AQ, "The Computer Hand" Myth: origins?

I have heard a few references to AQ being the computer hand, where supposedly someone ran a powerful simulation on a computer and AQ won more (often/money?) than any other hand.


Obviously, these results are hogwash, but I'm still curious. I can only assume that this was a standard "showdown" simulation where the various hands in play did not use intelligence in deciding whether or not to stay in, i.e. deal out 10 random hands, spread a random board and see which one stood up. Lather, rinse, repeat a zillion times.


Does anyone know from where this came, and if so what were the parameters of the sim? Where was this published?


If anything, I'd like to point hapless victims to the study in hopes they will start playing more garbage. There's a guy I play on occasion who will say "computer hand" pre-flop and raise. he always shows AQ if he stays to the showdown in these instances. Hehee.

Click the link below for numerous RGP discussions on this anomaly:

I knew that, and not sure why I typed "AQ" in my post. Maybe I just immediately erase Q7 from my mind when I see it, or maybe I'm stuck on AQ which seems to be my favorite lately.


My bad, dogg

The computer hand is Q7, not AQ. Q7o was found to be the median hand in in computer simulations some years ago.

but if you read the discussions in the "some info here..." link I gave, you'll find a number of other answers. Mike caro has an interesting answer as do a number of othe rfolks, but no one ever posted anything I found to be definitive.


Could just be one of those urban myths...

For some twisted reason, naming Q7 the "computer hand" intrigues me, too. Surprisingly, the hand is shown on the cover of Super/System, to which David Sklansky contributed. So, I suspect he might be familiar with its origin or meaning.


What say ye, Mr. Sklansky?

i heard someone once say that Q7 was the average or median (i forget which) winning hand value at showdown. i don't know how one would arrive at that, obviously skewed software.

Margie Heinz (poker room manager at the El Dorado in Reno) credits it to her ex husband. See the URL below.

"i heard someone once say that Q7 was the average or median (i forget which) winning hand value at showdown. i don't know how one would arrive at that, obviously skewed software."


I've heard that it's the hand most likely to win in a showdown heads up when all in pre-flop and there is no straight on the board.


Pretty useful info, huh?

I was reading some of the usenet thread you posted the link to, and someone says on there that a copy editor turned QJs into Q7s by mistake in Caro's article. QJs makes a helluva lot more sense.