Probability of pair before flop ten handed verses heads-up
 

Help resolve an office debate:
If the odds of being dealt any pair before the flop ten-handed are 16 to 1, what are the odds of being dealt any pair before the flop heads-up?

Re: Probability of pair before flop ten handed verses heads-up
 

Ummm, they are the exact same.

Am I missing something here?

Why would the location of random cards (be they in the deck or in seats 3-10) affect anything here?

Re: Probability of pair before flop ten handed verses heads-up
 

Intuitively, a co-worker thought that the odds of one player out ten being dealt a pocket pair was greater than one player out of two being dealt a pocket pair.

If the expected value of a pocket pair heads-up is greater than ten handed, wouldn't the probability of it being dealt heads-up be less?
Why is holding a K with an average kicker playable heads-up but an easy fold ten handed? Is it because the odds of your opponent (heads-up) having a pair isn't as great?

Re: Probability of pair before flop ten handed verses heads-up
 

Your initial question was unclear. The odds of you being dealt a pocket pair does not change no matter how many people are dealt cards. The odds of anyone being dealt a pocket pair increases as the number of players dealt hands increases.