Think of your starting hands like ingredients in a recipe. If you grab the freshest, most flavorful stuff, the dish turns out amazing. In poker, a solid open raising range means you:
Waste less time with marginal hands
Keep opponents guessing about your actual strength
Maximize value when you do hit the flop
Trust me, once you get this down, you’ll stop second-guessing every big blind you shove at.
Position: The Kingpin of Your Range
When it comes to poker games, your seat is everything. The earlier you act, the tighter you should play—simple as that.
Early Position (UTG)
When you’re first to speak, it’s like rolling out your best dish to a room full of critics. Keep your poker ranges tight and stick to the heavy hitters:
Pocket pairs: 77+
Broadway: AK, AQ
Suited connectors: 910+
Why? More players to act behind you mean more chances someone’s got you beat.
Middle Position
You’ve got a little more wiggle room. Add a few more hands that can flop big:
Pocket pairs: 55+
Suited Ace-X: AJ, A10
Suited connectors: 89, 78
You’re not risking the farm, but you’re not folding every time either.
Cutoff & Button
Ah, the sweet spot. On the Button, you can open up the most:
Pocket pairs: 22+
Any suited Ace-X: A2s+
Any two broadway cards: KJ, QT, etc.
Suited connectors as low as 56
You’re last to act postflop—use that.
Blinds
Small Blind: Tighten up—out of position sucks.
Big Blind: Defend wider, but don’t make pots bloated when you’re stuck in the mud.
Crafting Your Own Preflop Raise Chart
Grab a sheet of paper (or open up a quick Excel). Lay out all 169 possible hole cards, then:
Tier 1 (Raise Everywhere): AA–99, AKs, AKo
Tier 2 (MP+): 88–77, AQ, KQs
Tier 3 (Late Position Only): 66–22, AJs–ATs, 56–910
Color-code them: green = raise, yellow = call, red = fold. Boom—you’ve got your own preflop raise chart.
Stack Size & Raise Sizes
Deep stacks (100+ BB): You can throw in more speculative pocket pairs and suited connectors. Raise about 2.5× BB.
Short stacks (25–40 BB): Stay tight. Emphasize high cards and pop it to 3×–4× BB for fold equity.
Reading the Table: Player Types & Flow
No table is static. If it’s tight, loosen up on the Button. If someone’s a maniac, value-bet your top pairs. And hey, if you’ve been bluff-chasing too much, pull back for a bit and let them catch up to your rhythm.
Putting It Into Practice
Here’s what I do after every session: jot down every hand where I open raised preflop, note how it ended, and compare it to my chart. You’ll spot where you’re drifting—maybe you’re playing too many garbage connectors from MP, or folding your small pairs on the BTN.
Final Thoughts
I promise—nailing your preflop raising range transforms your game. It’s not about memorizing charts cold; it’s about understanding why you open with AA from UTG or why you bluff-steal with K7s on the Button. Keep it simple, keep it personal, and you’ll crush it in your next cash game or tournament. Good luck at the tables!
