When asking a professional poker player how to play A-2 in a cash game, most of them will have a one-word answer: don’t.

The ace is always enticing, and some think it’s the prettiest card in the deck. An ace alone has many possibilities, and when paired with a face card like a king, it screams to be played. But A-2 is a trick. It sounds appealing because of the ace, and the deuce tricks the player into thinking that low straight draw is something … it’s a very little something.

The only thing that turns A-2 into a more appealing hand – one to consider playing – is if it’s suited. If the ace and deuce are beautifully connected, the duo then opens up flush in poker. Even so, it is dangerous.

Beware the A-2 suited.

Getting Rid of A-2 Offsuit in Poker

There is a nickname for any hole cards that consist of an ace and a card under 10 (that would be A-2 through A-9). Those are called ace-rag, primarily because of that appealing ace paired with a throwaway second card. 

With A-2 offsuit from almost any position, the best policy is to fold. Perhaps there is a carefully chosen button or blind play with A-2, but it is not for the weak of heart. Anyone can have another ace with a better kicker. Be honest: if an ace hits the board, there is nothing much to do with it if any other player appears to have an ace. They will outkick the deuce.

In an eight-handed cash game, the A-2 hand has only little more than an 11.5% chance of winning. That percentage only marginally increases during six-handed play, wherein the chance of winning the hand improves to little more than 16%.

Use Caution with A-2 Suited

Most Texas Hold’em charts and coaches will say that there is no reason to consider playing A-2 suited from early position and only rarely from middle position. Those rare cases probably include weak players in late position, a button player who is not likely to call a raise or reraise, or players in the blinds who are not married to their blinds. And if a raise with A-2 gets reraised, it’s best to fold and live with the regret of playing A-2.

On some occasions, if the player with A-2 is on the button or in the blinds, and if the action folds around, there could be a case for raising with A-2. But again, a reraise is probably a sign to fold and never speak of it again.

A player with A-2 is facing tough odds. It is approximately 118:1 that they will flop a flush, and 15:1 to make a flush by the river. Those are not good odds, to put it nicely.

Playing A-2 suited in a six-handed game brings up the percentage of winning to little more than 20%. However, all of the usual caveats apply.

Simply put, there is little reason ever to consider playing A-2.

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