Beginner Preflop Strategy

How to Read Poker Preflop Charts Beginner Guide to Preflop Ranges

Poker preflop charts can look like a spreadsheet from another planet. Once you understand the grid, position, action labels and mixed frequencies, they become one of the simplest ways to build a disciplined preflop strategy.

13×13 GridLearn how the 169 starting-hand classes are organised.

PositionSee why the same hand changes value from UTG to BTN.

ActionsRead raise, call, fold and 3-bet recommendations.

FrequenciesUnderstand mixed actions without obsessing over precision.

Start With Free Charts

Before paying for a complete solver or range library, browse our free GTO charts and preflop range previews for NLH, tournaments, short-stack play and PLO.

What a GTO Poker Chart Actually Shows

Poker preflop chart guide for beginners showing hand ranges and how to read them

A GTO preflop chart is a visual representation of how to play each starting hand from a specific position or situation. Instead of telling you “play more hands” or “tighten up,” it shows exact or near-exact recommendations based on game theory optimal strategy. For many players, poker preflop charts are the easiest way to see how strategy changes by position and action. In simple terms, these charts help answer questions like:

Which hands should I open from the button?
What should I do facing a raise from the cutoff?
Which hands should I 3-bet, call, or fold?
How often should some hands be mixed between actions?

Most poker preflop charts are built around a 13x13 grid of starting hands. Each square represents one possible hand type, such as:

The chart then tells you what to do with each hand in a specific spot. If you want to compare chart logic with broader preflop fundamentals, this guide to studying GTO poker without getting overwhelmed is a useful companion read.

Understanding the Range Grid

The foundation of any poker range chart is the hand matrix. This grid organizes all 169 starting hand combinations into a neat visual format.

How the grid is laid out

Rows and columns represent card ranks, from Ace down to 2.
Pairs run diagonally from top-left to bottom-right, such as AA, KK, QQ, etc.
Suited hands appear above the diagonal, like AQs or JTs.
Offsuit hands appear below the diagonal, like AKo or QJo.

For example:

AKs = Ace-King suited
AKo = Ace-King offsuit
TT = Tens
87s = Eight-Seven suited

Once you get used to the grid, the pattern becomes easy to read. Stronger hands usually appear in tighter colors or action categories, while weaker hands are often folded or used as lower-frequency mix hands.

The logic behind the colors

Many poker preflop charts use color gradients to help you spot patterns faster. The visual system matters because it shows which hand classes belong together. For example, suited broadways often cluster in similar regions, while weak offsuit combinations are pushed toward folds. That structure makes the chart easier to memorize. Instead of learning 169 random squares, you learn patterns such as “suited hands play better than offsuit hands” and “connected hands gain value in later positions.”

Why the matrix matters for beginners

The hand matrix is not just a pretty layout. It helps you understand how a range is built and why some hands appear in one spot but not another. Once that clicks, poker preflop charts stop feeling arbitrary and start feeling systematic.

Positions Matter More Than Most Beginners Realize

A hand’s value changes depending on where you are seated. That’s why preflop ranges are always tied to position.

Common positions in poker

UTG: Under the Gun, first to act preflop
MP: Middle Position
HJ: Hijack
CO: Cutoff
BTN: Button
SB: Small Blind
BB: Big Blind

The later your position, the wider your range can usually be. That means you can open more hands on the button than from UTG because you have more information and positional advantage after the flop. For example:

UTG opening range might include premium pairs, strong broadways, and suited aces.
Button opening range can include many more hands, including suited connectors, weaker offsuit broadways, and lower pocket pairs.

This is why a poker starting hand chart should never be read in isolation. You always need to know the position and the action before it. The same hand can be an open, a call, a 3-bet, or a fold depending on context.

Position and realization

Position also changes how well your hand realizes equity. Hands with playability, like suited connectors or suited aces, tend to benefit more from late position because they can see more information before committing chips. That’s a big reason why poker preflop charts widen so much as you move from early position to the button.

