72s

Overview

72s refers to a hand consisting of a 7 and a 2 of the same suit (e.g., both spades). It is an extremely weak starting hand. Due to the low card ranks and the fact that it can only make small pairs, straights, or flushes, its win rate is generally very low.

Strategy Advice

• In general, 72s should be folded from any position. Even in the blinds, you should fold facing a raise.
• Some players occasionally use 72s for bluffs in specific situations, such as when flopping a flush draw or a gutshot straight draw, but the EV is negative in the long run.
• During blind vs. blind battles, if your opponent folds frequently, using 72s to raise very rarely might have some effect, but this requires a high skill level.

Pop Culture

In the poker community, 72s is often used as the quintessential “worst starting hand.” Some players deliberately use 72s to win a pot as a brag or to build an image, but this is purely recreational.

Related Content

• 72o (offsuit 7 and 2) is even worse than 72s because it has no flush potential.
• In poker probability simulations, 72s has a showdown win rate of about 12-15%, well below average.