Preflop Ranges Explained: How to Read and Use Range Charts

If you've been playing Spin & Go poker, you've probably heard someone talk about "ranges" or seen a grid-based range chart. Maybe you've even looked at one and felt completely lost. That's because reading a preflop range chart is a skill that takes practice—but once you understand the fundamentals, it opens up an entirely different way to think about poker.

A preflop range is simply a collection of hands a player can play from a given position in a specific situation. Instead of thinking "I have this one hand," poker solvers and professionals think in ranges: "Against these conditions, I'll play these hands." This shift in perspective is what separates recreational players from winning players.

In this guide, we'll break down what ranges are, how to read the standard 13x13 grid, what different situations mean, and how stack depth changes everything in Spin & Go tournaments.

Understanding the 13x13 Range Grid

A preflop range chart is displayed as a 13x13 grid—one row and column for each poker rank (A, K, Q, J, T, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2). This grid represents every possible starting hand in Texas Hold'em.

Here's how it works:

• Rows represent your first card, arranged from Ace at the top down to Deuce at the bottom
• Columns represent your second card, arranged the same way
• The diagonal line (top-left to bottom-right) represents pocket pairs—AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, 22
• The upper-right triangle shows suited hands — two cards of the same suit
• The lower-left triangle shows offsuit hands — two cards of different suits

When you look at a range chart, cells are either colored/filled in (the hand is played) or empty (the hand is folded). The intensity of the color sometimes indicates frequency—a lighter shade means "play occasionally," while a darker shade means "play always."

The reason the grid is 13x13 and not something else is simple: there are exactly 13 ranks in poker, and you're showing every possible combination of two cards.

For example, in a Button vs Small Blind situation at a particular stack depth, your opening range might include all pocket pairs, premium Ace combinations, and a selection of strong hands. On the grid, you'd see the diagonal fully marked (pairs), top rows partially filled (high cards), and cells scattered in the upper triangle (suited combinations).

Suited, Offsuit, and Pairs: The Three Categories

Every hand falls into one of three categories on the grid, and understanding why this distinction matters is critical:

Pocket Pairs

Pairs (AA through 22) sit on the diagonal. In Spin & Go, pocket pairs are almost always part of your opening and 3-betting ranges—they're strong hands preflop and don't require specific board texture to win. Against aggressive play, you often see the entire diagonal filled in across multiple situations, because pairs have inherent strength and clear play postflop.

Suited Hands

The upper-right triangle shows your suited combinations. Suited hands have extra equity because they can make flushes. In Spin & Go, where stacks are shallow and range considerations dominate, suited hands are often prioritized over offsuit versions of the same high-card combinations. Suited hands benefit from additional ways to win, which makes them attractive in preflop ranges. This is why you'll often see the upper triangle more populated than the lower one.

Offsuit Hands

The lower-left triangle shows offsuit hands. These are generally weaker than their suited counterparts because they lack flush potential. However, strong offsuit combinations are still played in aggressive positions depending on the situation. The distinction between suited and offsuit becomes increasingly important as stack depths decrease—shallower stacks mean you're more selective about all hands.

This distinction is not arbitrary. The difference in hand strength between suited and offsuit combinations is built into modern poker solver analysis. When you're learning ranges from OneRange or any other resource, pay attention to this separation—it's built in for a reason.

Opening Ranges vs. Calling Ranges vs. 3-Bet Ranges

Preflop play involves three main actions, and each has its own range. This is crucial: the range changes based on what happened before.

Opening Range

Your opening range is the hands you play when you're first to act (or first raiser). Button opening ranges are wider than Cutoff ranges, which are wider than Early Position ranges. The positions are ordered by opportunity—the closer to the blinds, the more hands become profitable to open, depending on your stack depth and the specific situation.

Calling Range (vs. a Raise)

When someone raises and it's your turn, your calling range is typically tighter than your opening range. You're giving them credit for strength. Position matters significantly for calling ranges—later positions can call with wider ranges than earlier positions. In Spin & Go, calling ranges adjust as stacks get shorter, with very shallow stacks limiting your options to shoving or folding rather than calling marginal situations.

3-Bet Range (Re-raising)

A 3-bet range is your re-raise range. This is typically made up of strong hands and is structured based on the action and position. In early phases of Spin & Go tournaments, 3-bet ranges are relatively tight. As stacks shallow, your options compress—you're often choosing between pushing with strong holdings or folding. The situations become more binary.

The key insight: Ranges aren't one-size-fits-all. They shift based on action, position, and stack depth. That's why having a reference guide is so valuable—you don't have to solve each scenario from scratch.

How Position Changes Your Range

Position is the most important factor in poker preflop play, and it dramatically widens your ranges as you move closer to the button.

• Early Position (UTG): You're far from the button and many opponents act after you. You play only strong hands—pairs, big Aces, and premium offsuit combos.
• Middle Position (MP): Slightly wider than Early Position, but still conservative. You've eliminated a few players from acting, but not enough to justify loose play.
• Cutoff: Now you're in stealing territory. Your range widens noticeably—you're including more mid-range hands and weaker Aces.
• Button: You act last postflop against most opponents. This is where your range explodes—you can play 40%, 50%, or even more hands depending on stack depth.
• Small Blind: You're out of position postflop, so your range is tighter than Button, even though you're in a late position. Position matters less here because you'll play out of position against the Big Blind.
• Big Blind: You're defending your blind and already have chips invested. You defend with a surprisingly wide range, but only when someone raises—the exact hands depend on who raised and from where.

