Reference / 6-max NLHE cash

All 169 NLHE starting hands, ranked two ways

Equity says AA wins 85.2% against one random hand and 32o wins 32.3%, measured over 5,000,000 Monte Carlo trials. Equity also says A9o is the 25th-best hand in the game, and the solver folds it from under the gun anyway. This page holds both rankings side by side: raw equity for every hand, and what eight real 6-max solves (20bb to 200bb) actually open from every seat.

By Adam (SolvePoker) · equity from 5,000,000 trials · solver frequencies from 8 solves, 5% cap 1.5bb rake, except 20/30/50/100bb on 5% cap 2bb

42 hands every seat opens at 100bb

65 hands no seat opens at any depth (49.2% of combos)

A9o best hand UTG folds at 100bb (#25 by equity)

53s lowest-equity button open at 100bb (39.7%)

Equity is not playability

The two rankings disagree in both directions, and the disagreements are where the learning is. A9o wins 60.8% against a random hand, 25th of 169, and under the gun at 100bb the solver opens it 0.0% of the time. Nothing about its equity changed; what changed is the range that continues against an early open, which is exactly the set of hands that dominate it. Going the other way, 53s wins only 39.7% against a random hand, and the button opens it 100.0% of the time, because suitedness and playability are worth more than raw showdown share when you act last.

The cleanest pair: KJo beats T9s on raw equity, 60.5% to 54.0%. At 100bb the solver opens T9s at 100% from under the gun and every seat after it, while KJo, 6.5 points better in a vacuum, is only a 79% mix from the same seat. Suited and connected outranks big and dominated everywhere the money is deep, and the gap between the suited and offsuit version of the same two ranks runs up to 3.7 points of equity.

The full ranking, with solver opens at 100bb

Equity is against one random hand. The five position columns show the solver's raise-first-in frequency at 100bb; gold means it opens (50%+), dim means a mix, blank means fold. The CSV carries the full 5-position x 8-depth matrix.

