What is equity in poker?
Equity in poker (or equity) is the percentage of the pot you statistically "own" at a given moment, if the hand went to showdown. In other words: how often your hand will win in the long run if both players stay until the river.
If you have 60% equity against your opponent, it means you'll win that matchup 60 times out of 100 on average. This notion is fundamental for every call, all-in or fold decision, especially preflop.
The classic matchups to know
Hand vs Hand vs Hand vs Range: what's the difference?
The Hand vs Hand mode computes the equity between two specific hands — for example AKs against QQ. It's useful to understand classic matchups and validate your intuitions on precise spots.
The Hand vs Range mode is closer to real play: you never know exactly which hand the opponent has. You compute your hand's equity against every combination of their range — for example AKs against the BTN opening range (about 25% of hands). This calculation is exhaustive and slower, which is why it uses a Web Worker so it doesn't block the interface.
How does the Monte Carlo simulation work?
The Monte Carlo simulation is a statistical method that generates a large number of random boards (the community cards of the flop, turn and river) and counts how often each hand wins. With 10,000 simulations, the margin of error is below 1% — enough for all practical poker decisions.
It's the method used by most online calculators because it's fast and applicable to any situation, including with a partial board (flop or turn already dealt).
Why calculating equity improves your game
Understanding equity helps you better calibrate your preflop all-in decisions, justify or rule out your calls against a big bet, and above all develop your intuition for the real strength relationships between hands. A player who knows the equities of the 10 most frequent matchups has a significant decision-making edge.
Ultimately, the goal isn't to calculate at the table (you can't), but to have absorbed these probabilities through study so you recognize them instantly in real situations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the equity of AK against QQ?
AKs has about 46% equity against QQ preflop, and AKo about 43%. So the queens are slightly favored in both cases — it's the archetype of the "close coin flip" in poker, often called a race.
How do you calculate equity without software?
The rule of 2 and 4 lets you estimate your equity from your number of outs: multiply by 4 on the flop (2 cards to come), multiply by 2 on the turn (1 card). Example: 9 outs (flush) = about 36% on the flop. It's a quick approximation — for more precision, use a calculator.
Does the calculator work for PLO?
No, our calculator is designed for Texas Hold'em only. PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) needs a different calculation engine because of the 4 hole cards and the rule of using exactly 2 cards.
Can you calculate equity with a partial board?
Yes — the Board field is optional. You can enter 0, 3, 4 or 5 cards. The calculator takes the already-dealt cards into account to generate only compatible boards.