AA vs KK Odds: Pocket Aces vs Pocket Kings
Last updated: May 15, 2026
Pocket Aces (AA) wins 82.4% of the time against Pocket Kings (KK) preflop. KK wins 17.1% (mainly by flopping a king or running a backdoor straight or flush), and the two hands tie 0.5%. This is the most discussed cooler in Texas Hold'em — both hands are premium, yet AA is a 4.8-to-1 favourite once the money goes in.
The Exact Number: 82.4% vs 17.1%
Across the 1,712,304 possible 5-card board runouts that follow an AA vs KK preflop all-in, AA wins exactly 1,411,956 of them, KK wins 293,128, and 7,220 produce a split pot. The percentages — 82.42% / 17.12% / 0.46% — are derived analytically, not via Monte Carlo approximation.
AA Wins
82.4%
KK Wins
17.1%
Tie
0.5%
Ties happen when the board produces a higher hand than either pocket pair — for example, a straight on the board (10-J-Q-K-A) or four of a kind on the board. These are vanishingly rare, but real.
Does the Suit Matter?
The suits of AA and KK shift the matchup by at most 0.6 percentage points. The largest edge for AA comes when AA shares both suits with KK — this blocks the suits KK would need to make a flush. The narrowest edge happens when the two hands share no suits at all.
Preflop equity by suit combination
Post-Flop: When Does the Equity Flip?
Once the flop comes, equity can swing dramatically. A flop that misses both hands keeps AA around 91% to win the remaining streets. A king on the flop is the only realistic way KK takes over — and when it lands, KK becomes a 91.6% favourite.
Equity given specific flops and runouts
Why Is AA a 4.8-to-1 Favourite?
KK has only 2 outs to improve to a set — the two remaining kings in a 50-card deck (after both hole cards in each hand are removed). With 5 community cards to come, the probability of at least one king appearing is about 16.5%. The remaining 0.6% of KK's equity comes from runner-runner straights and flushes that beat AA.
KK's equity sources
- Flop a king (and AA doesn't improve)11.2%
- Turn/river a king (and AA doesn't improve)5.3%
- Runner-runner straight beating AA0.4%
- Runner-runner flush (when AA blocks)0.2%
- Total KK equity17.1%
How to Play AA vs KK All-In Decisions
KK is the second-best preflop hand and almost always goes all-in profitably. The cases where folding KK preflop is correct are narrow and specific:
Cash game — always get it in
Against any reasonable 4-bet/5-bet range, KK has 70%+ equity. Even against an all-in range of {AA, KK only}, KK is 50% — and that range is unrealistic. Folding KK in cash is almost never correct.
Tournament — 95% of the time, get it in
Stack-off with KK unless ICM is severe (bubble or final table) and the all-in range is tighter than {AA, KK}. Mid-stage MTT: stack off. Bubble with multiple shorter stacks behind: re-evaluate.
Live $1/$2 cash 5-bet all-in
Folding KK to a recreational player's 5-bet all-in is sometimes defensible — many low-stakes live players only 5-bet AA. Note the player's history before folding.
How AA vs KK Compares to Other Premium Matchups
Definitions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the exact odds of AA vs KK preflop?
AA wins 82.4% of the time, KK wins 17.1%, and the hands tie 0.5%. This number comes from full enumeration across all 1,712,304 possible 5-card boards once both hands are dealt. The 82/17 figure is one of the most stable equity numbers in Texas Hold'em — it does not change based on stack size, position, or any betting action.
Does it matter what suits AA and KK have?
Slightly. When AA holds the same two suits as KK (for example A♠A♥ vs K♠K♥), AA wins 82.6% because AA blocks the suits KK would need to make a flush. When the hands share no suits at all (A♥A♦ vs K♠K♣), AA wins 82.0%. The maximum suit-effect swing is about 0.6% — far smaller than most players assume.
How often does AA face KK in poker?
The probability of being dealt AA is 1 in 221 (0.45%) and the same for KK. The probability of two specific opponents holding AA and KK simultaneously is approximately 1 in 22,100 hands. In a 9-handed game, the chance that AA appears against any KK at the table is roughly 1 in 2,500 hands — rare but inevitable over a long career.
Should I always get all-in with KK preflop?
In a vacuum, yes — KK is the second-strongest preflop hand and getting all-in is +EV against any range below it. The 17.1% you lose to AA is more than compensated by the equity gained against QQ-22, AK, AQ, and other dominated holdings. The only spots to consider folding KK preflop are extreme tournament situations (ICM bubble with multiple all-in callers) or live 4-bet/5-bet action from a player with a tight range.
How many outs does KK have against AA?
KK has 2 outs preflop — the two remaining kings in the deck. With 5 community cards to come, this gives KK approximately 17.1% equity. The Rule of 4 & 2 estimates 2 × 8 = 16% (using the rule of 4 twice would over-count), and the exact calculation accounts for runner-runner straights and flushes that occasionally save KK.
What about AA vs AK — is that the same as AA vs KK?
No. AA vs AKo is 87.4% vs 12.6% — AA is a bigger favourite against AK than against KK. AK shares an ace with AA, which removes 3 of AK's overcard outs (only one ace remains in the deck). AKs (suited) does slightly better at 87.2% vs 12.3% with flush equity. AA vs KK at 82/17 is closer because KK has 2 clean outs vs AK's blocked outs.
Has anyone calculated AA vs KK without simulation?
Yes — AA vs KK can be computed analytically by enumerating all C(48,5) = 1,712,304 board runouts. Of these, AA wins exactly 1,411,956 hands, KK wins 293,128, and 7,220 result in a chopped pot. Dividing gives 82.42% / 17.12% / 0.46%. This is one of the few matchups simple enough to calculate without Monte Carlo simulation.
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