Opening Ranges
An opening range is the set of hands used to raise first in (RFI) after everyone before you folds. It changes sharply by position because the number of players behind—and your likely postflop position—change with every seat.
What you will be able to do
- Define RFI and a single-raised pot.
- Explain why opening ranges widen toward the Button.
- Read conservative representative ranges and understand what their percentages mean.
RANGE WORKBENCH
See why opening ranges change by seat
UTG acts with five opponents behind and will often be out of position after the flop, so it normally opens tightest. BTN has only the blinds behind and will have position postflop, so it normally opens widest.
Revisit position
The earlier you act, the more players remain behind you
UTG must decide before all five opponents. There is a greater chance that someone behind has a strong hand, and UTG will often be out of position (OOP) after the flop. That is why UTG normally opens the tightest range.
As action moves toward the Button, fewer players remain behind and you are more likely to have position after the flop, so more hands can profitably enter the opening range.
RFI
Raise First In
When everyone before you folds and you are the first player to raise, that action is called RFI—Raise First In—or an open-raise.
SRP
Single-Raised Pot
If one or more players call that raise and nobody raises again, the flop begins as a single-raised pot (SRP). We will introduce 3-bets later.
Ranges widen with position
The strongest hands stay in every opening range
Hands such as AA, KK, QQ and AKs appear in every opening range. As position gets later, we keep those hands and progressively add weaker ones.
BTN does not replace the strong core of the UTG range; it keeps that core and expands outward.Representative six-max ranges
Choose a position and watch the range widen
Highlighted cells are example hands used to RFI from that position. The percentage is the selected exact combinations divided by all 1,326 possible starting hands.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER
These opening ranges apply only when everyone before you has folded. If another player has already raised, your choices are fold, call or re-raise. That re-raise is called a 3-bet. Calling and 3-betting require different, more selective ranges based on the opener’s position, your position and the stack depth. We will study those decisions later rather than adding several new charts here.
TRY IT
This is a 2-question test. Start when you are ready.