A range is all the possible hands a player could have in a given situation. Instead of thinking "do they have pocket aces?", range thinking asks "what hands would they play this way?"
Range = All possible hands a player can hold
| Beginner Thinking |
Range Thinking |
| "Do they have it?" |
"What hands are possible?" |
| Guessing one hand |
Considering all hands |
| Binary yes/no |
Probability distribution |
| Reactive |
Systematic |
Ranges are often shown on a grid:
A K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
A [AA][AKs]...
K [AKo][KK]...
Q ...
- Diagonal: Pocket pairs
- Above diagonal: Suited hands
- Below diagonal: Offsuit hands
| Notation |
Meaning |
| AA |
Pocket aces |
| AKs |
Ace-king suited |
| AKo |
Ace-king offsuit |
| TT+ |
Tens or better |
| AQs+ |
AKs and AQs |
| 22-77 |
Pairs twos through sevens |
| Pairs |
TT+ |
| Broadway |
AQo+, AJs+, KQs |
| Category |
Hands |
| Pairs |
All (22+) |
| Suited |
Most |
| Offsuit |
Many broadways |
Every action narrows or defines a range:
| Action |
Range Implication |
| Open UTG |
Strong range |
| 3-bet |
Very strong or bluff |
| Call 3-bet |
Medium-strong |
| Check back flop |
Marginal or trap |
| Bet-bet-bet |
Polarized |
| Benefit |
Explanation |
| Better decisions |
Based on all possibilities |
| Exploiting patterns |
"They always X with Y" |
| Balanced play |
Your range vs their range |
| Accurate equity |
Calculate against ranges |
| Mistake |
Problem |
| Putting villain on one hand |
Ignoring other possibilities |
| Not updating ranges |
Ranges narrow each street |
| Ignoring your own range |
Balance matters |
Ranges are the foundation of modern poker thinking. Instead of guessing if they have "the hand," consider all hands they'd play this way. Every action provides information that narrows their range.