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Poker Range Calculator
Build two ranges, optionally fix a board, see equity. Click hands on each grid or apply a preset. 30,000-trial Monte Carlo per calculation.
Range 1
28/169 hands · 162 combos · 16.6%
Range 2
5/169 hands · 34 combos · 3.0%
Board (optional, 0/5)
A
K
Q
J
T
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
♠
♥
♦
♣
Guide
Range vs range equity, explained
The calculator above is the answer. Below is everything you need to use it correctly: what a range actually is, how to think about range vs range equity, and the spots where range math beats hand-vs-hand math at the table.
What is a poker range?
A rangeis the set of all possible hands a player could have in a given situation. You almost never know your opponent's exact two cards — but you can usually narrow them to a range of plausible hands based on their actions.
When a tight UTG player open-raises in a 6-max cash game, their range is roughly: 99+, AJs+, KQs, AQo+(about 8% of all hands). It's NOT a single hand — it's 8% of the 169 possible starting hand classes that they would choose to play in that spot.
Range thinking is the foundation of every modern poker decision. Bad players think "does my hand beat HIS hand?" — and they're right or wrong by accident. Good players think "does my hand beat his RANGE?" — and they get the right answer 95% of the time because they're working with the actual probability distribution.
How to build a range on the 13×13 grid
The grid above is the standard 169-hand visualization used by every serious poker tool. Here's the layout:
→Diagonal cells (top-left to bottom-right) are pocket pairs: AA, KK, QQ, ..., 22.
→Above the diagonal = suited hands (AKs, AQs, KQs, etc.).
→Below the diagonal = offsuit hands (AKo, AQo, KQo, etc.).
→Click a hand class to add it to your range. The combo count and percentage update live.
Combos vs hand classes:a single class like "AKs" represents 4 specific combos (one per suit). "AKo" represents 12 combos (4 × 3 suit combinations). "AA" represents 6 combos (the 6 ways to pair two of the four aces). The calculator weights ranges by combo count, not class count, so your equity numbers reflect the actual probability distribution.
Why range vs range beats hand vs hand
Hand vs hand calculations tell you: "If I have AK and they have QQ, what's my equity?" Answer: ~46%.
But that's rarely the actual question at the table. The real question is: "If I have AK and they have THEIR RANGE (not specifically QQ), what's my equity?" That answer is much more useful.
Example: Villain 3-bets you in position. Their 3-bet range might be QQ+, AKs, AKo, A5s, K9s — a balanced value-and-bluff range. Your AK has:
→~30% equity vs JJ-AA (their value combos — 18 combos)
That weighted-average number is what you actually need to make a profitable 4-bet decision. The calculator above does this math automatically — click both ranges, click Calculate.
Standard ranges (UTG, BTN, BB defense, GTO)
Use the preset buttons on each grid to load common ranges. The library covers:
→UTG / EP open — tightest opening range, ~13% of hands at 6-max (closer to 10% in full ring).
→BTN open — widest opening range, ~40-45% of hands.
→BB defense — calling range vs a single open from late position, ~25-30% (very wide because of pot odds).
→3-bet value — JJ+, AKs, AKo. Hands strong enough to play a bloated pot.
For deeper coverage, see our range library (26 curated ranges) or our strategy cheatsheets (TAG/LAG/NIT/GTO with hand-by-hand recommendations).
Worked range vs range examples
Example 1: BB defense vs BTN open
BTN opens 40% (typical). You're in BB. Your defense range is ~30% — pocket pairs, most broadway combinations, suited connectors, and some weaker offsuit hands. Click BTN range on grid 1, BB defense on grid 2, no board, calculate.
Result: roughly 52% / 48%in BTN's favor preflop. Despite their wider opening range, BB's positional disadvantage and uncapped range mean BTN is still a slight favorite. This number is why BB defense at 30% is correct — going wider would tilt the equity further in BTN's favor.
Example 2: 3-bet equity check
Villain opens UTG with their tight range (~10%). You're considering a 3-bet from BTN. Click villain's UTG open range on grid 1, your prospective 3-bet range on grid 2.
A pure-value 3-bet range (QQ+, AKs only) has ~58% equity vs UTG's open. That's good — but it's exploitable (always premium, never bluffing). Adding bluff combos (A5s, K9s) brings overall equity down to ~52% but makes you unexploitable. This is the core GTO tradeoff between maximum-EV and balanced strategies.
Example 3: Postflop range vs range
Set the board to A♠ 7♣ 2♦. Click villain's flop calling range on grid 1 (likely top pair Aces, pairs, gutshots). Click your c-bet range on grid 2 (slightly wider — value + semi-bluffs).
On dry boards like A-7-2, the original raiser's range is heavily favored (~58-62%). That's why c-betting these textures wide is profitable — even with marginal hands, your range crushes villain's flat-call range.
Common mistakes
1. Building too narrow a range for villain.Most players underestimate how wide modern ranges are. A "tight" UTG opener at NL10 still has ~13% of hands. A LAG BTN can have 45%+. Don't default to "they only have AA-QQ" thinking.
2. Forgetting blockers.If you have AKs, you BLOCK villain's AKs and reduce their AK combos by ~25%. The calculator handles blockers automatically when you specify your hand. But on the flop, board cards block ranges too — an Ace on the flop reduces villain's AK combos by half.
3. Using equity without considering position. 55% equity in position is much more valuable than 55% equity out of position. Position lets you realize more of your equity through better postflop decisions. Don't use raw equity as a play-or-fold rule — factor in position.
FAQ
What's the difference between a hand and a range?
A hand is two specific cards (e.g. A♠K♠). A range is the set of all possible hands a player could have in a given situation, weighted by combo count. Ranges are typically described as percentages of the 169 hand classes (e.g. 'top 12% of hands').
Why does this calculator use Monte Carlo instead of exact enumeration?
Range vs range with multiple combos and a partial board has a HUGE state space — exact enumeration would be slow. Monte Carlo with 30,000 iterations gives results accurate to ~0.5%, well within decision-quality margins, in under 2 seconds. Same approach used by PioSolver, GTO+, and Equilab.
How do I read the equity percentage?
Equity = your share of the pot if the hand were played to showdown. 60% equity means across all card combinations consistent with both ranges, your range wins 60% of the time. Combined with pot odds, it tells you whether a call/bet is +EV. See our pot odds article for the math.
Can I compare more than 2 ranges?
Currently the calculator supports 2 ranges (heads-up postflop is the most common range vs range scenario). For multi-way equity, use our standard odds calculator with specific hands. Multi-range is on our roadmap.
What ranges should I start with as a beginner?
Use the presets — they encode standard solver-derived ranges. The TAG cheatsheet (free at /cheatsheets/tag) gives you exact opening ranges for every position at micro stakes. As you advance, build your own ranges based on observation of real opponents.
Does this work for tournament play (with ICM)?
The calculator outputs raw chip equity. Tournament decisions also depend on ICM (chip value vs dollar value diverges near pay jumps). Use this calculator for the chip-equity portion of the math, then adjust your ranges based on ICM pressure. Our ICM calculator handles the conversion.