Texas Hold’em starting hands are easier to manage when you begin with position rather than instinct. This practical preflop reference explains which hands to consider from each seat, compares opening ranges, and shows how to adjust them for table size, stack depth, previous action, and cash-game or tournament conditions.
Overview
Preflop decisions set the direction of the hand. A strong starting-hand plan does not mean playing only premium cards; it means entering pots with hands that perform reasonably well from a particular position and against the action already taken.
Position matters because players who act later have more information. The button can often open more hands than an early-position player because fewer opponents remain to act and postflop decisions are made with greater positional advantage. The blinds require a different approach: the small blind is usually awkward after the flop, while the big blind has already invested a blind and may defend against a raise at a better price.
The ranges below are a practical baseline for a typical full-ring or six-max cash-game table with unopened action. They are not rules or a substitute for opponent-specific analysis. The exact playable range depends on the number of players, table tendencies, rake structure, stack sizes, and whether the game is a tournament. Use the chart as a decision starting point, then adjust deliberately.
Position labels
- Early position (UTG): first player to act before the flop.
- Middle position (MP): seats between early position and the cutoff.
- Hijack (HJ): the seat before the cutoff in a full-ring game.
- Cutoff (CO): the seat before the button.
- Button (BTN): the dealer position, normally the most favorable seat postflop.
- Small blind (SB): the first blind and first player to act after the flop.
- Big blind (BB): the second blind and last preflop actor when action is unopened.
What to track
Position-by-position starting-hand chart
For an unopened pot, use the following as a conservative reference. “Open” means a standard raise is generally reasonable; “mix” means the hand can be opened or folded depending on table conditions; “fold” means it is usually too weak for a default raise from that position.
| Position | Core opens | Hands to add selectively | Practical caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTG | AA–JJ, AK, AQ, AJs, KQs | TT, 99, ATs, KJs, QJs | Remain selective because several players can still wake up with a strong hand. |
| MP | AA–TT, AK–AQ, AJs–ATs, KQs–KJs, QJs | 99, 88, KTs, QTs, JTs | Widen only when later players are not applying heavy three-bet pressure. |
| HJ | AA–99, AK–AQ, AJs–ATs, KQs–KTs, QJs–JTs | 88, 77, A9s, QTs, T9s, 98s | Suited and connected hands gain value, but avoid overvaluing weak offsuit combinations. |
| CO | AA–88, AK–AT, AJs–A9s, KQs–K9s, QJs–Q9s, JTs–98s | 77, 66, KTo, QTo, J9s, 87s | Look to pressure tight blinds, but tighten if the button is aggressive. |
| BTN | All premium pairs, most suited aces, broadways, suited kings and queens, suited connectors | Small pairs, weaker suited one-gappers, selected offsuit broadways | The button allows the widest range, but “wide” does not mean every hand is profitable against active blinds. |
| SB | Strong pairs, broadways, strong suited aces and connected suited hands | Additional hands only when the big blind is passive or folds too often | Use a disciplined raise-or-fold approach more often than a loose flat-call strategy. |
| BB | Defend many playable hands against a late-position open | Suited hands, pairs, connected cards, and some offsuit broadways | Defending is not the same as raising; account for the raiser’s size, range, and postflop skill. |
Notation matters: “s” means suited, “o” means offsuit, and a hand without a suffix can include both. For example, AJs is ace-jack suited, while AJo is ace-jack offsuit. Suited hands generally retain more postflop potential because they can make flushes, but that does not automatically make every suited hand a profitable open.
Opening-range comparison
| Position | Default range direction | Why it changes |
|---|---|---|
| UTG | Tightest | Many players remain behind and can respond with strong hands. |
| MP/HJ | Moderate | Fewer players remain, so more suited and connected hands become viable. |
| CO | Wide | Stealing blinds becomes more attractive, especially against tight players. |
| BTN | Widest | Position and initiative combine to improve many marginal hands. |
| SB | Selective and structured | Postflop disadvantage makes weak calls especially difficult. |
| BB | Defensive rather than purely opening-based | The price to continue and the opener’s position influence the decision. |
Cadence and checkpoints
Review your preflop reference at the start of a new format, after moving between table sizes, and during a monthly or quarterly strategy check. You do not need to rebuild every range each time. Instead, confirm that the assumptions behind the chart still match the games you actually play.
Before a session
- Identify whether the table is six-handed, full-ring, or short-handed.
- Note effective stack sizes, especially when one or more players have a shallow stack.
- Choose a default opening size that fits the site, game, and table conditions.
- Mark players who three-bet frequently, call too widely, or defend blinds selectively.
- Decide in advance which marginal hands you will remove if aggressive players are seated behind you.
During a session
Track the variables that actually change your decisions: position, unopened versus raised action, raise size, effective stack, and opponent tendencies. Avoid judging a range from one unusual hand. A single result does not prove that an open was correct or incorrect; evaluate whether the decision followed a sound process.
After a session
Record hands where you were uncertain rather than only hands that lost. Separate preflop errors from postflop mistakes. A hand can be a reasonable open that later encountered an unfavorable board, just as a winning hand can have been opened too loosely. The online poker session review template can help organize this review.
How to interpret changes
Table size
Six-max games usually require wider opening ranges than full-ring games because fewer opponents are dealt cards and fewer players remain behind. Do not copy a six-max chart into a full-ring game without removing the weakest opens from early and middle positions.
Stack depth
Deep stacks can increase the appeal of suited connectors and small pairs when you expect to realize implied value, but they also magnify postflop mistakes. With shallow stacks, hands that make strong one-pair holdings or can move all-in comfortably often become more useful, while speculative calls lose some appeal. Tournament stack sizes should be considered in big blinds and alongside payout or blind-pressure factors, not treated as identical to cash-game stacks.
Previous action
An unopened pot is not the same as facing a raise. Against an early-position open, continue with a stronger range than against a late-position open. Against a three-bet, many hands that are acceptable opens become folds, while premium hands may call or re-raise depending on positions, sizing, and stack depth. Avoid defending automatically simply because your hand appeared on an unopened chart.
Opponent tendencies
Open more selectively when aggressive players are behind you and widen cautiously when players behind fold too often. Against a player who calls nearly every open, favor hands that make strong pairs and reduce weak bluffs. Against a tight player who rarely continues, stealing opportunities may improve, but keep your sizing and bankroll limits consistent.
Rake also affects close decisions in online cash games. A hand that appears marginally profitable before fees may be less attractive in a high-rake environment, particularly at smaller stakes. For broader cost context, see Poker Rake and Fees Explained.
When to revisit
Return to this chart before a new poker season, after changing from cash games to tournaments, or whenever you move to a different table size or stake. A monthly or quarterly review is enough for most recreational players; active players may review more often when their database or session notes show repeated uncertainty from a particular position.
Use this four-step update routine:
- Compare your games: check whether the chart still matches your table size, stack depths, rake, and typical opponent pool.
- Review recurring decisions: look for repeated folds, calls, or opens that feel unclear from the same position.
- Test one adjustment: change a narrow part of your range, such as late-position suited aces or blind defenses, rather than changing everything at once.
- Record the result: note the decision quality and the table conditions, not just short-term winnings.
Keep a simple position checklist beside your tables: unopened or raised action, position, effective stack, opponent behind, and tournament or cash-game format. If those five details are clear, your starting-hand choice becomes more consistent. For tournament-specific adjustments, continue with a format-focused resource such as the tournament poker strategy guide, then return here to reset your baseline preflop ranges.
