Ranges

What Is a Range?

Thinking in ranges is the single most important conceptual leap in poker development. Beginners try to put opponents on one specific hand: “I think he has Ace-King.” Intermediate and advanced players think in terms of ranges: “His range includes Ace-King, pocket Queens, some suited connectors, and a few bluffs.”

A range is a collection of all the possible hands a player could hold at any point in a hand. Every action a player takes, from preflop to the river, narrows their range. When someone raises from under the gun, their range is much tighter (stronger) than when they open from the button. When they call a raise on a King-high flop, their range likely includes Kings, pocket pairs below Kings, and some draws, while excluding total air that would fold.

Range-based thinking allows you to make mathematically sound decisions. Instead of guessing one hand and being wrong half the time, you evaluate your hand against the full spectrum of possibilities and choose the highest expected value action across all of them.

How It Works

Preflop Range Construction:

Position dictates opening ranges. A standard opening range tightens as you move from the button toward early position.

| Position | Approximate Opening Range | % of Hands |

|—|—|—|

| UTG (Under the Gun) | Premium pairs, AK, AQs, KQs | 10-12% |

| Middle Position | Add medium pairs, AJ, KJs, QJs | 15-18% |

| Cutoff | Add suited aces, more connectors | 22-28% |

| Button | Wide: most pairs, suited connectors, broadways | 35-50% |

| Small Blind | Mixed: some opens, many folds | 30-40% |

Narrowing Ranges Through Actions:

Each street provides information that narrows your opponent’s range.

Preflop: A UTG raise means a strong range (top 10-15% of hands).

Flop: They bet on a K-7-2 board. Their range includes top pair, overpairs, and some continuation bets with air.

Turn: The turn is a 5 and they bet again. Most bluffs from the flop drop out. Range narrows to strong Kings, overpairs, and select draws.

River: A blank and they bet a third time. Range heavily weighted toward value: sets, two pair, strong Kings. Very few bluffs remain.

Range Visualization:

Ranges are commonly displayed on a 13×13 grid of 169 starting-hand classes. These are not 169 physical combinations: each pair has 6 combinations, a suited non-pair has 4 and an offsuit non-pair has 12. Before card removal, 13×6 + 78×4 + 78×12 = 1,326 two-card combinations. Grid orientation varies by software, so read its legend.

Range vs. Range Thinking:

Advanced play considers both your range and your opponent’s range simultaneously. On a given board, ask: “How does this flop connect with my range versus theirs?” If you raised preflop and the flop is A-K-8, your range has more Aces and Kings than a caller’s range. This “range advantage” justifies frequent c-betting.

Polarized vs. Linear Ranges:

A polarized range contains very strong hands and bluffs, with few medium-strength hands. This is typical for large river bets.

A linear (or merged) range bets with strong hands and medium-strong hands, leaving bluffs out. This works better for small bets where you want calls from weak hands.

Example

You are in the big blind in a $1/$2 game. A competent regular raises to $6 from the cutoff. You call with 8s 7s.

You assign the cutoff an opening range of approximately 25% of hands: all pairs, suited aces, suited broadways, many offsuit broadways, and suited connectors down to about 5-6 suited.

Flop: Jh 8d 3c. You check, they bet $8 into a $13 pot.

You narrow their range. With this small bet sizing, they likely c-bet their entire range: overpairs, top pair, middle pair, gutshots, overcards, and complete air. Their range is still wide.

Turn: Ks. You check, they bet $18 into $29.

After the Ks turn and an $18 bet into $29, assign a continuing range rather than assuming every air hand disappears. Your 8s 7s has third pair: Kings and Jacks are above your Eights. Which value hands and bluffs remain depends on the opponent and action.

The range analysis supplies inputs, not an automatic call. Compare the price with equity against your assigned combinations and allow for future bets; a different range can change the decision.

Common Mistakes

• Trying to put opponents on one exact hand instead of thinking about a range of possibilities
• Not adjusting ranges based on position, failing to recognize that a UTG raise is vastly different from a button raise
• Ignoring how each street’s action narrows or defines an opponent’s range
• Constructing your own ranges inconsistently, making you predictable to observant opponents

Related Terms

• GTO — GTO strategies are built entirely around optimizing range construction
• Equity — how your specific hand performs against an opponent’s range
• Value Bet — identifying when your hand beats enough of their range to bet for value
• Tight-Aggressive — a playing style defined by range selection and aggressive execution

FAQ

How do I practice thinking in ranges?

Choose a saved hand for off-table review. Write down a preflop range, remove visible cards, then update the combinations after each action and note why each remains. Compare a few plausible ranges rather than guessing one hand. Use the pot odds and call EV calculator to compare your own equity estimate with the call price; it does not evaluate cards or ranges.

Do ranges change against different opponents?

Absolutely. A tight player’s UTG opening range might be the top 8% of hands, while a loose player opens 20% from the same position. Observe each opponent and adjust the ranges you assign. Online players can use tracking software to see exact statistics. Live players rely on observation and notes.

What is a “capped” range?

A capped range is one that is unlikely to contain the very strongest hands. For example, if a player just calls a raise preflop (rather than three-betting), their range is capped because they would typically three-bet hands like AA, KK, and AK. Recognizing a capped range tells you your opponent is unlikely to have the nuts, which opens up more bluffing opportunities.