Opening ranges in cash game poker: which hands to open from each position

An opening range is the list of hands you raise with when you're the first to enter the pot (raise first in, RFI). Having it clear avoids the two most expensive mistakes in low-stakes cash games: playing too many hands from early position and folding too many on the button.

How to read the charts

Each chart has all 169 distinct starting hands. Pairs run along the diagonal; top right are the suited hands (both cards of the same suit, like AKs); bottom left, the offsuit hands (different suits, like AKo). The gold squares are the ones you open.

The rule as always: raise or fold. Entering by calling the blind (open-limping) is almost never better, and the usual open is about 2.5–3 bb.

6-max opening ranges

Open Fold. Diagonal: pairs. Top right: suited hands (same suit). Bottom left: offsuit.

UTG14.5% of hands

AAAKsAQsAJsATsA9sA8sA7sA6sA5sA4sA3sA2sAKoKKKQsKJsKTsK9sK8sK7sK6sK5sK4sK3sK2sAQoKQoQQQJsQTsQ9sQ8sQ7sQ6sQ5sQ4sQ3sQ2sAJoKJoQJoJJJTsJ9sJ8sJ7sJ6sJ5sJ4sJ3sJ2sAToKToQToJToTTT9sT8sT7sT6sT5sT4sT3sT2sA9oK9oQ9oJ9oT9o9998s97s96s95s94s93s92sA8oK8oQ8oJ8oT8o98o8887s86s85s84s83s82sA7oK7oQ7oJ7oT7o97o87o7776s75s74s73s72sA6oK6oQ6oJ6oT6o96o86o76o6665s64s63s62sA5oK5oQ5oJ5oT5o95o85o75o65o5554s53s52sA4oK4oQ4oJ4oT4o94o84o74o64o54o4443s42sA3oK3oQ3oJ3oT3o93o83o73o63o53o43o3332sA2oK2oQ2oJ2oT2o92o82o72o62o52o42o32o22

HJ17.9% of hands

CO26.7% of hands

BTN43.3% of hands

SB38.2% of hands

Notice how the range grows as fewer players are left to act: from UTG you open fewer than one in five hands, and from the button almost half.

Full ring: the early positions

At a 9-player table the last five positions (LJ, HJ, CO, BTN and SB) open like 6-max: the LJ like 6-max UTG. Before them come three positions with more players behind, and so stricter ranges:

Open Fold. Diagonal: pairs. Top right: suited hands (same suit). Bottom left: offsuit.

UTG9.5% of hands

UTG+111.8% of hands

UTG+212.7% of hands

A reference, not a law

These ranges are a solid starting point for cash games with 100 bb stacks, and they're the ones Flopmortem uses to compare your opens. Adjust them to your table:

Opponents who call a lot: drop the bluffs and the weakest hands; open more for value.
Blinds that rarely defend: steal more from the CO and the button.
An aggressive player behind you: tighten your range, especially the offsuit hands.

What matters is that what you open from each position makes sense. In "My ranges", inside the app, you can see your real opens position by position, compared with this reference range.