range

A range is the set of all possible hand combinations a player can hold at a given decision point. All modern poker analysis — from preflop to river — is built on ranges.

Detailed Explanation

When an opponent 3bets, you don't know their exact hand, but you can estimate their range:

• If their 3bet frequency is around 8%, the range might be 99+, AQs+, AK, A5s, K9s
• If their 3bet frequency is around 4%, the range tightens to JJ+, AK

Range thinking replaces the intuition of "guessing the opponent's specific hand." A capable player at a decision point isn't asking "do they have AA?" but "what share of their 3bet range is AA, and what's my equity against this whole range?"

Two key dimensions of a range:

• How wide it is: combo count — AA has 6 combos, AK has 16 combos
• How it's composed: ratio of value hands to bluffs

Common Use Cases

• Preflop: design open / 3bet / call ranges for each position
• Postflop: continually narrow the opponent's range based on action sequences
• River: facing a shove, judge the bluff:value ratio to decide call or fold