possible starting hands. By combo count it is 50% pocket pairs (6 pairs, 36 combos), 17% suited hands (3 classes, 12 combos) and 33% offsuit hands (2 classes, 24 combos). That shape is why AJ runs at 32.4% against it rather than against a random hand.

Does AJ do better against a wider or a tighter range?

Wider, almost always. AJ has 61.1% equity against a loose-passive calling range (50.5% of hands) but 33.5% against a 4-betting range (3.2%). Equity against a range is mostly a question of how many weak hands the range still contains — which is why the same holding can be a monster against a button open and a fold against a 4-bet.

Run any hand vs range in the free equity calculator · All hand-vs-range matchups · aj vs utg-open · aj vs mp-open · aj vs co-open · aa vs 3bet-value · aa vs 3bet-bluff · kk vs 3bet-value