Reading the Actions: Raise, Call, and Fold

Most charts use colors, labels, or percentages to show what to do with each hand. The exact design varies, but the basic actions remain the same.

Raise

A raise is usually the primary action in open-raise charts or 3-bet charts. If a hand is marked as a raise, it means you should enter the pot aggressively from that spot. Examples:

Open-raising AJo from the cutoff
3-betting AQs against a button open
Isolating with KQs in late position

Call

A call means the hand is playable but not strong enough to raise in that spot, or the strategy prefers mixing in calls to protect your range. Examples:

Defending QJs in the big blind versus a cutoff open
Flat-calling 77 against some early-position raises
Calling with suited broadways in certain versus-raise scenarios

Fold

A fold means the hand is not profitable enough to continue in that specific spot. That does not mean the hand is “bad” in general. It simply means that from that position, against that action, folding is the best play according to the strategy. For example, K9o may be a fold from early position, but playable from the button in many structures. When you review poker preflop charts, it helps to think in action buckets. Ask whether the hand belongs in the opening range, the continue range, or the fold range before worrying about exact percentages.

What Mixed Frequencies Mean

One of the most confusing parts of GTO ranges for beginners is the concept of mixed frequencies. This is when a hand is used in more than one action, such as raising some of the time and folding the rest, or mixing between call and 3-bet.

Example of a mixed strategy

A chart might show:

A5s: 70% raise, 30% fold
KQo: 50% call, 50% 3-bet
TT: 80% 3-bet, 20% call

This does not mean you need a random number generator every time you play. It means the solver has found that the hand performs slightly differently depending on the exact conditions, and mixing helps keep your strategy balanced.

Why mixed frequencies exist

Mixed frequencies are used because:

Some hands are close in value between two actions
Balance matters against strong opponents
Different board runouts and blocker effects make certain actions slightly better or worse

For a beginner, the important takeaway is this: if a hand is mixed, you do not need to obsess over perfect precision. It’s usually enough to understand the main action and the rough frequency. As you study more poker preflop charts, these mixed spots become easier to recognize. You’ll start noticing which hands are clear value actions and which hands live on the edge between two options.

How to Interpret Colors and Labels

Different charts use different visual systems, but most rely on color coding or action labels. You may see:

Green = raise
Blue = call
Red = fold
Yellow or orange = mixed strategy

Some charts also use percentages, like:

Raise 75%
Call 25%
Fold 100%

When looking at a chart, always check the legend first. The same color can mean different things depending on the source. A good habit is to ask:

What spot is this chart for?
What action am I facing?
What does each color mean?
Are mixed frequencies shown as percentages or just as split colors?

That small routine will save a lot of confusion.

A Simple Example: Open-Raising from the Button

Let’s use a simple button opening range to make the chart easier to understand. In this spot, poker preflop charts usually show a wider range because the button has positional advantage and often acts last after the flop. In a typical chart, you might see:

All pocket pairs
Most suited aces
Many suited kings and queens
Broadway hands like KQo, AJo, and KJs
Suited connectors and some one-gappers

The reason this range is wider is that these hands tend to realize equity well in position. Even if a hand is not a premium, it may still be profitable to open because of fold equity and postflop playability. If you are studying poker preflop charts, this is a great place to compare the chart to your own instincts. Ask which hands you would have opened before seeing the solver output. Then see where the chart agrees and where your assumptions were too tight or too loose.

A Simple Example: Facing a Raise in the Big Blind

Defending the big blind is another spot where chart reading matters a lot. You are already invested in the pot, so the chart often includes a mix of calls, 3-bets, and folds depending on the opener’s position. For example, against a cutoff open, the chart may recommend continuing with:

Strong broadways
Suited broadways
Connected suited hands
Many pocket pairs
Some offsuit broadways and suited wheel aces

Against a tighter opening range, the defending range becomes more selective. Against a wider open, it usually expands. This is where poker preflop charts are especially useful because they show that defense is not random. Hands continue for different reasons: raw equity, blocker value, implied odds, or playability after the flop.

