Guide · Strategy
Preflop Opening Ranges: What to Raise From Every Position
Free 6-max preflop range charts, no signup: which hands to raise when nobody has entered the pot yet, position by position.
3 min read · Updated on
In short
When everyone before you has folded, raise about 16% of hands from UTG, 21% from the hijack, 28% from the cutoff, 42% from the button and 44% from the small blind. The later your position, the more hands you open.
- UTG
- 16%
- UTG
- Cutoff
- 28%
- Cutoff
- Button
- 42%
- Button
- Small blind
- 44%
- Small blind
UTG (under the gun) opening range: 16%
With five players still to act behind you, play only hands that hold up if someone raises: pairs, suited aces and high broadways.
HJ (hijack) opening range: 21%
One fewer player behind you, so more broadways and middle pairs come in.
CO (cutoff) opening range: 28%
Only the button and the blinds are left. Offsuit aces and more connected hands come in.
BTN (button) opening range: 42%
The best seat: you act last after the flop against the blinds. Close to half of all hands are opened.
SB (small blind) opening range: 44%
Only the big blind is left. You open a lot, though you will act first after the flop.
How to use opening ranges at the table
Raise, do not limp
If a hand is in the chart and nobody has entered, raise to 2.5 big blinds. Limping in for the big blind is a common mistake.
Only when you are first in
If someone has already raised, you need a different chart: play tighter.
Adjust against weak players
If the blinds call too much, open slightly fewer marginal hands and more strong ones.
Where these charts come from
These are the charts used by the OrcaGTO trainer: 6-max, 100 big blinds, a 2.5bb open (3bb from the small blind) and no ante. They were built from published solver solutions for that format and rounded to quarters (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) so they are learnable.
At a 9-handed table, the early seats play even tighter. In tournaments with antes and short stacks, ranges change a lot. For more on why a solver mixes actions, see what is GTO in poker.
Frequently asked questions
What is a preflop opening range?
The set of hands you raise when you are the first player to enter the pot from a given position.
How many hands should I open from the button?
About 42% of hands in a 6-max game with 100 big blinds.
What does it mean when a hand is raised "sometimes"?
The solver is nearly indifferent between raising and folding it. Mixing keeps opponents from knowing exactly what you hold.
Can I use these ranges at a 9-handed table?
As a starting point, yes, but from the early seats at a full ring table you should play tighter than the UTG range shown here.
How big should my opening raise be?
2.5 big blinds from every seat except the small blind, which raises to 3.
Memorizing charts is boring. Drilling them is not.
We deal you hands from each position and tell you whether to open or fold, until it comes without thinking. Free, and no real money.