In Spin & Go tournaments with shallow stacks (4bb to 25bb), position remains king, but the ranges compress. When everyone is short-stacked, even Button is much more selective than in cash games. But the principle stays the same: later position = wider range.

Stack Depth: The Game-Changer in Spin & Go

This is where Spin & Go strategy diverges from regular cash game poker. Stack depth fundamentally changes every range.

At deeper stacks (around 20-25bb), you have more flexibility in your opening ranges. You can play a wider variety of hands and apply pressure in different ways.

At medium stacks (around 12-15bb), your ranges become tighter and more focused on quality. You're less focused on speculative situations and more on premium holdings.

At shallow stacks (around 8-10bb), you're approaching push-fold scenarios for most situations. Your decisions simplify and become more straightforward.

At very shallow stacks (4bb to 6bb), you're playing almost pure push-or-fold poker. Your range options narrow dramatically, and decisions become binary. Button and Small Blind become shoving positions with specific hand ranges, and defending the Blinds follows similar patterns.

Why does this matter? Because your hand-by-hand decisions in a Spin & Go depend on knowing these thresholds. A hand that's a straightforward open at 20bb might be a fold at 6bb. This is why having a reference guide tailored to Spin & Go stack depths is so valuable for real-time play.

In Spin & Go tournaments, 3-4 decisions per level often come down to knowing the right preflop range. Make those decisions well, and you'll win more money. Miss them consistently, and even good postflop play won't save you.

Reading the Range: What the Colors Mean

Most range charts use colors or shading to indicate how often you play a hand. Here's the standard:

• Fully colored cell: Play this hand 100% of the time
• Lightly shaded cell: Play this hand 25-75% of the time (it's a mixed strategy)
• Empty cell: Fold this hand 100% of the time

In simplified range charts—like the ones used in tools designed for real-time poker play—you often see just two states: play or fold. This is actually helpful. You're not trying to execute a complex mixed strategy at the table; you're trying to make +EV decisions fast. A simplified chart that says "play this hand, fold that hand" is more actionable than one that requires you to calculate exact frequencies at the table.

That's the approach OneRange takes: simplified, solver-based ranges that cut the noise and give you instant preflop decisions for Spin & Go spots. No guessing, no complex frequency calculations. Just: play or fold.

Why Memorizing (or Referencing) Ranges Matters for Real-Time Play

You might be thinking: "Couldn't I just think through the solution at the table?" Theoretically, yes. Practically, no—not in Spin & Go. Here's why:

Time pressure. Spin & Go blinds move fast. You might have only seconds to make a decision. Sitting there thinking through each hand in isolation wastes time and puts you at a disadvantage against more decisive opponents.

Decision consistency. If you rely on rough intuition, you'll make different decisions in similar spots based on mood, table image, and card feel—all non-factors in sound poker. Referencing a range keeps you consistent.

GTO approximation. A preflop range from a solver is the closest thing to optimal poker you can get without running GTO+ yourself. Playing those ranges beats playing arbitrary hands based on card strength or position alone.

Reduced tilt and mistakes. When you have a system, you're less likely to spew chips on a whim. You follow the range, you make better decisions, you improve your winrate.

In Spin & Go specifically, where flipping 50-50 is common and variance is high, being right on the margins—playing the correct hands instead of close competitors—is what separates winners from break-even players.

Moving from Theory to Practice

Understanding range charts is step one. Using them at the table is step two, and that's where most players stumble. Here are the keys:

• Start with positions you play most. Focus on the positions and stack depths you encounter most frequently in your sessions.
• Focus on the most common stack depths. Prioritize learning ranges for the stack depths you face regularly in your tournaments.
• Practice away from the table. Spend time before sessions reviewing range references. The practice builds familiarity and speed.
• Use ranges as a baseline, not a ceiling. Ranges provide solid foundations for decision-making. Adjust based on your read of opponents and specific game conditions.

The goal is to get to a place where referencing your range guide becomes automatic—a quick, reliable way to make consistent preflop decisions. With practice, you'll build familiarity with common spots and make faster, more confident choices.

Conclusion: Ranges Are Your Competitive Edge

Preflop ranges aren't just another poker concept to file away. They're the backbone of modern poker strategy, especially in Spin & Go tournaments where stacks are shallow and decisions are binary (push or fold). Understanding what a range is, how to read a range chart, and why stack depth matters puts you ahead of recreational players who are winging it.

The 13x13 grid might look intimidating at first, but it's just a visual way to organize information about hand strength and position. Suited hands are in one area, offsuit in another, pairs down the middle. Your position and stack depth determine which cells you fill in. Do that, and you're playing poker based on logic and math, not feel and fancy.

If you're serious about grinding Spin & Go, having instant access to the right ranges for your common spots is a game-changer. That's exactly what tools like OneRange provide: preflop ranges that are solver-based, simplified, and optimized for real-time play across 346+ spots and stack depths from 4bb to 25bb. Quick, consistent, actionable decisions—that's the competitive advantage.