The sklansky chart (and others) isn't based on what hand beats what. Its based on what hand DOMINATES what.
AK dominates many many hands (namely A2-AQ and K2-KQ) and is only dominated by two hands (namely AA and KK)
22 even though statistically a winner against AKo is dominated by many many hands (namely 33-AA) and dominates very few hands (namely 23-2A)
The chart orders hands by how many hands dominate them.
There are three types of domination.
1) 70%/30% domination occurs when a hand shares a card of the same rank with a lesser hand like AK and AQ. AK dominates AQ because the AQ player must rely on help from only a Q or cards for a straight in order to win. Another type of 70/30 domination occurs when a pocket pair shares its rank with or is higher than the kicker card of another hand, as in 77 and A7 or 77 and A5. In the second case the player with A5 much catch an A, two 5s or an A and a 5 to crack the sevens.
2) 80%/20% domination occurs when a pocket pair's rank is higher than both cards in the other players hand, as in AA vs KK or 88 vs 76.
3) 93%/7% domination is the worst kind, when a pocket pair is of the same rank as the higher card in the opposing hand. The most popular example is AA vs AK, but this can also happen with JJ vs JT. This domination is so bad because the dominated hand basically has to catch trips to win.


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