Every strong poker player thinks in ranges, not individual hands. Instead of asking “should I play ace-king,” they ask “what does my whole opening range from this position look like.”
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The Poker Hand Range Calculator gives you a full 13×13 starting-hand grid to click through, along with quick presets and instant combo math so you can see exactly how wide or narrow your range really is.
Whether you’re studying preflop strategy or building a range chart for a specific position, this tool turns an abstract concept into something visual and countable.
๐ How to Use the Poker Hand Range Calculator
Click any cell in the grid to add or remove that starting hand from your range. Pairs run along the diagonal, suited hands sit above it, and offsuit hands sit below.
Use the quick presets first to get a sensible starting range, then fine-tune individual hands by clicking cells in or out.
The combo and percentage totals update instantly as you click, so you always know exactly how wide your current selection is.
๐ข Calculator Fields Explained
Grid Cells – Each of the 169 possible starting hand types (13 pairs, 78 suited combos, 78 offsuit combos), clickable to toggle inclusion.
Quick Presets – One-click range shortcuts based on standard tightness tiers, from a very tight top 10% to any two cards.
Clear Range – Resets the grid to an empty selection so you can build a range entirely from scratch.
๐ฐ Understanding the Results
| Result Field | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Hands Selected | How many of the 169 distinct starting hand types are in your range |
| Total Combos | The actual number of specific two-card combinations your range represents |
| % of 169 Starting Hands | Your range’s width measured by hand type |
| % of 1,326 Combos | Your range’s width measured by actual dealt-hand probability |
Combo percentage matters more than hand-type percentage, since pairs only have 6 combos each while offsuit hands have 12.
Two ranges can show the same hand count but very different combo percentages, so always check the combo number before comparing range widths.
A well-constructed range chart should feel intuitive at a glance: strong hands cluster in the top-left corner, and range width fans out from there.
The single most useful habit is checking combo percentage, not hand-type percentage, whenever comparing two different ranges.
๐ Calculation Formulas
| Concept | Formula |
|---|---|
| Pair combos | 6 combos per pair (choose 2 suits from 4) |
| Suited combos | 4 combos per suited hand (one per suit) |
| Offsuit combos | 12 combos per offsuit hand (4 suits ร 3 remaining suits) |
| Total starting combos | 1,326 (13 pairs ร 6) + (78 suited ร 4) + (78 offsuit ร 12) |
This combo math is the same foundation used by every serious range-construction tool, regardless of how the interface looks.
Offsuit hands outnumber suited hands three to one in raw combo count, which is why offsuit hands often carry more weight in range percentage math than beginners expect.
Understanding this weighting is essential before trying to compare or merge two different range charts.
๐ Practical Examples
Example 1 – Tight opening range. A top 10% range from early position typically includes strong pairs, big broadways, and a handful of premium suited connectors, landing around 8-9% of all combos.
Example 2 – Standard opening range. A top 20% range widens to include more suited connectors and offsuit broadways, typically covering 18-20% of combos from a mid or late position.
Range width should generally increase as position gets later, since there are fewer players left to act behind you.
Example 3 – Loose range. A top 35% range starts including small pairs, suited one-gappers, and weaker offsuit broadways, often used from the button or in short-handed play.
Example 4 – Any two cards. Selecting every cell represents a 100% range, useful as a baseline reference when studying how much equity a specific hand has against a completely random holding.
The most surprising number for new players is usually that a “wide” 35% range still folds nearly two out of every three starting hands.
๐ก Tips & Best Practices
Start every range from a known preset rather than clicking cells blindly, then adjust individual hands based on your specific table and opponent tendencies.
Pay attention to suited connectors near the edges of your range. They’re often the first hands worth adding or cutting when adjusting range width.
Compare your constructed range against a standard chart for your position to sanity-check whether it’s reasonably calibrated.
Save a mental snapshot of your range’s combo percentage for common spots so you can recognize when you’re playing looser or tighter than usual.
- Build separate ranges for opening, calling, and 3-betting rather than one blended range
- Use the combo count, not the hand count, when comparing range width between two positions
- Revisit your presets periodically as your read on table dynamics develops
Players who think in ranges instead of individual hands make dramatically more consistent preflop decisions over time.
