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Starting hands

There are 169 distinct starting hands in Hold'em. This is which of them are worth raising with, and from where. A hand shaded for a later seat is still an open from every seat after it.

  • Early (14 hands, 8%)
  • Middle (22 hands, 13%)
  • Late (47 hands, 28%)
  • Button (79 hands, 47%)
  • Fold (90 hands)
Texas Hold'em starting hands. Pairs run down the diagonal, suited hands sit above it and offsuit hands below it. Each cell gives the earliest position the hand is worth opening from.
AAAKsAQsAJsATsA9sA8sA7sA6sA5sA4sA3sA2s
AKoKKKQsKJsKTsK9sK8sK7sK6sK5sK4sK3sK2s
AQoKQoQQQJsQTsQ9sQ8sQ7sQ6sQ5sQ4sQ3sQ2s
AJoKJoQJoJJJTsJ9sJ8sJ7sJ6sJ5sJ4sJ3sJ2s
AToKToQToJToTTT9sT8sT7sT6sT5sT4sT3sT2s
A9oK9oQ9oJ9oT9o9998s97s96s95s94s93s92s
A8oK8oQ8oJ8oT8o98o8887s86s85s84s83s82s
A7oK7oQ7oJ7oT7o97o87o7776s75s74s73s72s
A6oK6oQ6oJ6oT6o96o86o76o6665s64s63s62s
A5oK5oQ5oJ5oT5o95o85o75o65o5554s53s52s
A4oK4oQ4oJ4oT4o94o84o74o64o54o4443s42s
A3oK3oQ3oJ3oT3o93o83o73o63o53o43o3332s
A2oK2oQ2oJ2oT2o92o82o72o62o52o42o32o22

Pairs on the diagonal, suited above it, offsuit below.

Early

Under the gun and the seat after it

Everyone is still to act behind you, so only hands that can stand a raise belong here. If you play one range tighter than you think you should, make it this one.

Middle

The seats between early position and the cutoff

Fewer players left behind you, so a handful more hands become playable.

Late

The cutoff, and the hijack at a shorter table

Now you are opening partly to win the blinds. Suited hands gain the most, because they flop draws that can keep barrelling.

Button

The button

You act last on every street after this, which is worth more than most cards. This is the widest you should ever open, and it is still not every hand.

Treat this as a starting framework, not received truth. Real ranges move with the table, the stakes, the format and who is still to act. What the chart is genuinely good for is the shape of the thing: how much tighter early position has to be than the button, and how much being suited is worth.

This chart assumes you are the first player in. Once someone has raised, the question is no longer which hands to open but which to continue with from your seat, which is a different and narrower list.

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