Poker Range Charts

Hi friends of CardsChat,

What are some of your favorite preflop hand charts you are following right now, or have followed previously to help you become a better player?

Currently, I have been studying Upswing Poker's preflop charts, which are free on their website. They are a little wider than I have expected, especially at the small blind. I understand they are ideal starting points for fundamental preflop strategy, and that you should adjust based on the table dynamic. But I am curious if anyone has studied off of any other preflop charts other than Upswing Poker's. I stumbled upon a video by the MicroGrinder Poker School on YouTube and their 6-max charts for microstakes are substantially more conservative. So I am really curious of other range charts out there for public domain.

If you have studied off of Upswing Poker's preflop charts, have they benefited you and how did you study them? If you studied another people's preflop charts, did they help? Would you recommend them to someone else?

Attached below in the spoiler is an example of the charts I have been following, while also adjusting to the table dynamic:

I used the upswing charts initially but after downloading and playing around with Equilab (which is free btw) I'm building my own range charts.

I feel like the Upswing charts are too wide in some cases, especially at micro stakes, 10NL and lower. That's just a generalization though, there are exceptions.


The upswing preflop charts seem geared more towards higher level play, where more players pick up on concepts like value bet / bluff frequencies and those charts are very well balanced to that.


I would highly recommend EquiLab. It's free software. You can create and store your own ranges, there are groups of preset ranges. I like to use it to analyze my play. You can put ranges in and evaluate them street by street. It's a great analysis tool.

CrashMcCarran said:

I used the upswing charts initially but after downloading and playing around with Equilab (which is free btw) I'm building my own range charts.

I feel like the Upswing charts are too wide in some cases, especially at micro stakes, 10NL and lower. That's just a generalization though, there are exceptions.


The upswing preflop charts seem geared more towards higher level play, where more players pick up on concepts like value bet / bluff frequencies and those charts are very well balanced to that.


I would highly recommend EquiLab. It's free software. You can create and store your own ranges, there are groups of preset ranges. I like to use it to analyze my play. You can put ranges in and evaluate them street by street. It's a great analysis tool.

Click to expand...

When building ranges, do you even have any bluffs to balance your range? Like how upswing poker includes A5s as a good bluffing hand, etc etc

I have downloaded their free preflop guide raise first in, from Upswing Poker. In that guide they discuss full ring tables and not small-handed. And from what I read in your post, you are interested in 6-max. But you propably know this already and are getting a general idea, which I did as well. I think that their range on the button and SB is extremely wide for micro, which is where I play at. I am in the process of finding a lot of charts for micro 6-max zoom. So I've downloaded Equilab as you suggested (thanks for the tip) and I've looked at their SH Open Raising Chart (ORC) - Tight. I think that looks quite interesting. These are the charts:



Do you understand the Pokerevolution - BB-defense Call / 3-Bet in Equilab? Because I don't get that. It says Call vs 10% for example. What does that 10% mean?

I absolutely include bluffs. As you said, balance. I just find that in micros online and low stakes live I over bluff. I'll make a note detailed post later. I'm walking my dogs

bbennie1 said:

I have downloaded their free preflop guide raise first in, from Upswing Poker. In that guide they discuss full ring tables and not small-handed. And from what I read in your post, you are interested in 6-max. But you propably know this already and are getting a general idea, which I did as well. I think that their range on the button and SB is extremely wide for micro, which is where I play at. I am in the process of finding a lot of charts for micro 6-max zoom. So I've downloaded Equilab as you suggested (thanks for the tip) and I've looked at their SH Open Raising Chart (ORC) - Tight. I think that looks quite interesting. These are the charts:

Spoiler

View attachment 197713

Do you understand the Pokerevolution - BB-defense Call / 3-Bet in Equilab? Because I don't get that. It says Call vs 10% for example. What does that 10% mean?

Click to expand...

%% = VPIP i think. i also use equilab. if you put in a VPIP of 10% , you get 77+ KQo+ QTs+ A9s+ AJo+. so call vs. 10% means you would call in the specific position with the listed hands in equiplab versus someone with a VPIP of 10% as the big blind (or 3-bet if it says 3-bet). post flop, you would consider that range and make it more polarized based on yours and their action on all three streets to figure out where you stand.

CrashMcCarran said:

I absolutely include bluffs. As you said, balance. I just find that in micros online and low stakes live I over bluff. I'll make a note detailed post later. I'm walking my dogs

Click to expand...

In microstakes, when bluffing is substantially less frequent, wouldn't the 3-bet or 4-bet bluffs be up against hands that are callable more often than not? Therefore, rather than focusing on balance, it may be profitable to play ABC and adjust to exploit?

