What is a range in poker?

A range is the whole set of hands an opponent could have in a spot, rather than one guess. Thinking "what would they play this way?" is more accurate than putting someone on an exact hand.

Why think in ranges instead of a single hand?

You cannot see your opponent’s cards, but you can narrow the possibilities from their actions. Reasoning about the whole range leads to better decisions than guessing one hand and being wrong.

How do you put someone on a range?

Start with the hands they would play preflop from their position, then narrow it street by street based on how they bet. Each action removes hands that would not play that way, tightening the range.

advanced 2 min read

Thinking in Ranges Instead of Hands

Beginners ask "what does he have?" Winners ask "what could he have?" You will almost never know an opponent's exact two cards — but their actions narrow them to a range, and you can play well against the whole range.

From One Hand to a Range

A range is every hand a player could hold given how they have acted. Instead of guessing one holding, picture the whole set:

A tight player who raised from early position: big pairs and big broadways (AA–TT, AK, AQ)
A player who just called a raise: pairs and suited hands that flop well — rarely the very best hands, which would usually re-raise

You make your decision against the range, not a single hand.

Remember: You can't read souls — you can read actions. Actions define ranges.

Ranges Narrow Every Street

Each action shrinks the range:

Position and preflop action set the starting range
A flop bet-and-call removes the hands that would have folded
A big turn or river bet keeps only the strong part of the range

By the river, a player who fired three big bets on a dry board has a narrow, strong range — believe it. A player who checked twice has "capped" their range at medium strength.

Remember: When the story only fits strong hands, fold your bluff-catchers. When it fits missed draws, look them up.

Count the Combos

Not every hand in a range is equally likely — count combinations:

There are 6 ways to be dealt a specific pair (like AA)
16 ways for an unpaired hand (like AK) — but only 4 if it must be suited
Cards you can see remove combos: if you hold an ace and one is on the board, only 1 combo of AA is left

Holding a card your opponent needs is a "blocker" — it makes their strong hands less likely, so you can call and bluff a little more.

Remember: Blockers tip close spots. Hold a card they need for the nuts, and there are simply fewer nutted hands they can have.