AA vs QQ: how big a favorite are aces?

Queens are in exactly the same trap as kings here: they need to spike a set or catch a runout of straights and flushes, and most of the time they will not. The interesting part is how little the gap between the pairs matters. Aces against queens is barely different from aces against kings, because the underdog pair wins almost only by hitting one of its two cards. Queens preflop are still strong enough to get stacks in against most opponents; they are simply unlucky when the one hand ahead of them shows up twice as often as usual, since both bigger pairs beat them.

Quick tip: Queens against a huge preflop raising war are in trouble: AA, KK, and AK make up most of that range, and only AK is a race.

All numbers are all-in preflop equity vs one opponent, computed by the Poker Shark equity engine from the full 169 by 169 hand matrix, weighted across suited and offsuit combos.