Preflop Equity Calculator
Estimate your preflop equity percentage in Texas Hold'em based on hand strength, table position, opponent range, and the action type. Use it to study open-raising, 3-betting, and 4-betting decisions.
About this calculator
Preflop equity in Texas Hold'em is shaped by four interacting factors: the raw strength of your hole cards, your position relative to the button, the tightness of your opponent's range, and the betting action. This calculator assigns a base equity to each hand category — 85% for premium hands (AA, KK, AKs), 65% for strong hands, 45% for medium, 25% for weak — then applies multiplicative adjustments. The full formula is: Equity = baseStrength × positionMultiplier / rangeMultiplier × actionMultiplier, where positionMultiplier is 1.15 on the button, 0.9 in early position; rangeMultiplier is 1.2 vs. a tight range (your equity shrinks) and 0.7 vs. a very loose range; and actionMultiplier is 0.8 when facing a 4-bet. These coefficients are calibrated approximations — real equity requires enumeration over all board runouts — but they capture the directional logic taught in poker theory.
How to use
You hold a strong hand (65% base), you are on the button (×1.15), facing a medium opponent range (÷1.0), and the action is a standard raise (×1.0). Equity = 65 × 1.15 / 1.0 × 1.0 = 74.75%. Now suppose the same hand faces a 3-bet (×0.9): 65 × 1.15 × 0.9 / 1.0 = 67.3%. If the opponent also has a tight range (÷1.2): 65 × 1.15 × 0.9 / 1.2 = 56.1%. Each adjustment narrows your edge, illustrating why position and opponent range dramatically affect preflop profitability.
Frequently asked questions
What hands are considered premium in Texas Hold'em preflop?
Premium hands are generally defined as pocket Aces (AA), pocket Kings (KK), pocket Queens (QQ), and Ace-King suited (AKs). These hands are profitable to play from any position and against most ranges, and they typically have 70–85% equity heads-up against a random hand. Some players extend 'premium' to include JJ and AKo, though these require more situational awareness. The key characteristic of a premium hand is that it dominates or flips well against the realistic range an opponent has when they commit chips preflop.
How does table position affect my preflop equity in poker?
Position affects equity in two ways: directly, because acting last gives you more information and allows profitable plays that out-of-position players cannot make; and indirectly, through range construction. Players in late position (cutoff, button) can profitably open wider ranges, which increases the average equity of their opening range versus blinds. Players in early position must open tighter ranges, but each hand they do open has higher raw equity. The button is the most valuable seat — you act last in every postflop street — which is why the calculator applies a 1.15 position multiplier there.
Why does my preflop equity decrease when I face a tight opponent range?
When an opponent has a tight range — meaning they only continue with strong hands like TT+, AJs+, AQo+ — your hand's equity decreases because their range has more high-card and pair strength on average. For example, your AKo has roughly 67% equity against a random hand but only about 50% against a tight 4-bet range of QQ+/AK. The range divisor in this calculator is 1.2 vs. tight ranges to capture that reduction. Conversely, against a very loose range (many weak hands), your equity increases, which is why the divisor drops to 0.7 and your displayed equity rises.