#	Hand	Combos	Equity	Top %	UTG	HJ	CO	BTN	SB
1	AA	6	85.2%	0.5%	100	100	100	100	98
2	KK	6	82.4%	0.9%	100	100	100	100	96
3	QQ	6	80.0%	1.4%	100	100	100	100	95
4	JJ	6	77.5%	1.8%	100	100	100	100	99
5	TT	6	75.0%	2.3%	100	100	100	100	98
6	99	6	72.1%	2.7%	100	100	100	100	97
7	88	6	69.1%	3.2%	100	100	100	100	75
8	AKs	4	67.0%	3.5%	100	100	100	100	100
9	77	6	66.2%	3.9%	100	100	100	100	66
10	AQs	4	66.2%	4.2%	100	100	100	100	100
11	AJs	4	65.4%	4.5%	100	100	100	100	99
12	AKo	12	65.3%	5.4%	100	100	100	100	94
13	ATs	4	64.6%	5.7%	100	100	100	100	99
14	AQo	12	64.5%	6.6%	100	100	100	100	99
15	AJo	12	63.6%	7.5%	100	100	100	100	89
16	KQs	4	63.4%	7.8%	100	100	100	100	98
17	66	6	63.3%	8.3%	70	100	100	100	72
18	A9s	4	62.8%	8.6%	100	100	100	100	100
19	ATo	12	62.7%	9.5%	100	100	100	100	78
20	KJs	4	62.6%	9.8%	100	100	100	100	100
21	A8s	4	62.0%	10.1%	100	100	100	100	100
22	KTs	4	61.8%	10.4%	100	100	100	100	100
23	KQo	12	61.5%	11.3%	100	100	100	100	80
24	A7s	4	61.0%	11.6%	100	100	100	100	71
25	A9o	12	60.8%	12.5%		85	100	100	95
26	KJo	12	60.5%	13.4%	79	100	100	100	81
27	55	6	60.3%	13.9%	17	63	100	100	70
28	QJs	4	60.3%	14.2%	100	100	100	100	99
29	K9s	4	60.0%	14.5%	100	100	100	100	94
30	A5s	4	59.9%	14.8%	100	100	100	100	94
31	A6s	4	59.9%	15.1%	100	100	100	100	75
32	A8o	12	59.9%	16.0%			100	100	100
33	KTo	12	59.8%	16.9%	66	100	100	100	86
34	QTs	4	59.5%	17.2%	100	100	100	100	100
35	A4s	4	59.0%	17.5%	100	100	100	100	87
36	A7o	12	58.8%	18.4%				100	100
37	K8s	4	58.3%	18.7%	100	100	100	100	54
38	A3s	4	58.2%	19.0%	100	100	100	100	54
39	QJo	12	58.2%	19.9%	21	84	100	100	82
40	K9o	12	57.8%	20.8%				100	100
41	A6o	12	57.7%	21.7%			37	100	100
42	A5o	12	57.7%	22.6%	3	37	100	100	100
43	Q9s	4	57.7%	22.9%	100	100	100	100	44
44	JTs	4	57.5%	23.2%	100	100	100	100	100
45	K7s	4	57.5%	23.5%	92	100	100	100	83
46	A2s	4	57.4%	23.8%	100	100	100	100	24
47	QTo	12	57.3%	24.7%	18	85	100	100	84
48	44	6	57.0%	25.2%	9	27	92	100	72
49	A4o	12	56.7%	26.1%				100	92
50	K6s	4	56.6%	26.4%	100	100	100	100	75
51	K8o	12	56.0%	27.3%				61	99
52	Q8s	4	56.0%	27.6%		12	100	100	83
53	A3o	12	55.9%	28.5%				100	51
54	K5s	4	55.8%	28.8%	99	100	100	100	72
55	J9s	4	55.7%	29.1%	3	100	100	100	82
56	Q9o	12	55.4%	30.0%				100	100
57	JTo	12	55.3%	30.9%		21	100	100	81
58	K7o	12	55.2%	31.8%
59	A2o	12	55.0%	32.7%
60	K4s	4	54.9%	33.0%		21	100	100	88
61	Q7s	4	54.3%	33.3%			44	100	100
62	K6o	12	54.2%	34.2%				8
63	K3s	4	54.1%	34.5%			100	100	100
64	T9s	4	54.0%	34.8%	100	100	100	100	99
65	J8s	4	54.0%	35.1%			100	100	55
66	33	6	53.7%	35.6%	6	10	47	100	76
67	Q6s	4	53.6%	35.9%			100	100	88
68	Q8o	12	53.6%	36.8%					24
69	K5o	12	53.3%	37.7%
70	J9o	12	53.3%	38.6%				100	88
71	K2s	4	53.2%	38.9%				100	100
72	Q5s	4	52.8%	39.2%			3	100	94
73	K4o	12	52.3%	40.1%
74	T8s	4	52.3%	40.4%		100	100	100	72
75	J7s	4	52.3%	40.7%				100	100
76	Q4s	4	51.9%	41.0%				100	98
77	Q7o	12	51.8%	41.9%
78	J8o	12	51.5%	42.8%					12
79	T9o	12	51.5%	43.7%			49	100	89
80	K3o	12	51.5%	44.6%
81	Q6o	12	51.0%	45.5%
82	Q3s	4	51.0%	45.9%				100	100
83	98s	4	50.8%	46.1%	23	84	100	100	63
84	T7s	4	50.6%	46.5%			100	100	88
85	J6s	4	50.6%	46.8%				100	100
86	K2o	12	50.5%	47.7%
87	22	6	50.3%	48.1%	11	17	55	100	79
88	Q2s	4	50.2%	48.4%				100	100
89	Q5o	12	50.1%	49.3%
90	J5s	4	50.0%	49.6%				100	100
91	T8o	12	49.7%	50.5%				100	87
92	J7o	12	49.7%	51.4%
93	Q4o	12	49.1%	52.3%
94	97s	4	49.1%	52.6%			100	100	75
95	J4s	4	49.0%	52.9%				100	64
96	T6s	4	49.0%	53.2%				100	100
97	J3s	4	48.3%	53.5%
98	Q3o	12	48.2%	54.5%
99	98o	12	48.1%	55.4%				100	83
100	87s	4	48.0%	55.7%	27	53	100	100	76
101	T7o	12	47.9%	56.6%
102	J6o	12	47.8%	57.5%
103	96s	4	47.4%	57.8%				100	93
104	J2s	4	47.4%	58.1%					1
105	Q2o	12	47.3%	59.0%
106	J5o	12	47.2%	59.9%
107	T5s	4	47.2%	60.2%				100	93
108	T4s	4	46.6%	60.5%				32	22
109	97o	12	46.3%	61.4%
110	86s	4	46.2%	61.7%			31	100	93
111	J4o	12	46.2%	62.6%
112	T6o	12	46.1%	63.5%
113	95s	4	45.7%	63.8%				96	40
114	T3s	4	45.7%	64.1%
115	76s	4	45.4%	64.4%	50	89	100	100	87
116	J3o	12	45.3%	65.3%
117	87o	12	45.1%	66.2%					28
118	T2s	4	44.9%	66.5%
119	85s	4	44.5%	66.8%				100	100
120	96o	12	44.5%	67.7%
121	J2o	12	44.3%	68.6%
122	T5o	12	44.3%	69.5%
123	94s	4	43.8%	69.8%
124	75s	4	43.7%	70.1%				100	100
125	T4o	12	43.5%	71.0%
126	93s	4	43.3%	71.3%
127	86o	12	43.2%	72.3%
128	65s	4	43.1%	72.5%	94	100	100	100	83
129	84s	4	42.7%	72.8%
130	95o	12	42.7%	73.8%
131	T3o	12	42.6%	74.7%
132	92s	4	42.5%	75.0%
133	76o	12	42.3%	75.9%					1
134	74s	4	41.8%	76.2%					88
135	T2o	12	41.7%	77.1%
136	54s	4	41.5%	77.4%	80	100	100	100	66
137	85o	12	41.4%	78.3%
138	64s	4	41.4%	78.6%				100	100
139	83s	4	40.9%	78.9%
140	94o	12	40.6%	79.8%
141	75o	12	40.5%	80.7%
142	82s	4	40.3%	81.0%
143	73s	4	40.0%	81.3%
144	93o	12	40.0%	82.2%
145	65o	12	40.0%	83.1%
146	53s	4	39.7%	83.4%				100	100
147	63s	4	39.5%	83.7%
148	84o	12	39.5%	84.6%
149	92o	12	39.1%	85.5%
150	43s	4	38.7%	85.8%				34	1
151	74o	12	38.6%	86.7%
152	72s	4	38.2%	87.0%
153	54o	12	38.2%	87.9%
154	64o	12	38.0%	88.8%
155	52s	4	37.9%	89.1%
156	62s	4	37.7%	89.4%
157	83o	12	37.5%	90.3%
158	42s	4	36.8%	90.7%
159	82o	12	36.8%	91.5%
160	73o	12	36.6%	92.5%
161	53o	12	36.3%	93.4%
162	63o	12	36.1%	94.3%
163	32s	4	36.0%	94.6%
164	43o	12	35.1%	95.5%
165	72o	12	34.6%	96.4%
166	52o	12	34.3%	97.3%
167	62o	12	34.1%	98.2%
168	42o	12	33.2%	99.1%
169	32o	12	32.3%	100.0%

