Opening ranges by position
Your position decides how many hands you can open: these opening ranges by position start tight up front and widen as you approach the button, always raise-first-in or fold. Practice each seat in the preflop range trainer until the ranges are automatic.
What an opening range is
When the action folds to you and no one has entered the pot yet, you are "first in." Your opening range is the set of hands you raise with in that spot. The baseline rule is simple: open-raise or fold. Limping in (just calling the big blind) forfeits the initiative and is left out of a solid starting strategy.
Position sets the width
The single biggest factor in which hands to open is your seat. Early positions like UTG act first on every street after the flop and still have many players left to act behind them, so they open a tight, strong range. As you move toward the button, fewer players can wake up with a hand behind you and you get to act last after the flop, so you can profitably open a much wider range.
Range trainer
It's folded to you. Given your seat and your two cards, do you open-raise or fold? Drill it until the right answer is instant.
Do you open-raise or fold?
Range locked in.
You called 0 / 12 correctly. Position-perfect opening is one of the biggest, easiest edges in poker.
How the range widens seat by seat
Think of it as a dial that opens up as you move around the table. At a 6-max table a baseline UTG range is only about 15-18% of hands. It loosens through middle position, reaches roughly 25-30% in the cutoff, and around 40-50% on the button. Each later seat simply adds more hands on top of the tighter range in front of it, never the reverse.
- Later position means a wider opening range; UTG is tightest, the button is widest.
- When first in, open-raise or fold, never limp.
- Each later seat adds hands on top of the earlier range because fewer players are left to act and you have position postflop.
- Baseline widths run from about 15-18% at UTG up to roughly 40-50% on the button.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 16/20 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
What does "raise first in" (RFI) mean?
Raise first in describes opening the pot when the action has folded to you and no one has yet entered.
Which position plays the tightest opening range?
UTG acts first postflop with the most players behind it, so it opens the tightest range.
Excluding the blinds, which position opens the widest range?
The button acts last postflop with only the blinds behind, allowing the widest opening range.
As your position gets later, your opening range should generally...
Later position means fewer players behind and positional advantage postflop, so the range widens.
In the baseline strategy, when you are first to act your two choices are...
The baseline is open-raise or fold; limping first-in is avoided.
Why can the button open a wider range than UTG?
Positional advantage plus fewer opponents behind make wider opens profitable from the button.
Which of these is a clear open from any position, including UTG?
Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand and open from every seat.
Which hand is far more likely to be an open on the button than from UTG?
Suited connectors like 76s are too loose for UTG but fine as wider button opens.
Roughly what share of hands is a baseline 6-max UTG opening range?
A tight 6-max UTG open is only around 15-18% of all starting hands.
Roughly what share of hands can the button open as a baseline?
The button opens the widest, in the neighborhood of 40-50% of hands.
In the baseline first-in strategy, limping is generally...
Solid baseline play avoids open-limping in favor of raise-or-fold.
Compared to UTG, the cutoff's opening range is...
The cutoff is later than UTG, so it opens a wider range, roughly 25-30%.
Which starting hand should essentially never be opened?
7-2 offsuit is the weakest starting hand and is a fold from every position.
Which is NOT a real reason ranges widen in late position?
Card strength is random and seat-independent; the real reasons are positional and fewer opponents.
In card notation, which pair of cards is a suited connector?
76s is two adjacent ranks of the same suit, the definition of a suited connector.
As you move from UTG toward the button, the number of players still to act behind you...
Later seats have fewer opponents left to act, which is a key reason ranges widen.
Why is early position at a disadvantage that forces a tighter range?
Acting first out of position with many players behind demands stronger, tighter opening hands.
Which best describes opening from the small blind?
The small blind acts before the big blind postflop, a positional disadvantage to account for.
Ace-king suited is best described as...
AKs is a premium holding included in every seat's opening range.
How is a later position's opening range built relative to the earlier ones?
Ranges nest: each later seat keeps the earlier strong hands and adds weaker ones on top.
Review — all 20 questions & answers tap to expand
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What does "raise first in" (RFI) mean?
Answer You are the first player to voluntarily enter the pot, with no limpers or raisers ahead of you
Raise first in describes opening the pot when the action has folded to you and no one has yet entered.
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Which position plays the tightest opening range?
Answer UTG (under the gun)
UTG acts first postflop with the most players behind it, so it opens the tightest range.
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Excluding the blinds, which position opens the widest range?
Answer The button
The button acts last postflop with only the blinds behind, allowing the widest opening range.
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As your position gets later, your opening range should generally...
Answer Widen
Later position means fewer players behind and positional advantage postflop, so the range widens.
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In the baseline strategy, when you are first to act your two choices are...
Answer Open-raise or fold
The baseline is open-raise or fold; limping first-in is avoided.
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Why can the button open a wider range than UTG?
Answer It acts last postflop and has fewer players left to act
Positional advantage plus fewer opponents behind make wider opens profitable from the button.
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Which of these is a clear open from any position, including UTG?
Answer Pocket aces
Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand and open from every seat.
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Which hand is far more likely to be an open on the button than from UTG?
Answer 7-6 suited
Suited connectors like 76s are too loose for UTG but fine as wider button opens.
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Roughly what share of hands is a baseline 6-max UTG opening range?
Answer About 15-18%
A tight 6-max UTG open is only around 15-18% of all starting hands.
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Roughly what share of hands can the button open as a baseline?
Answer About 40-50%
The button opens the widest, in the neighborhood of 40-50% of hands.
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In the baseline first-in strategy, limping is generally...
Answer Discouraged; you raise or fold instead
Solid baseline play avoids open-limping in favor of raise-or-fold.
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Compared to UTG, the cutoff's opening range is...
Answer Wider
The cutoff is later than UTG, so it opens a wider range, roughly 25-30%.
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Which starting hand should essentially never be opened?
Answer 7-2 offsuit
7-2 offsuit is the weakest starting hand and is a fold from every position.
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Which is NOT a real reason ranges widen in late position?
Answer You are dealt stronger cards in late seats
Card strength is random and seat-independent; the real reasons are positional and fewer opponents.
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In card notation, which pair of cards is a suited connector?
Answer 7 and 6 of the same suit
76s is two adjacent ranks of the same suit, the definition of a suited connector.
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As you move from UTG toward the button, the number of players still to act behind you...
Answer Decreases
Later seats have fewer opponents left to act, which is a key reason ranges widen.
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Why is early position at a disadvantage that forces a tighter range?
Answer It must act first postflop and can be raised by many players behind
Acting first out of position with many players behind demands stronger, tighter opening hands.
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Which best describes opening from the small blind?
Answer You will be out of position postflop against the big blind
The small blind acts before the big blind postflop, a positional disadvantage to account for.
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Ace-king suited is best described as...
Answer A premium hand you can open from any position
AKs is a premium holding included in every seat's opening range.
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How is a later position's opening range built relative to the earlier ones?
Answer It adds more hands on top of the tighter earlier range
Ranges nest: each later seat keeps the earlier strong hands and adds weaker ones on top.