How to Use a GTO Chart While Studying

Reading a chart is useful, but using it correctly while studying is where real improvement happens. A chart is not just something to memorize. It’s a tool for pattern recognition.

Use a repeatable study process

Pick one spot only, such as button opens.
Review the whole range grid slowly.
Group hands into classes instead of memorizing every square.
Ask why the chart prefers one action over another.
Test yourself by covering the chart and recalling the main patterns.

That method keeps you from getting overwhelmed. It also helps you notice the logic behind the recommendations instead of memorizing colors without understanding them.

Focus on patterns first

For beginners, patterns matter more than perfect precision. If you know that pocket pairs generally continue more often than weak offsuit hands, or that suited hands play better than offsuit hands, you already understand a large portion of the chart. As you improve, poker preflop charts become a reference point rather than a crutch. You can compare new spots to familiar ones and build intuition faster.

Use charts as a baseline, not a cage

Charts are designed to show strong baseline strategy. In real games, player tendencies, stack sizes, rake, and table dynamics can change the best line. A chart gives you the starting point, and then you adjust from there. For that reason, it helps to think of poker preflop charts as training wheels that teach structure. Once you understand the structure, you can start making better exploitative adjustments without losing the foundation.

Common Beginner Mistakes

New players often make the same mistakes when reading charts. Avoiding these will make the learning process much smoother.

1. Memorizing without understanding

If you only memorize colors, you may forget the strategy as soon as the spot changes. It’s better to learn why a hand belongs in a certain bucket.

2. Ignoring position

A hand is never played in a vacuum. The same hand can be a strong open in one position and a clear fold in another.

3. Treating mixed hands as random chaos

Mixed frequencies are normal. They do not mean the chart is unclear. They mean the hand is near the boundary between two actions.

4. Using one chart for every game

Cash games, tournaments, rake structures, and stack depths all matter. A chart is only as good as the situation it was built for.

5. Overvaluing offsuit broadways in early position

Many beginners play too many weak offsuit hands too early. poker preflop charts usually teach the opposite: early-position ranges should be tighter and more selective.

Why Preflop Charts Are the Best Starting Point

If you are new to solver-based study, preflop is the best place to start. It is the most structured part of the game, and the decisions are easier to classify than many postflop spots. Preflop charts teach you:

Which hands belong in each range
How position changes strategy
How to balance raise, call, and fold actions
How to recognize mixed-frequency hands
How to build a disciplined baseline

That’s why many players use poker preflop charts as their first serious study tool. They create structure before you move on to more complex postflop decisions. If you want to follow that path, a focused library of preflop ranges is often more useful than jumping straight into a full solver environment. The key is learning the chart quickly enough that you can actually apply it during study and review.

The Easiest Way to Start Learning GTO Preflop Ranges

The easiest way to learn is to start with one position and one common spot. For example, study button opens first, then cutoff opens, then big blind defense. That keeps the information manageable and makes the patterns easier to remember. As you go, pay attention to how poker preflop charts repeat ideas across spots. Strong hands stay strong, playable suited hands gain value in position, and weak offsuit hands drop out faster than most beginners expect. That repetition is what makes the system learnable. You do not need to master everything in one sitting. You just need to build familiarity until the chart starts to feel intuitive. For a simple next step, use the chart as your baseline during study sessions and compare it to the hands you naturally want to play. Over time, that comparison will sharpen your sense of which hands belong in each range and why.

Conclusion

Poker Preflop Charts are one of the most practical tools for learning solid preflop strategy. Once you understand the grid, positions, action labels, and mixed frequencies, the chart stops looking like a spreadsheet and starts looking like a map. The best way to use them is to learn one spot at a time, focus on the patterns, and use the chart as a baseline for study and improvement. If you keep the process simple, poker preflop charts become much easier to read, remember, and apply at the table. With a little repetition, you’ll be able to move from confusion to clarity and turn preflop ranges into something you can actually use.

Turn the Grid Into a Preflop Map

Learn one position at a time, recognise the hand-class patterns, and use the chart as a baseline rather than a cage. That is how a 13×13 matrix becomes something you can actually use at the table.

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