The three kinds of hand
| Type | Distinct hands | Combinations each | Total combos | Share of deals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket pairs | 13 | 6 | 78 | 5.88% |
| Suited | 78 | 4 | 312 | 23.53% |
| Offsuit | 78 | 12 | 936 | 70.59% |
| Total | 169 | — | 1326 | 100% |
The important line is the last column. Offsuit hands are three times as common as their suited versions, because there are twelve ways to make AKo and only four to make AKs.
Why the counts matter
This is the arithmetic behind every range discussion in poker. Six combinations of aces, four of any given suited hand, twelve of any given offsuit hand.
So when you put an opponent on "aces or ace-king", you are saying 6 combos of AA against 16 of AK, which is a much wider gap than the two hand names suggest.
Card removal sharpens it further. Holding an ace yourself cuts the opponent's possible aces from 6 combinations to 3, and their AK from 16 to 8. Half their strongest holdings disappear because of one card in your hand.
How rare a big pair actually is
Pocket pairs are 5.88% of deals, or about one hand in 17. A specific pair such as aces is 6 combinations in 1,326, which is one in 221.
Aces or kings together is one in 110. That number is worth carrying, because it is the honest answer to how often an opponent who never seems to fold actually has the hand they are representing.
What those hands are worth against each other is on our preflop matchups page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many starting hands are there in hold'em?
- 1,326 combinations, which reduce to 169 distinct hands once suits that play identically are grouped.
- How many combinations of a specific hand are there?
- Six for a pocket pair, four for a suited hand, twelve for an offsuit hand.
- How often am I dealt a pocket pair?
- 5.88% of the time, about one hand in 17. A specific pair is one in 221.
- Why does holding an ace matter for reading ranges?
- It halves the opponent's ace combinations: their AA drops from 6 to 3 and their AK from 16 to 8.
Equities on this page are computed by enumerating every one of the 1,712,304 boards that can follow the two hands shown, not by simulation, so they are exact for those specific cards. Draw and flop probabilities are exact combinatorics. The hand evaluator is checked against known orderings and the equities against published ranges before publication. Note that published figures usually quote one number per hand class while the real value moves with the suits, which is why this section names the exact cards.