Poker GTO Lab

Preflop Opening Ranges: A Position-by-Position RFI Guide

A 6-max RFI (raise-first-in) range guide by position. From UTG to the button, which hands to open — with clear charts.

Preflop Strategy
June 5, 2026

Table of Contents

Preflop is the most frequent — and most error-prone — moment in poker. Just learning correct opening ranges (RFI = Raise First In) puts you ahead of most players. This guide organizes opening standards by position for 6-max.

Principle: open wider the later you are

Approx. open % by position
UTG
16%
MP
20%
CO
28%
BTN
46%
SB
40%
Open wider the later you sit

The fewer players left to act behind you, the wider you can open, because positional advantage and the value of stealing the blinds both rise.

PositionApprox. open %Range character
UTG (first)~15–18%Strong pairs, broadways, AQ+
MP~18–21%UTG + suited connectors, small pairs
CO~26–30%Most suited, down to KJo
BTN~42–50%Very wide — all suited, many offsuit
SB~35–44%Raise-or-fold (or a limp blend)

Concrete opening standards (examples)

Standards: UTG vs BTN
UTG (first)
  • •Pairs 22+
  • •AJo+, KQo
  • •Strong suited
BTN (button)
  • •Pairs 22+
  • •Nearly all suited
  • •Wide offsuit too
Same 22+, far wider kickers and suited on the button

UTG (under the gun)

  • Pairs: 22+ (small pairs for set-mining)
  • Suited: A2s+, KTs+, QTs+, JTs, T9s, 98s
  • Offsuit: AJo+, KQo

BTN (button)

  • Pairs: 22+
  • Suited: almost everything (A2s+, K2s+, Q4s+, J6s+, 54s+)
  • Offsuit: wide (A2o+, K8o+, Q9o+, J9o+)
Don’t memorize individual hands — learn the structure: as position improves, the range widens from suited toward offsuit holdings.

What open size should you use?

Recommended Open-Raise Size by Context
Tournament (ante)
2.1bb
Cash Game
2.5bb
BTN (any format)
2.1bb
Smaller sizing from the BTN lets you see flops cheaply and encourages blind defense. Ante tournaments favour tighter sizing due to improved pot odds.

In modern 6-max, 2.0–2.5bb is standard. In ante tournaments 2.0–2.2bb is common; in cash, around 2.5bb. From the button you can open smaller (2.0–2.2bb) to see flops cheaply while inviting blind defense.

Common mistakes

Common Mistakes vs. Correct Play
Wrong
  • •Open KTo / Q9s from UTG (too loose)
  • •Call with A7o from early position
  • •Limp frequently from SB
Correct
  • •UTG range: AJo+, KQo, strong suiteds only
  • •Fold A7o / marginal Ax-Kx offsuit early
  • •Default raise-or-fold from SB; limp selectively
These three leaks are the most common among recreational players. Fixing them alone can meaningfully tighten your preflop fundamentals.
  • Opening too wide early — KTo or Q9s from UTG is too loose.
  • Overvaluing offsuit Ax/Kx — A7o is a fold from early position.
  • Limping too much from the SB — default to raise-or-fold; limp only selectively.

Summary

RFI ranges are the multiplier base of poker strategy. Lock them in and your 3-bet responses and postflop decisions become consistent too. Start by memorizing your main position (CO/BTN for most players), then expand.

This article was prepared by the Poker GTO Lab editorial team for educational purposes, drawing on widely published solver outputs, training content, and preflop charts. The ranges and frequencies shown are representative tendencies; the true optimum depends on stack depth, opponents, and table rules. This site does not promote gambling.

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