How the open set grows with depth

Hands opened at 50%+ frequency, as a share of all 1,326 combos. The stack-depth reference works through why, and the preflop charts render any of these cells as a full 13x13 grid.

Seat	200bb	150bb	100bb	70bb	50bb	40bb	30bb	20bb
UTG	18.3%	17.9%	18.9%	17.0%	18.9%	18.4%	19.5%	18.7%
HJ	21.1%	22.0%	23.2%	20.7%	24.0%	23.5%	22.8%	21.9%
CO	27.6%	28.5%	29.0%	26.9%	30.2%	28.8%	29.0%	25.6%
BTN	41.5%	41.5%	45.1%	42.2%	40.0%	39.5%	37.3%	32.4%
SB	44.2%	44.2%	44.5%	38.9%	46.6%	30.8%	48.4%	49.9%

Methodology

Equity: each of the 169 canonical hands was run against one uniformly random hand to showdown, 5,000,000 trials total, the same table the percentile trainer and the PQL percentile selectors use. Solver frequencies: decoded directly from the preflop strategy files of the eight 6-max solves behind the NLHE solver (the decode is certified against the tool UI and an EV-indifference check; details on the charts page). "Opens" means raise-first-in at 50% or higher frequency. Raise includes the jam channel where a short-stack tree merges them.

Download the data (CC BY 4.0, attribution: solvepoker.app)

Cite this page SolvePoker, "NLHE Starting Hand Rankings", solvepoker.app/nlhe-starting-hand-rankings, updated July 2026.

Questions, answered straight

Is 72o really the worst hand in hold'em?

Not by raw equity. Against one random hand over 5,000,000 trials, 32o wins 32.3% while 72o wins 34.6% (rank 165 of 169). 72o earns its reputation from playability: a 3 and a 2 can still land in the same straight, while a 7 and a 2 never can. Either way the solver's answer is the same: neither hand is opened from any seat at any depth.

Why does the solver fold hands with 60% equity?

Because raw equity assumes you see all five cards against a random hand, and real preflop spots are neither. A9o wins 60.8% against a random hand (rank 25 of 169), yet UTG at 100bb opens it 0.0% of the time: against the range that actually continues versus an UTG open, A9o is dominated by better aces and out-kicked broadways. Equity ranks hands in a vacuum; the solver prices in who calls.

Do these rankings change with stack depth?

The equity column doesn't; the solver columns do. The button opens 45.1% of combos at 100bb and 32.4% at 20bb, and the hands it drops are not simply the lowest-equity ones: suited connectors lose value short because implied odds shrink, while offsuit broadways gain. The stack-depth reference works through the full ladder.

Where do the solver numbers come from?

Raise-first-in frequencies decoded from the eight real 6-max NLHE cash solves behind the solver (20bb to 200bb, 5% cap 1.5bb rake, except 20/30/50/100bb on 5% cap 2bb), the same decode pipeline as the preflop charts, EV-indifference certified. "Opens" in the summary columns means a raise frequency of at least 50%. The full 5-position x 8-depth matrix per hand is in the CSV download.

Does this apply to PLO?

No. Four-card hands have a much tighter equity distribution (the best PLO4 hand wins about 71.5% against a random hand, versus 85.2% for AA here) and a completely different ranking logic. The PLO4 rankings page covers all 16,432 hand classes the same two ways.

The ranges behind these numbers are browsable

Every preflop range at every depth is free in the solver, with per-action EV. No account to look.

Open the NLHE solver