Offsuit (o)
Offsuit means that two cards are of different suits. In Hold'em, an offsuit starting hand has hole cards of different suits, and is a little weaker than the same hand suited. In notation, it is written with an 'o', such as AKo.
The simple explanation
Hands such as A♠ K♥ are offsuit. They cannot make a flush with only those two cards. Suited hands are slightly better, since they can also make flushes.
A closer look
In starting-hand charts, hands are written as AKs for suited and AKo for offsuit. Offsuit hands are more common: there are 12 ways to make an offsuit ace-king and 4 ways to make a suited one. Offsuit hands are generally weaker by 2 to 3 percent in equity, and they lose some playability. Small offsuit hands, such as seven-two, are the worst starting hands.
A practical example
You are dealt A♠ K♦. This is ace-king offsuit, written AKo.
Full explanation
Offsuit means that two cards are of different suits. In Hold’em, an offsuit starting hand has hole cards of different suits, and is a little weaker than the same hand suited. In notation, it is written with an ‘o’, such as AKo.
Offsuit means that the cards have different suits.
It is written with an ‘o’, such as AKo.
Offsuit hands are a bit weaker than suited ones.
There are more combinations of offsuit hands.
Alternative spelling: Offsuit, off-suit, off suit
An offsuit hand
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 spades (As)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 with ace of spades and king of diamonds. The cards are of different suits, so the hand is offsuit.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of spades (As)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.