Poker Ranges Explained: Building and Reading Ranges
Beginners put opponents on a specific hand: "I think he has ace-king." Strong players think in ranges: "His range here is probably top pair or better, plus some flush draws." Range-based thinking is the leap from recreational to competent poker.
What Is a Range?
A range is the complete set of hands a player could hold in a given situation. It is expressed as a collection of the 1,326 possible starting hand combinations. For example, a tight UTG opening range might include: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AKs, AKo, AQs — roughly 5% of all hands.
Building Pre-Flop Ranges
Solid pre-flop ranges are built around position and the action before you. They follow a hierarchy:
- Premium pairs (AA-QQ) — Always in your range
- Strong broadways (AK, AQ, KQ) — In from every position
- Medium pairs (JJ-77) — Open from most positions
- Suited connectors (T9s-54s) — Add as position improves
- Weak suited aces (A5s-A2s) — Late position opens and 3-bet bluffs
- Offsuit broadways (KJo, QJo) — Position dependent
Narrowing Ranges Post-Flop
Every action a player takes post-flop provides information that narrows their range. If an opponent raises the flop on a wet board, their range polarizes toward strong made hands and draws. If they check the turn after the flush completes, they likely do not have a flush.
Range narrowing by action
- Bet — Removes the weakest parts of range (they would have folded or checked)
- Check — Removes the strongest parts (they would have bet for value)
- Raise — Polarizes to very strong hands and bluffs
- Call — Indicates medium-strength hands (draws, second pair, weak top pair)
Range Advantage
Range advantage exists when one player's entire range performs better on a given board than the other's. The pre-flop raiser typically has range advantage on high-card boards (AK7, KQJ) because their range contains more strong aces and broadways. The caller may have range advantage on low, connected boards (765, 986) if they defend with suited connectors.