A preflop chart works only when it matches your game. Start by choosing the right chart for seats, stack depth, and rake or antes; then apply it by position and keep your open size aligned with the chart’s assumptions. 

After that, adjust one step at a time by adding or removing the lowest hands in your band for a specific tendency (tight blinds, low 3-bets, overfolds). This keeps later streets cleaner and decisions faster.

What a Preflop Chart Represents

A poker preflop chart maps all 169 starting hand types into recommended actions based on position, and it can be used for live and online poker play. Each square represents a specific hand, split into suited, offsuit, and paired categories. Those hands translate into combinations, 1,326 total, which lets charts express ranges as percentages rather than vague labels. 

An early-position open around 17% covers roughly 225 combinations, mainly strong pairs, broadways, and premium suited hands. A button range near 43% expands to about 570 combinations, reflecting positional advantage.

Published chart sets state their stack depth and rake assumptions. Within that framework, early positions generally drop weak offsuit hands, while later positions add more suited connectivity.

Position and Range Width

Common teaching ranges widen by position, but exact widths depend on the chart set and assumptions used. The stable takeaway is how position changes range pressure:

• Early position: Tight, value-driven ranges built around strong pairs and high-card strength.
• Middle position: Moderate expansion that adds playable suited hands while keeping clear value density.
• Cutoff: Noticeable widening as fewer players remain to act and positional leverage increases.
• Button: The fastest range expansion, where position compensates for weaker holdings.
• Small blind: Structurally constrained ranges despite closing action, due to postflop disadvantage.

Use any published chart set as the numeric reference; treat these position-based shifts as the consistent framework.

Preflop Range Chart by Position (Combination-Based Baseline)

Preflop charts are fundamentally a way to control how many of the 1,326 possible starting-hand combinations you play from each position. Instead of treating charts as fixed hand lists, this view focuses on range width and how position expands or restricts decision space.

The table below uses published 6-max, 100bb “implementable GTO” open-raise widths as a concrete reference point. “Lojack” maps to UTG, and “Hijack” maps to MP in common 6-max naming.

Note: The small blind figure reflects the chart set’s overall blind-vs-blind strategy (raise or call), not a universal small blind open-raise range. (Source: PokerCoaching’s open-range percentages for 6-max cash at 100bb.)

Applied example: 6-max cash, 100 big blinds. UTG opens with AQs, which fits inside the early-position band. When facing a CO 3-bet, the chart’s role is not to “protect the hand,” but to protect the range. If continuing would push UTG’s defended combinations beyond its intended width, folding maintains range integrity and avoids early-position drift.

Applied example 2: 6-max cash, 100 big blinds. The button opens with K9s, which sits inside the button’s wider combination band. Big blind calls. The chart’s job is finished once the hand reaches the flop. 

• On a low, disconnected board such as 842, the button often has a straightforward option to bet small or check because the opening range contains more overpairs and stronger top-pair combinations than the big blind’s calling range.
• On high, coordinated boards such as KQJ, the same K9s may shift to a check more often, since the chart allowed entry for position, not postflop dominance.

Adjusting a Preflop Chart for Stack Size and Game Type

Stack depth and format change how a preflop chart functions in practice. The same hand can move from standard open to automatic fold once conditions shift.

1. Deep stacks (80–120 big blinds): Charts favor suited connectors, suited aces, and medium pairs. These hands gain value from postflop play, where implied odds justify inclusion. 
2. Medium stacks (40–60 big blinds): Ranges contract, especially in early seats. Small pairs and low suited connectors drop out, trimming early-position opens by roughly 3–5 percentage points compared to deep-stack charts.
3. Shallow stacks (20–35 big blinds): Charts shift toward high-card strength and pairs. Open sizes shrink, and shove-or-fold logic replaces standard raises in many spots.
4. Tournament formats with antes: Antes increase preflop pot size and justify wider late-position opens. 
5. Cash games tied to game bonuses and high-stakes: Volume incentives and high-payout poker types raise effective rake pressure. Under those conditions, marginal opens from early and middle position become less reliable, making tighter preflop charts a safer baseline.

GTO Preflop Charts vs Practical Play

GTO preflop charts come from solver outputs built on simplified game trees (bet-size abstraction and tree reduction), so the “optimal” ranges apply to the modeled environment rather than every live lineup or site configuration.

Treat the chart as a baseline, then confirm the assumptions (stack depth, rake, sizing, seats) before copying frequencies into real games. Solver outputs rely on abstraction and tree reduction, so ranges are optimal for the modeled environment rather than every real table configuration (Sonawane & Chheda, 2024).

Most preflop solutions assume 100 big blind stacks, fixed rake, and opponents defending and 3-betting at stable frequencies. Under those assumptions, late-position opens are wider than early-position opens, and the cutoff and button sit at the top of standard opening ranges. Use the chart’s positional logic as the stable takeaway; treat exact percentages as configuration-dependent.

Real tables vary from solver baselines. When opponents 3-bet less than expected or fold blinds too often, the best adjustment is simple: keep the chart as the default, then widen late-position opens only after the tendency is confirmed over enough hands.

GTO preflop charts still work as a foundation, yet strong results depend on recognizing where opponents under-defend or overfold, especially in rake-sensitive spots like small blind versus button.

Common Misuses of Preflop Charts

Preflop charts work best when treated as a baseline, then adjusted for table conditions. Misreading what a chart is trying to do can turn solid ranges into repeated mistakes.

1. Using the wrong chart for the format: A 6-max cash preflop chart does not translate cleanly to full-ring or tournament play, since position count, antes, and stack depth change opening pressure.
2. Ignoring position drift: Some players memorize a single “good hands” list and open it everywhere; that flattens the position gap that charts are built around.
3. Copying solver opens without matching sizes: Many GTO charts assume specific raise sizes; changing sizing without changing range can create easy 3-bet spots for opponents.
4. Treating charts as fixed commands: Player pools vary, so a chart that’s fine in one lineup can leak value in another when 3-bets, calls, and blind defense rates shift.

How a Texas Hold’em Preflop Chart Fits Into Full-Hand Decisions

A Texas Hold’em preflop chart shapes every street that follows, even before community cards appear. 

Opening tighter from an early position creates stronger average ranges on the flop, which affects continuation betting frequency and sizing. Early-position raisers can hold a range advantage often on flops, driven by higher pair density and stronger top-card coverage. 

Late-position opens reverse that dynamic, relying more on fold equity and board texture. Reading preflop range charts accurately sharpens turn and river decisions, since fewer surprise hands remain once the chart has done its filtering job.

Using Preflop Poker Charts at Live vs Online Tables

Live poker gives more time between hands to track positions, notice who is opening too wide, and spot players who rarely 3-bet or defend blinds. A preflop chart is easiest to apply live when it is memorized as position groups rather than treated like a hand-by-hand script.

Online poker runs faster and repeats the same spots more often, so small preflop leaks show up sooner. A chart baseline matters more online because a slightly loose early-position open or a weak blind defense can get tested repeatedly by the pool.

Crypto poker rooms can add extra lineup turnover and stake instability. The chart still functions as the default, but quick notes on who 3-bets frequently, who folds blinds too much, and who calls too wide matter more when tables change quickly.

Range Discipline Beats Memory Tests

Preflop charts work best when they’re treated as guardrails. Strong players still adapt, yet the baseline stays consistent: position, stack depth, and opponent pressure shape the starting range. 

Re-checking ranges across sessions helps prevent drift, especially in faster online pools where small errors repeat often. The goal is cleaner preflop inputs, so postflop lines stay easier to evaluate under real-time pressure.

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