[mcvalenc]

blind (and drunken) post, hopefully I won't be repetitive...

if I have a hand that is pitted against 9 other random hands, all which reach showdown, I have the least likely chance of winning the showdown if I have 72o compared to any other hole card combination. with so many players, straights, flushes or full houses win hands more often than not so having a hand with big hand potential makes a significant difference (72o has no big hand potential except a relatively unlikely 3 card full house).

the confusion lies in when I have a hand pitted against ONE random hand... in that specific spot it's obvious 32o is the worst hand, since heads up, EVERY hand dominates 32o in some fashion, even the lowly 72o.

Ultimately, the worst starting hand possible depends on how many opponents you have preflop.