GTO Preflop Charts: How to Read Poker Range Charts for Every Position

The tightest opening position. You have 5 players left to act, so you need strong hands to open.

Slightly wider than UTG. One fewer player to act gives you more room to open.

A strong stealing position. Only the button and blinds remain — you can open a wide range profitably.

The most profitable position. You act last postflop, so you can open the widest range.

You're out of position postflop against the big blind. Most GTO strategies use a raise-or-fold approach — no limping.

You already have money in the pot. Your job is to defend against opens — call or 3-bet at the right frequency.

Cash game preflop charts (100bb+)

Deep, even stacks and no ICM. Use the full 6-max or 9-max ranges above. Common stakes — 25NL, 50NL, 100NL, 500NL, and live 1/2 or 2/5 — all play the same GTO preflop chart at 100bb effective. Differences between stakes show up in postflop tendencies and exploit adjustments, not in the baseline opening ranges. At 200bb+ you can open slightly wider with suited connectors and small pairs due to deeper implied odds.

Tournament (MTT) charts

Stacks shrink as blinds rise. From ~15-25bb, raise-first-in gives way to open-shoving, and calling ranges tighten. Near the bubble and pay jumps, ICM pressure means you fold more — especially as the big stack’s target. Short-stack push/fold charts replace the standard grid. In PKO (Progressive Knockout) tournaments the bounty on shorter stacks adds extra equity to calling shoves — your effective calling range widens against bounty-eligible opponents, so standard MTT charts under-estimate how often to call in PKO formats.

Short Deck & other variants

Short Deck (6+ Hold’em) removes the deuces through fives, which reshuffles hand values — suited connectors and flushes change rank — so it uses its own dedicated charts rather than the standard NLHE ranges.

What are preflop charts in poker?

Preflop charts are visual guides that tell you which hands to play from each position at the poker table. They're based on Game Theory Optimal (GTO) solutions — mathematically solved strategies that show the optimal open-raise, 3-bet, and calling ranges. Most charts use a 13×13 grid (matrix) of all 169 starting hands.

How do you read a poker range chart?

A poker range chart is a 13×13 grid. Pocket pairs run down the diagonal, suited hands sit in the upper-right triangle, and offsuit hands fill the lower-left. Highlighted cells are hands you play; the rest you fold. Suited hands are marked with 's' (AKs) and offsuit with 'o' (AKo).

How many hands should you play preflop?

It depends on your position. In a 6-max game you open roughly 15% of hands from UTG, 19% from HJ, 27% from CO, 43% from BTN, and 36% from SB. In a 9-max game, early positions tighten to ~11-13%. The big blind defends against raises rather than opening.

Are 6-max and 9-max preflop charts different?

Yes. With more players at a 9-max table, you face more potential strong hands, so early-position opening ranges are tighter than in 6-max. Late positions (CO, BTN, SB) are nearly identical between formats because the number of players left to act is the same.

Are cash game and tournament (MTT) preflop charts the same?

At 100bb they're very close. The big difference is stack depth and ICM. Tournaments are often played 15-60bb deep, which shifts strategy toward tighter opening ranges and more open-shoving at short stacks, and ICM pressure near the money makes you fold more. Cash games are almost always 100bb+, so the standard charts apply. This page includes free MTT preflop charts for 40bb and 60bb specifically.

What preflop charts should I use at 40bb in a tournament?

At 40bb in an MTT, you still raise-first-in but your ranges tighten slightly vs. 100bb — especially from early and middle positions, where the risk of getting 3-bet jammed is highest. The ante increases pot odds for steals, so BTN and CO ranges stay wide. From UTG at 40bb you should open ~13% (22+, ATs+, KTs+, QTs+, JTs, T9s, AJo+, KQo). See the full 40bb MTT preflop charts in the section above.

Is there a free preflop chart PDF I can print?

Yes — this page is print-friendly. Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and 'Save as PDF' to get a clean, printable copy of every range. For interactive drilling on your phone, Preflop Wizard includes 100+ GTO charts you can study and test yourself on.

What is a GTO preflop range?

A GTO (Game Theory Optimal) preflop range is a mathematically solved set of hands that cannot be exploited. It includes a balanced mix of value hands and bluffs for each position and action (open, 3-bet, call, fold).

What is a push/fold chart in poker?

A push/fold chart (also called a shove chart) tells you which hands to go all-in with versus fold at short stack depths — typically 10-15bb in tournament play. At these depths, open-raising small and then facing a 3-bet leaves you pot-committed anyway, so GTO solvers recommend going all-in or folding directly. Push/fold ranges are wider than normal opening ranges because fold equity plays a huge role at short stacks.

What is a mixed strategy on a preflop chart?

A mixed strategy means a hand should be played with two different actions at specific frequencies — for example, 'raise 65%, fold 35%.' Solvers use mixed strategies to keep ranges balanced and unexploitable. On an interactive preflop chart, these hands show as partially filled cells on the 13×13 grid. For practical play, you can simplify by always raising or always folding the hand — the EV difference for most mixed spots is under 0.05bb.

What do the colors mean on a GTO preflop chart?

Colors on a GTO preflop chart show the recommended action for each hand. A filled (colored) cell means raise or call — that hand is in your range. An empty or dark cell means fold. A partially filled cell signals a mixed strategy: the solver's optimal play is to raise some percentage of the time and fold the rest (e.g. K9s from HJ might be 'raise 55%, fold 45%'). Training apps like Preflop Wizard display mixed-strategy hands as split-color cells on the 13×13 grid. For table play, simplify mixed hands to a single action — the EV difference is usually under 0.05 big blinds.

What is the best app for learning preflop charts?

Preflop Wizard is the top-rated preflop training app, with 100+ GTO preflop charts for every position and format. Players who want GTO Wizard charts, GTO Wizard preflop ranges, or GTO Wizard preflop charts on mobile often use Preflop Wizard as a focused, more affordable alternative. It includes AI-powered coaching and interactive drilling. Available on iOS and Android with a 4.8-star rating and 175,000+ downloads.