Range
Range
Range refers to the collection of all hand combinations a player might hold in a given situation, rather than a single specific hand. Its core use is to infer an opponent's potential hand strength range through probability and logic, for example, a preflop raiser's range usually includes high pairs, high cards, or suited connectors. In practice, range thinking helps players avoid the fallacy of 'putting an opponent on a dead hand' and instead dynamically adjust strategies based on opponent's action patterns such as position, bet sizing. For example, facing a continuation bet from a tight-aggressive player, if his range is biased towards strong hands, consider folding; if his range includes bluff combos, you might choose to raise and counterattack. Mastering range analysis is fundamental to advanced decision-making, significantly improving the accuracy of exploitative play.
What is a Range?
A range is the set of all possible hands an opponent may hold in a given action, rather than a single hand.
Why Think in Terms of Ranges?
You cannot know your opponent's exact hand, but you can infer their range. This is the foundation of modern poker analysis.
Advantages of Using Ranges
- More accurate decision-making
- Identifying weaknesses in an opponent's range
- Constructing a balanced counter-strategy