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♠ Interactive starting-hand tool

Poker Starting Hand Chart

All 169 hands color-coded by position (UTG → SB). Tap a position to highlight only the hands you can open from that seat.

169hands·5positions·Tap · hover for instant view

Pick a position → playable hands highlight

← Swipe to see the full chart →

A
K
Q
J
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
A
AA
AKs
AQs
AJs
A10s
A9s
A8s
A7s
A6s
A5s
A4s
A3s
A2s
K
AKo
KK
KQs
KJs
K10s
K9s
K8s
K7s
K6s
K5s
K4s
K3s
K2s
Q
AQo
KQo
QQ
QJs
Q10s
Q9s
Q8s
Q7s
Q6s
Q5s
Q4s
Q3s
Q2s
J
AJo
KJo
QJo
JJ
J10s
J9s
J8s
J7s
J6s
J5s
J4s
J3s
J2s
10
A10o
K10o
Q10o
J10o
10
109s
108s
107s
106s
105s
104s
103s
102s
9
A9o
K9o
Q9o
J9o
109o
99
98s
97s
96s
95s
94s
93s
92s
8
A8o
K8o
Q8o
J8o
108o
98o
88
87s
86s
85s
84s
83s
82s
7
A7o
K7o
Q7o
J7o
107o
97o
87o
77
76s
75s
74s
73s
72s
6
A6o
K6o
Q6o
J6o
106o
96o
86o
76o
66
65s
64s
63s
62s
5
A5o
K5o
Q5o
J5o
105o
95o
85o
75o
65o
55
54s
53s
52s
4
A4o
K4o
Q4o
J4o
104o
94o
84o
74o
64o
54o
44
43s
42s
3
A3o
K3o
Q3o
J3o
103o
93o
83o
73o
63o
53o
43o
33
32s
2
A2o
K2o
Q2o
J2o
102o
92o
82o
72o
62o
52o
42o
32o
22

Top-right triangle = suited (s) · diagonal = pocket pairs · bottom-left triangle = offsuit (o)

Color legend

UTG
Under the Gun (UTG)
~12%
HJ
Hijack (HJ)
~20%
CO
Cutoff (CO)
~29%
BTN
Button (BTN)
~42%
SB
Small Blind (SB)
~56%
Fold
All positions

Open range by position

PositionHandsRangeExample hands
UTGUnder the Gun (UTG)21(+21)~12%AA-77, AKs-A10s, KQs-KJs, AKo-AJo, KQo
HJHijack (HJ)34(+13)~20%+66-55, A9s-A8s, K10s, Q10s, J9s, 10-8s, 98s, A10o, KJo, QJo, J10o
COCutoff (CO)49(+15)~29%+44, A7s-A5s, K9s, Q9s, J8s, 97s, 87s, K10o, Q10o
BTNButton (BTN)71(+22)~42%+33-22, K8s-K7s, Q8s, J7s, 10-7s, 65s-54s, K9o, Q9o
SBSmall Blind (SB)95(+24)~56%+A6o-A4o, K8o-K7o, Q8o, J7o, 97o, 87o, 76o, 95s, 85s, 74s, 64s

* GTO-based approximations — in practice, adjust for table tendencies, stack depth, and opponent ranges.

Why position drives hand selection

📍

Position = information

The button (BTN) always acts last after the flop. Seeing everyone's bets and checks first makes the same hand far more profitable.

⚠️

UTG has 8 players behind

Open-raising from UTG at a 9-handed table, you don't know how the 8 players behind will react. The chance of a re-raise is high, so speculative hands like suited connectors can't realize their value — tighten to premium hands.

♠️

The value of suited

A suited hand has roughly a 3–5% equity edge over the same offsuit hand. That's why you can open A8s from the hijack but wait for the button with A8o.

🔄

The SB dilemma

The small blind always acts first after the flop. Even with a wider range than the button, it realizes less equity, so medium-strength hands become less profitable.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to follow the starting hand chart exactly?
The chart is a starting point. At a 6-max table, shift positions one or two spots looser than 9-max. With antes, widen the whole range by 5–8%. At tables full of weak players, playing tighter to maximize value tends to be more profitable.
Is 169 hands the exact number?
Yes. Ignoring suits, there are exactly 169 hand types: 13 pocket pairs, 78 suited hands, and 78 offsuit hands. In the actual deck the total number of combinations is 1,326.
Why isn't the big blind on the chart?
The BB has already invested 1 big blind, so it plays a 'defense' (call/re-raise) game rather than open-raising. A BB defense range depends entirely on the opener's position and sizing, so it needs its own chart.
Is it okay to open a 42% range on the button?
In GTO terms, a button opening range really does reach 40–50%. But if opponents are tight or inexperienced, focusing more on premiums can be more profitable in practice. The chart is a balanced baseline.
What do I do if I get 3-bet?
Your opening range and your 3-bet-calling range are different. Generally you respond to a 3-bet with premiums like AA-JJ and AKs-AQs, plus some bluffs — suited wheel aces like A5s and A4s that block AA/AK and can make the nut flush. Fold the rest.

Next steps — related guides