Basic Preflop Ranges

A preflop range is the set of hands you choose to play from a given position. Using well-constructed ranges is the foundation of winning poker.

Hand Categories

**Premium**: AA, KK, QQ, AKs — Always raise and re-raise

**Strong**: JJ-TT, AKo, AQs — Raise from most positions

**Playable**: 99-77, AQo, AJs, KQs — Position-dependent

**Speculative**: Small pairs, suited connectors — Best in late position

The 13x13 Matrix

Hand ranges are often displayed in a 13x13 grid where:

The diagonal represents pocket pairs (AA, KK, ..., 22)

The upper triangle represents suited hands (AKs, AQs, ...)

The lower triangle represents offsuit hands (AKo, AQo, ...)

Each cell shows the recommended action frequency: raise, call, 3-bet, or fold.

Range by Position

**UTG**: ~12% of hands. Very tight.

**MP**: ~16% of hands. Slightly wider.

**CO**: ~25% of hands. Wide.

**BTN**: ~40%+ of hands. Very wide.

**SB**: ~20% of hands. Selective.

**BB**: Defending range depends on raiser position.

Key Principle

Never play the same range from every position. Your range should expand as you move closer to the button. Use the Range Wizard tool on PokerGTO Solver to practice and memorize optimal ranges for each position.