3betfish said:

%% = VPIP i think. i also use equilab. if you put in a VPIP of 10% , you get 77+ KQo+ QTs+ A9s+ AJo+. so call vs. 10% means you would call in the specific position with the listed hands in equiplab versus someone with a VPIP of 10% as the big blind (or 3-bet if it says 3-bet). post flop, you would consider that range and make it more polarized based on yours and their action on all three streets to figure out where you stand.

Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense. I think the range from Equilab's PokerEvolution BB-Defense call is too wide. I like yours better, as far as I can see. Perhaps you could make a better screenshot if that's possible? Much appreciated.

I use the cardschat charts, with minor adjustments.
The biggest adjustments are depending the table, typically:
play less hands in freerolls/micro

bbennie1 said:

That makes a lot of sense. I think the range from Equilab's PokerEvolution BB-Defense call is too wide. I like yours better, as far as I can see. Perhaps you could make a better screenshot if that's possible? Much appreciated.

Click to expand...

those charts are the ones provided by Upswing if you are a member. They have ORC (open raise charts available for free on their website). the one's provided on equilab are outdated. a simple google search can help.
if you're starting to use charts as guidelines, and want to get better at 6-max, i really suggest checking out the ORCs from Poker In A Box (google it). if you are looking to get better at full ring, i recommend upswing (for higher stakes than micro tho)

8bod8 said:

I use the cardschat charts, with minor adjustments.
The biggest adjustments are depending the table, typically:
play less hands in freerolls/micro

Click to expand...

i didn't even know CC had charts. I will have to look for them. Can you please link it to me?

3betfish said:

i really suggest checking out the ORCs from Poker In A Box (google it). if

Click to expand...

This guide is my favorite. Unfortunately it opened an Pandora's box with totally new world making me realize that I know less about poker than ever before. The only bad thing is that it lacks instructions how to modify the charts given opponent, blindly following it is not really a way to make max profit or really profit at all.

http://pokerinabox.com/shop/preflop-strategy-guide/

braveslice said:

This guide is my favorite. Unfortunately it opened an Pandora's box with totally new world making me realize that I know less about poker than ever before. The only bad thing is that it lacks instructions how to modify the charts given opponent, blindly following it is not really a way to make max profit or really profit at all.

http://pokerinabox.com/shop/preflop-strategy-guide/

Click to expand...

I only got the free one for open-raising. Did you ever buy the $30 package? Would you recommend it? And why or why not?

Wow this has all been so helpful!! I always read about people saying these charts exist but I haven't gotten much furhter.

3betfish said:

I only got the free one for open-raising. Did you ever buy the $30 package? Would you recommend it? And why or why not?

Click to expand...

I won it from twitch poker channel.

It probably is similar you already have from upswing, giving ranges pre for calling/bluffing/raising/value. Is it worth it, is more complicated. You need to study the ranges, and because nothing is explained it's more like a goal your studies needs to bring you one day. Studying is hard =) That said, if you ever have wondered what your calling range should be in theory, or what hands to 3bet, yes it's worth it. It's more a gate to understanding your goal though than a ready answer to anything, earlier you gain understanding about proper ranges the easier it is to study, this information should be in the start of every poker book, but well maybe we are not ready at that time yet, I would have been ready and that would have helped me a lot imo. If you do it alone, the probability you don't know what the goal is for sure is hinders your growth massively because most of the time you are just pondering if even the basics you are thinking are correct.

Same in short: It might be worth it

braveslice said:

I won it from twitch poker channel.

It probably is similar you already have from upswing, giving ranges pre for calling/bluffing/raising/value. Is it worth it, is more complicated. You need to study the ranges, and because nothing is explained it's more like a goal your studies needs to bring you one day. Studying is hard =) That said, if you ever have wondered what your calling range should be in theory, or what hands to 3bet, yes it's worth it. It's more a gate to understanding your goal though than a ready answer to anything, earlier you gain understanding about proper ranges the easier it is to study, this information should be in the start of every poker book, but well maybe we are not ready at that time yet, I would have been ready and that would have helped me a lot imo. If you do it alone, the probability you don't know what the goal is for sure is hinders your growth massively because most of the time you are just pondering if even the basics you are thinking are correct.

Same in short: It might be worth it

Click to expand...

This is kind of what I was trying to get at but you explained it pretty much perfectly.

Some free charts here,the 3bet ranges used in these charts are polar ranges only.As for RFI ranges use the charts as a guide and tighten them or loosen them up to suite your preference.For beginners id aim for something around.

12% utg
16% mp
24% c/o
44% btn
34% sb

preflop ranges
https://www.pokerstrategy.com/forum/thread.php?threadid=309916&page=1

There is also a helpful video here with useful information from the same person.
https://www.pokervip.com/coaching-videos/how-to-become-a-profitable-poker-player



And you also have poker snowie.
https://www.pokersnowie.com/preflop-advisor.html

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