The Complete Guide to Pocket Aces: Maximizing the Best Hand in Poker

AA: The King of Preflop

Pocket aces hold over 80% equity against any single hand heads-up. But their value drops sharply in multiway pots.

Situation	AA Equity
AA vs KK (heads-up)	≈82%
AA vs random hand	≈85%
AA vs 3 players	≈64%
AA vs 5 players	≈49%

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Preflop Strategy

Situation	Action
First to open	Always raise (never limp)
Facing an open	Always 3-bet
Facing a 3-bet	Always 4-bet
Facing a 4-bet (5-bet all-in)	Always shove at 100bb or less

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Postflop Strategy

Dry Board: Fast Play

Wet Board: Protection Is Essential

Board: J♥T♥6♠

• Flush draws and straight draws are abundant
• AA can be outdrawn → bet large for protection
• Checking allows opponents to see free cards with their draws

Ace-High Board (A-x-x): Pot Control

When an ace is on the board, AA = top set. Extremely strong, but:

• Opponents' Ax hands only use one ace → extract value from top pair
• Slow-playing is viable (opponents have few hands that can catch up)

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Source: Upswing Poker, GTO Wizard Blog