Poker hand notation: how to read AKs, AKo, 22+ and ranges
Poker strategy articles, charts and hand histories use a short notation for hands and ranges. Once you know it, you can read any range chart in seconds.
Card letters
Section titled “Card letters”| Letter | Card |
|---|---|
| A | Ace |
| K | King |
| Q | Queen |
| J | Jack |
| T | Ten (sometimes written 10) |
| 9–2 | Number cards |
Suits are written with symbols (♠ ♥ ♦ ♣) or letters: s spades, h hearts, d diamonds, c clubs — e.g. AhKh is ace-king of hearts.
Suited and offsuit
Section titled “Suited and offsuit”- AKs — ace-king suited (same suit): 4 combinations.
- AKo — ace-king offsuit (different suits): 12 combinations.
- AK — any ace-king: 16 combinations.
See hand combinations.
77 means pocket sevens (6 combinations). AA is pocket aces.
Ranges
Section titled “Ranges”| Notation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 77+ | 77, 88, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA |
| A2s+ | A2s, A3s … AKs (all suited aces) |
| ATo+ | ATo, AJo, AQo, AKo |
| KTs-K8s | KTs, K9s, K8s |
| 22-66 | 22, 33, 44, 55, 66 |
In hand histories and forums
Section titled “In hand histories and forums”Hands are often written like: “UTG opens 2.5bb, BTN 3-bets with AQs, flop Ks 7d 2c.” Positions use short names: UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB. See poker positions and hand history.
See also the poker glossary and hand ranges.
What does AKs mean in poker?
Section titled “What does AKs mean in poker?”Ace-king suited: an ace and a king of the same suit.
What does 77+ mean?
Section titled “What does 77+ mean?”Pocket sevens and every higher pair: 77, 88, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK and AA.
What does T mean in poker notation?
Section titled “What does T mean in poker notation?”A ten.
How many combinations does AKo have?
Section titled “How many combinations does AKo have?”Twelve; AKs has four and all AK hands have sixteen.