Poker Hand Ranges Explained (2026)
Quick answer: A poker hand range is every hand a player can reasonably hold in a spot, not one exact guess. Read a range by combining position, prior action, stack depth, and hand notation such as TT+, AJs, or 76s, then narrow it as the hand develops.
By Preflop Wizard · Published August 5, 2026
What is a poker hand range?
A poker hand range is a set of possible hole cards assigned to a player. If a tight player raises under the gun, you should not decide they have exactly ace-king. Their range may contain high pairs, strong aces, suited broadways, and a few other hands. Each is still possible until new information makes it less likely.
Range thinking replaces a fragile question—“What hand do they have?”—with a useful one: “Which hands take this action, and how does my hand perform against all of them?” That change matters before the flop because a correct decision must account for the entire opening, calling, 3-betting, or shoving range.
The four inputs that shape a preflop range
Position: early seats play tighter than late seats.
Action: an open, call, 3-bet, and shove use different hands.
Effective stack: short stacks favor high-card strength; deep stacks reward playability.
Game conditions: antes, rake, table size, ICM, and opponents move the boundaries.
How do you read poker range notation?
Range notation compresses many starting hands into a short line. Ranks use 2 through 9 plus T, J, Q, K, and A. A repeated rank is a pair. The suffix tells you whether an unpaired hand is suited or offsuit, while plus signs and hyphens describe groups.
| Notation | Meaning | Combos | Expanded example |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA | Pocket aces | 6 | One pair rank |
| AKs | Ace-king suited | 4 | A♠K♠, A♥K♥, A♦K♦, A♣K♣ |
| AKo | Ace-king offsuit | 12 | Two different suits |
| AK | All ace-king hands | 16 | AKs plus AKo |
| TT+ | Tens or a higher pair | 30 | TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA |
| AJs+ | Suited ace-jack or better | 12 | AJs, AQs, AKs |
| 99-66 | A pair interval | 24 | 99, 88, 77, 66 |
| 50% A5s | Play A5s half the time | 2 avg. | A mixed-frequency action |
Watch the plus sign carefully. With pairs, the order is obvious: 99+ means 99 through AA. With unpaired hands, keep the first rank fixed and improve the second rank: ATs+ usually means ATs, AJs, AQs, and AKs. A range such as 97s+ can be ambiguous across tools; read the software’s convention or expanded matrix rather than guessing.
How does the 13 by 13 range grid work?
A standard range matrix has 169 cells. The diagonal contains 13 pocket pairs from AA to 22. One triangle contains 78 suited hands and the other contains the same 78 rank combinations offsuit. Tools may swap which triangle is suited, so check the labels.
The grid shows hand classes, not individual suit combinations. Color usually represents an action: raise, call, or fold. A split-color cell represents a mixed strategy. If A5s is 75% raise and 25% fold, the strategy chooses the raise three quarters of the time across repeated identical situations.
Do not treat a colored cell as a universal instruction. A button opening chart assumes the action folded to the button. A big blind defense chart assumes someone already raised and must specify their position and sizing. Start with our preflop charts guide, then check table size, stack depth, raise size, and rake before copying a range.
How many combinations are in a poker range?
Texas Holdem has 1,326 distinct starting-hand combinations. Every pocket pair has six combinations, every specific suited hand has four, and every specific offsuit hand has twelve. That is why AK contains 16 combinations but AA contains only six.
Pocket pair
6 combos
Choose 2 of 4 suits
Suited hand
4 combos
One per suit
Offsuit hand
12 combos
16 total minus 4 suited
Visible cards remove combinations. If you hold A♠K♣, an opponent cannot have any starting-hand combo containing either card. Only three combinations of AA remain because one ace is in your hand. Seven combinations of AK remain: two suited and five offsuit. This removal effect is a blocker.
Combo counting prevents a common error: treating every label as equally likely. A range containing QQ and AKo has six queen-pair combos but twelve offsuit ace-king combos before blockers. Even if both occupy one named hand class, AKo appears twice as often.
What are linear, polarized, and condensed ranges?
Linear range
A linear range takes the best hands first and moves downward. An unopened-pot raising range is the clearest example: UTG may start with premiums and continue through progressively weaker playable hands until it reaches a boundary. There is no need to reserve medium hands for a call when calling is not available.
Polarized range
A polarized range combines strong value hands with weaker bluffs and leaves medium hands for another action. A big blind may 3-bet premiums and selected suited blocker hands while calling with hands that are strong enough to continue but do not want a large pot.
