Preflop Charts Explained — Open, 3-Bet and Call Ranges

What a preflop chart really says

A chart isn't a "list of hands to play" but a statistical starting point: which hands are profitable on average from each position against reasonable opponents. Once an opponent isn't reasonable, the chart becomes a base for adjustment, not a rule.

Opening ranges by position

The closer you are to the button, the wider you open — because there are fewer players left to act and more information available.

• UTG: about 12–15% — medium pairs and up, AQ+, strong broadways
• MP: about 16–18% — add AJs, KQs, small pairs
• CO: about 25% — suited connectors and suited ace hands
• BTN: about 40–45% — the widest, the most profitable seat at the table
• SB: open or fold — almost never a limp-call

When to 3-bet (and why there are two kinds)

There's a value 3-bet with strong hands that want action, and a bluff 3-bet with hands that have blocking and flopability potential. Combining both is what makes you unpredictable.

• Value: QQ+, AK, sometimes JJ/AQs depending on the opponent
• Bluff: A5s–A2s, KJs, higher suited connectors
• Against a player who folds a lot — widen your bluffs
• Against an eternal caller — value 3-bet only

Defending the big blind

In the BB you get a good price, so you can defend wider than from any other position — but postflop you're always out of position. Rule of thumb: defend wide against BTN and CO opens, and tighten up significantly against a UTG open.

3 mistakes that turn a good chart into a loss

The chart is correct — the usage is wrong.

• Running a 6-Max chart at a Full Ring table
• Ignoring stack depth (a short stack changes everything)
• Playing the same chart against weak recreational players instead of widening for value

How to practice this correctly

Twenty minutes a day with the preflop chart open beside the table, and after two weeks it's already in your head. It's recommended to practice with an equity calculator to see why a borderline hand is truly borderline.