KQs vs a value 3-betting range: Equity & Strategy
King-Queen Suited (KQs) has 34.1% equity all-in preflop against a value 3-betting range — 72 combos, 5.4% of all starting hands. It wins 31.5% of runouts outright, loses 63.2% and chops 5.3%. These are exact figures from full board enumeration against every unblocked combo in the range, not a simulation.
| Side | Win | Chop | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| KQs | 31.5% | 5.3% | 34.1% |
| a value 3-betting range | 63.2% | 5.3% | 65.9% |
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, 57 of those 72 combos are still available (15 are blocked by the cards KQs holds). KQs is ahead of 0 and behind 57.
Hardest parts of the range for KQs
| Hand | Combos | KQs equity |
|---|---|---|
| KK | 3 | 13.9% |
| AA | 6 | 17.1% |
| AKs | 3 | 28.6% |
| AQs | 3 | 28.6% |
| AKo | 9 | 29.6% |
Easiest parts of the range for KQs
| Hand | Combos | KQs equity |
|---|---|---|
| KQs | 3 | 50.0% |
| 99 | 6 | 47.4% |
| TT | 6 | 46.3% |
| JJ | 6 | 46.3% |
| 3 | 35.3% |
Put KQs up against a value 3-betting range — 72 combos, 5.4% of all hands — and the exact answer is 34.1% equity: 31.5% outright wins, 63.2% losses and 5.3% chops. Your own two cards remove 15 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. There is not one combo in the range that KQs is a favourite against: all 57 live combos are in front of it. A range-average of 34.1% here is not an average of good spots and bad ones — every spot is a bad one.
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, KQs does worst against KK (13.9%), AA (17.1%) and AKs (28.6%) and best against KQs (50.0%), 99 (47.4%) and TT (46.3%). Across the whole range KQs's equity swings from 13.9% at the bottom to 50.0% at the top — the single 34.1% headline is the combo-weighted average of all of it.
A value 3-betting range is where KQs either continues or folds, and 34.1% is the number that decides it. At 34.1% 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. You are priced in against a pot-sized bet (which needs about 33%).
KQs vs 3-bet (value) FAQ
What is KQs's equity against a value 3-betting range?
KQs has 34.1% equity all-in preflop against a value 3-betting range — it wins 31.5% of runouts outright, loses 63.2% and chops 5.3%. The range holds 72 combos (5.4% of all hands); KQs blocks 15 of them, leaving 57 live. This is exact full board enumeration, not a simulation.
Which hands in a value 3-betting range beat KQs?
All of them — KQs is behind every one of the 57 live combos. The worst are KK (13.9%), AA (17.1%) and AKs (28.6%), and the closest it gets is KQs (50.0%), 99 (47.4%) and TT (46.3%). 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 KQs runs at 34.1% against it rather than against a random hand.
Does KQs do better against a wider or a tighter range?
Wider, almost always. KQs has 57.5% equity against a loose-passive calling range (50.5% of hands) but 29.5% 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 · kqs vs utg-open · kqs vs mp-open · kqs vs co-open · aa vs 3bet-value · aa vs 3bet-bluff · kk vs 3bet-value