Aces Up
Aces up is a two pair hand in which one of the pairs is aces.
The simple explanation
Aces up is a two pair hand in which one of the pairs is aces. For example, two aces and two nines is aces up, or aces up with nines. The name gives the higher pair first, and the second pair is often added.
A closer look
Two pair hands are compared by the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the fifth card. Aces up beats every two pair whose top pair is lower, and a pair of aces with a better second pair beats it when both players have aces up. Two pair is a good hand, but it is vulnerable to straights and flushes and to a full house on a paired board. Aces up is therefore a hand to bet, but not to lose all your chips with against heavy action.
A practical example
The board is A♦ 9♣ K♠ 4♥ 2♣. One player holds A♠ 9♦ for aces up with nines. Another holds A♥ K♣ for aces up with kings, and wins because kings beat nines.
Full explanation
Aces up is a two pair hand in which one of the pairs is aces.
Aces up is a two pair hand with a pair of aces as the higher pair. It is the best two pair, since no pair is higher than aces.
If two players both have aces up, the second pair decides, and then the kicker.
The hand beats one pair and is beaten by three of a kind or better.
It is also called acey-uppy.
Aces up
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)99 of diamonds (9d) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)99 of diamonds (9d) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)99 of diamonds (9d) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player A pairs his ace and his nine. Two pair with the higher pair of aces is called aces up.
Board: AAce of spades (As)99 of clubs (9c)44 of diamonds (4d)
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)99 of diamonds (9d) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.