Range construction is a skill that compounds. The more precisely you can define your ranges, the easier post-flop decisions become.
โ ๏ธ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Confusing hand-type percentage with combo percentage
Because pairs and offsuit hands have very different combo counts, hand-count percentage can be misleading on its own.
Reporting your range as “20% of hands” without checking the actual combo percentage can misrepresent how wide you’re really playing.
Always check both numbers together before drawing conclusions about range width.
Building a range with no positional logic
A range that ignores position entirely tends to be either far too tight or far too loose for the actual situation.
The same 20% range that’s reasonable from the button can be dramatically too loose from early position at a full table.
Always build ranges with the specific seat and action in mind, not as a single fixed chart for every spot.
Treating a preset as a final answer
Presets are useful starting points, not perfectly tailored ranges for every table dynamic.
This is the costliest mistake when players apply a generic preset without adjusting for opponent tendencies or table texture.
Forgetting suited hands carry more post-flop value than their combo count suggests
Suited hands have fewer combos than offsuit equivalents but often play better post-flop due to flush and straight potential.
Don’t judge a range purely on raw combo weighting without factoring in post-flop playability.
๐ฏ When to Use This Calculator
Use this tool any time you want to visualize, build, or measure a starting-hand range for study, strategy discussion, or session review.
A range chart turns an abstract feeling about “playing tight” or “playing loose” into a specific, countable, comparable number.
It’s especially useful for comparing opening ranges across positions, building 3-betting ranges, or studying how range width should shift with stack depth.
๐ Related Calculators
Poker Hand Equity Calculator, ICM Calculator, Nash Equilibrium Calculator, M-Ratio Calculator, Pot Odds Calculator.
๐ Glossary
Range – The full set of starting hands a player might hold in a given situation.
Combo – One specific two-card holding, such as the ace of spades and king of hearts.
Suited Hand – A starting hand where both cards share the same suit.
Offsuit Hand – A starting hand where the two cards belong to different suits.
Pocket Pair – A starting hand made of two cards of the same rank.
Broadway Cards – Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, the highest-ranking non-pair cards.
Suited Connector – Two consecutive-rank cards of the same suit, like eight-nine suited.
3-Bet – A re-raise made after an initial preflop raise.
Position – A player’s seat relative to the dealer button, affecting how much information they have before acting.
Range Chart – A visual grid representing which starting hands are included in a given range.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there exactly 169 starting hand types?
Poker hands are grouped by rank and suitedness rather than exact suits, giving 13 pairs, 78 suited combinations, and 78 offsuit combinations.
This grouping is why a range chart uses a 13×13 grid instead of listing all 1,326 individual combos separately.
Why do pairs only have 6 combos while offsuit hands have 12?
A pair can only be formed by choosing 2 of the 4 available suits for that rank, while an offsuit hand can pair any of 4 suits on one card with any of 3 remaining suits on the other.
This difference is exactly why combo percentage and hand-type percentage often diverge.
What’s a reasonable opening range from early position?
Many solid strategies use somewhere around 10-15% of combos from early position, tightening further at full nine or ten-handed tables.
Exact numbers vary by game format, stack depth, and table tendencies, so treat any single percentage as a starting reference, not a rule.
Adjust up or down based on how often opponents at your table are folding or defending against opens.
Should my 3-betting range be different from my opening range?
Yes, typically. A 3-betting range is usually narrower and skews toward hands that play well against a raise, often blending strong value hands with select bluffing candidates.
Building a separate range chart for 3-betting is a common next step after mastering opening ranges.
Does this calculator account for position automatically?
No. It measures whatever range you build, but the decision of how wide to play from each position is left to you.
Pairing this tool with position-specific study material gives the most complete picture.
Can I use this to study opponent ranges instead of my own?
Absolutely. Many players use the grid to estimate an opponent’s likely range based on their preflop actions, then check the combo percentage against their own hand’s equity.
This is a common technique for building hand-reading skill during post-session review.
โ๏ธ Legal Disclaimer
This calculator and article are provided for educational and informational purposes only. Range percentages and presets are general strategic guidelines and do not guarantee any specific outcome at the table. Nothing here constitutes gambling advice, and no profit is guaranteed. Please gamble responsibly and within your means.