Condensed range
A condensed range contains mostly medium-strength hands because its top end took an aggressive action. When a player calls instead of 3-betting, their range may contain pairs, suited broadways, and connectors but fewer premium hands. Good opponents still retain some strong calls, so “capped” should not mean impossible.
How do ranges change by position and action?
Position changes how many players remain behind. An early-position opener needs a range that can survive several players finding strong cards. The button has only two blinds behind and therefore opens much wider. See the exact seat order in our poker positions guide.
Action also filters the range. A player who opens and then calls a 3-bet has passed through two decisions. Some weak opens folded, while some premium hands 4-bet. The remaining call range is narrower and often more condensed than the original opening range.
Stack depth changes which properties matter. At 100 big blinds, suited connectors and small pairs can realize value across later streets. At 10 big blinds, high cards and pairs gain importance because many decisions end preflop or on the flop. Tournament payouts can tighten calls further; our ICM strategy guide explains why survival changes chip-value decisions.
Four practical poker hand range examples
Example 1: UTG opens and you hold AJo in the cutoff
The label “ace-jack” is not enough. Compare AJo with the UTG player’s full opening range and account for three players behind you. Against a tight early range, AJo is often dominated by AQ, AK, and strong pairs. Folding can be correct even though AJo is a profitable open when action folds to you later.
Example 2: The button opens and you hold A5s in the big blind
A button range is wide, so A5s is far too strong to fold in a typical cash-game setup. It can call, and it may appear in a polarized 3-bet range because the ace blocks AA, AK, and AQ while the suited wheel hand retains playability. Exact frequencies depend on sizing and rake; study them in a dedicated big blind defense range.
Example 3: A tight player 4-bets and you hold QQ
Do not ask whether they “have aces.” Build a range such as QQ+, AK, then adjust it for the player. Against QQ+, AK, your queens face six AA combos, six KK combos, one remaining QQ combo, and sixteen AK combos before accounting for your exact suits. The combination mix makes the decision different from a range containing only KK+.
Example 4: The small blind jams 10BB into your big blind
The small blind can shove a wide range because only one player remains. Your calling range must still be tighter: a shove can win uncontested, but a call always reaches showdown. Compare the full jamming range with your hand’s equity and the pot odds, then add ICM when payouts matter.
How should you study poker hand ranges?
Learn patterns before individual squares. Begin with raise-first-in ranges and notice how each seat widens. Memorize pure actions and boundary hands first. A hand played at 100% frequency matters more than a hand mixed at 10%.
Next, use active recall: hide the chart, choose an action, and check the answer. Track errors by category—too loose early, too tight on the button, missed 3-bets, or overcalling the big blind. Our complete range practice method turns that review into a short daily routine.
Finally, simplify mixed frequencies for live use. If two actions have nearly equal value, choose a repeatable rule based on suits or opponent tendencies. The goal is not to recite a solver output. It is to make sound decisions quickly and understand why the range changes.
Turn poker ranges into fast decisions
Preflop Wizard lets you practice GTO preflop spots by position, stack depth, and action, with instant feedback after every choice.
Poker hand ranges FAQ
What is a hand range in poker?
A poker hand range is the complete set of hole cards a player can reasonably hold in a situation. It is more useful than guessing one exact hand because every action, position, stack depth, and player tendency can include multiple possible holdings.
What does the plus sign mean in a poker range?
The plus sign means the named hand and stronger hands in the same sequence. TT+ means TT, JJ, QQ, KK, and AA. AJs+ normally means AJs, AQs, and AKs, not every suited ace.
What do s and o mean in poker hand notation?
The letter s means suited, so both cards share a suit; o means offsuit, so they have different suits. AKs has four combinations and AKo has twelve. If neither letter appears, the notation may include both unless the source defines it differently.
How many starting hand combinations are in Texas Holdem?
There are 1,326 possible two-card combinations in Texas Holdem. A 13-by-13 range grid groups them into 169 hand classes: 13 pairs, 78 suited classes, and 78 offsuit classes.
What is a linear range in poker?
A linear range starts with the strongest hands and continues downward without a large gap. Opening ranges are usually linear, and many small blind 3-bet ranges are linear because the player raises the best hands available rather than splitting calls and raises.
What is a polarized range in poker?
A polarized range contains very strong value hands and weaker bluffs while calling with many medium-strength hands. A big blind 3-bet against a late-position open can take this shape because some playable middle hands prefer to call.
Should beginners memorize exact GTO ranges?
Beginners should learn the major boundaries and patterns before chasing every mixed frequency. Start with opening ranges by position, then add blind defense and 3-bet spots. Active recall is more useful than repeatedly looking at a chart.