What Are Poker Ranges, and How Do They Work?

Every poker player must know about the poker ranges by position before they start playing. These ranges are sets of hands that either you or another player hold in a specific situation. If you don’t know about them, don’t worry, as we’ve got you covered. Below, you can read all about the poker hand ranges.

Inside the Mind of a Pro: Understanding Ranges in Poker

In a game of poker, there is a preflop range as well as a postflop range. They can vary widely depending on the cards that are in play at the moment. Knowing your opponent’s range as well as your own, can greatly help you win a round.

You always start a round of poker by building up from the opponent’s range preflop. The ranges are very wide before the community cards appear. There are five preflop ranges that you need to know about:

• 2.5%: AK/QQ+
• 5%: AQ+/TT+
• 10%: KJs/KQ/AJ+/44+
• 20%: 54s+/ATB/22+
• 33%: K8s/J8s+/43s+/53s+/A7o+/T9+/ATB/A2s+/22+/

Players can raise from the start, which indicates that they have a good hand. In this situation, you continue to clarify that range according to their actions. When the flop, turn, and river appear on the table, more information becomes available.

Before the discovery of the poker range charts, players were guessing the opponent’s range of hands. Now you can play the game at online casinos and use such a chart simultaneously. The guessing part is still there, but it is way better when you use a poker range chart.

Decoding the Matrix: Unraveling the Enigma of Poker Ranges

You will determine the poker hand ranges using a 13×13 matrix chart that has 169 hand combinations. Remembering them is hard, but not impossible. You can even play online poker today at Vietnamese casinos and use a chart on the side.

There are four formats that represent the poker range. On the chart, all possible pocket pairs appear diagonally across the matrix. The suited hands are above that diagonal, which appears with the letter “s”. Below the diagonal hands, you will find the off-suited hand combinations with the letter “o”. When you use software to determine the player’s range, it provides you with certain percentages. You can see them in the percentage form, which shows all possible poker opening ranges.

Then there are the combo range counts. They show how many options a player has to create a combination. Keep in mind that your hole cards impact these combos. A pocket pair can feature only six combos. For instance, below, you can see the combos of pocket 7s:

• 7d 7h
• 7s 7c
• 7d 7s
• 7h 7s
• 7d 7c
• 7h 7c

And finally, we have the range strands. They are a string of text that shows all the hands that you choose on the chart.

How to Apply Poker Ranges in Your Decision Making

The poker ranges apply everywhere, regardless of whether you are playing poker at land-based or live casinos. To increase your decision-making skills with them, you will first need some practice. That way, you will memorize the poker range chart more effectively. However, playing poker online gives you a chance to use the software. Or, you can even determine a range manually with a printed chart. It all starts by setting a preflop range strand on your opponent’s hand. Here, you look at the player’s actions and style of play, as there is very little information that you can use.

Your starting range includes around 50% of the hand combinations. However, a UTG opening range goes between 12% and 15% of the hands if it decides to raise. By learning these preflops, you can deduct a 17% calling range. If you remove a few hands, then that percentage will rise to 30%.

Advanced Strategies for Poker Ranges

Playing online casino games such as poker is much more effective if you use an advanced strategy. Below, we will reveal some poker range strategies that you can employ.

Think and Play Faster

This strategy requires a lot of practice in determining a hand range. When you achieve that, you can start playing faster, especially with your strong hands. This will build up the pot, which will result in a bigger win.

Attack the Weaker Players

Combining the player’s hand range with their characteristics and style of play is crucial. Following this strategy means dealing with these players early in the game. Figure out their ranges, and you can easily collect their chips.

The Bluffing Strategy

The name speaks for itself. Following this strategy combines discovering the opponent’s ranges with bluffing. But it requires very good bluffing skills that you can use to your advantage. You will need to get inside the opponent’s head to make this strategy work.

Conclusion: Play Poker Like a Pro Today

Understanding a hand range in a game of poker is crucial for winning in the long run. It helps you determine the player’s hands as well as upcoming moves in the game. There is a wider range of possible combinations at the beginning.

But, when the community cards land on the table, everything clears out. If you want to become a better poker player, then learning the hand ranges is necessary. You can do that either with the use of software or by studying a chart manually. Although this is an option at online casinos, in real-life play it is much more demanding. It requires a lot of practice and determination to play poker like a pro.

The biggest profit in these games comes from using ranges and casino bonuses and promotions simultaneously. You can even use the offers to test your poker skills before playing with real money.