99 (Pocket nines) odds & win probability
99 wins 72.0% of the time against a random hand and ranks 6 of 169 starting hands. It is a pocket pair with 6 combinations, 0.5% of all deals, and it is a raise from under the gun onward in a 6-max game.
The numbers
| Against | Equity |
|---|---|
| One random hand | 72.0% |
| 2 random hands | 53.5% |
| 4 random hands | 32.6% |
| 6 random hands | 22.6% |
| 8 random hands | 17.2% |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Wins outright | 71.6% |
| Splits the pot | 0.8% |
| Loses | 27.6% |
| Combinations | 6 |
| Share of all deals | 0.45% |
| Playability rank | 6 of 169 |
| Percentile | 97.0 |
Where 99 sits in each opening range
Six-max, 100 big blinds. The gold outline marks 99; red is the raising range.
- UTGRaise
Under the gun opening range with 99 highlighted - HJRaise
Hijack opening range with 99 highlighted - CORaise
Cutoff opening range with 99 highlighted - BTNRaise
Button opening range with 99 highlighted - SBRaise
Small blind opening range with 99 highlighted
How to play 99
Playing it before the flop
Open it from under the gun onward. At 72.0% against a random hand 99 is comfortably profitable, but it is an overpair to only some flops rather than most of them, and there are still higher pairs behind you.
Facing a 3-bet
This is where the hand gets awkward. Against a tight 3-bettor you are usually flipping at best and dominated at worst, so calling to see a flop is often better than committing. Against a wide button or blind 3-bet, re-raising is fine, their range simply contains too much air to fold to.
After the flop
Roughly half the flops bring an overcard, and that is the whole story of playing 99. On a low board you have an overpair and should bet it. With two overcards out you have a bluff-catcher, and bluff-catchers call once, not three times.
Common matchups
99 questions
How often does 99 win?
99 wins 72.0% of the time against a single random hand, 71.6% outright, with a 0.8% chance of splitting the pot. That makes it the 6th strongest of the 169 starting hands.
Should I raise with 99?
Yes, from under the gun onward in a six-handed game. Earlier than that there are too many players still to act for the hand to be profitable as an open.
How many combinations of 99 are there?
There are 6 combinations of Pocket nines, which is 0.5% of the 1,326 possible starting hands. Every pocket pair has six.
How does 99 hold up against several opponents?
Against eight opponents its equity falls to 17.2%. Every extra player reduces the share, but a hand that makes the nuts loses less of it than a hand that only makes a pair.
Neighbouring hands
- Next stepThe UTG opening range in full99 is one cell of it. The chart shows the other 168 decisions from the same seat, which is what you actually need at the table.
- QQ, Pocket queens79.9% · rank 3
- JJ, Pocket jacks77.5% · rank 4
- TT, Pocket tens75.0% · rank 5
- 88, Pocket eights69.2% · rank 7
- AKs, Ace-King suited67.1% · rank 8
- AQs, Ace-Queen suited66.2% · rank 9
Hear the day the 99 drills open
You read the whole page, which is more than most. The course and the trainer that deals 99 from every seat open without a card while Learn GTO is in early access, and this list hears first when that changes.
Held in this browser only, nothing is sent anywhere yet.