How do you play ace five suited?

Ace five suited is a flexible speculative hand that opens from most seats and makes one of the best re-raise bluffs, because the ace blocks the hands that could call you.

Ace Five Suited

Speculative

59.9%

Equity vs a random hand

4

Combos (of 1,326)

5/5

Seats that open it

Open it from any seat, and use it as a re-raise bluff against opens, since holding an ace makes it less likely your opponent has aces or ace king. It also plays better than the other wheel aces because the five makes more straights than a deuce, trey, or four kicker, from the wheel up to nine high, giving you a second way to win a big pot beyond the flush. When called, it has clean equity with the nut flush draw and the wheel draw.

This hand opens for a raise from every position, including under the gun.

Common mistake: Treating it as a strong made hand. Its value is in the flush and straight draws and the bluff potential, not in making a weak pair of aces and calling down.

Quick tip: The ace blocks aces and ace king, which is exactly why it makes a good re-raise bluff. The wheel is the bonus.