A range is a set of hands that a player could plausibly hold. Range thinking is more useful than trying to guess one exact hand.
Ranges are conditional
A button opening range can be much wider than an under-the-gun opening range. A calling range differs from a 3-betting range. Stack depth and opponent tendencies change both.
How to read hand notation
- AKs means ace-king suited.
- AKo means ace-king offsuit.
- TT+ means tens or better pairs.
- AQs+ usually means AQs and stronger suited ace-high combinations specified by the chart.
Charts are maps, not laws
Use a chart to learn structure: tighter early, wider late, and different responses to prior action. Do not assume a chart designed for one rake, stack depth or player pool is optimal for every Toronto cash game.
From chart to reasoning
Eventually, know why a borderline hand changes: position, price, players behind, effective stack depth, domination risk and opponent range.
How to think about ranges
Ranges are conditional, not universal
A useful preflop range depends on position, table size, prior action, stack depth and the tendencies of players still to act. A button opening range should normally be wider than an under-the-gun opening range because fewer players remain and the button will act last after the flop.
Start with categories
Instead of trying to memorize hundreds of combinations, group hands into premium pairs, medium and small pairs, suited broadways, offsuit broadways, suited aces and suited connectors. Then learn which groups expand or contract by position. This creates a mental model you can adjust when the table changes.
Avoid false precision in live games
Charts are baselines, not guarantees. Live cash games can feature unusual raise sizes, limping patterns and multiway pots. When the action differs materially from the assumptions behind a chart, use the chart as a reference point and account for the actual price, position and players involved.
Continue with the related guide