Skip to content

Chance a five-card hand is exactly two pair

Question

Five cards are dealt from a well-shuffled standard 52-card deck. Find the probability that the hand is two pair: two cards of one rank, two cards of a second rank, and a fifth card of a third rank.

Short answer

1984165≈0.0475\tfrac{198}{4165}\approx 0.0475. Pick the two paired ranks in (132)\binom{13}{2} ways and two suits for each in (42)2\binom42^2 ways, then the kicker from the 4444 cards of other ranks. Dividing (132)⋅36⋅44=123,552\binom{13}{2}\cdot 36\cdot 44=123{,}552 by (525)\binom{52}{5} gives 1984165\tfrac{198}{4165}.

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

See the hint and the full worked solution in the question bank (free account).

Open the worked solution

Lessons behind this question

Start with a free lesson: Probability Fundamentals is part of a free topic. Create a free account, no card needed, to read it in full with worked solutions.

Read it free