Poker starting hand charts
Professional starting hand charts from the University of Poker: preflop ranges for all disciplines — tournaments, cash games, Omaha and Spin & Go. Suitable for both beginners and experienced players. A system of 4 levels, adapted to different limits and levels of professionalism.
System of 4 levels
Step-by-step structure: Level 1 — for beginners, Level 2 — for microlimits, Level 3 — for middle limits, Level 4 — for high-limits. Each step includes up-to-date charts built on a real base of hands.
Preflop charts for real fields
Unlike solver decisions, our charts are based on the analysis of millions of hands in an online game. Adapted to typical field errors, Tilt, limit features and real metagames. Optimal for use in online rooms.
List of current charts
Staring hand
Note
About Charts.
- About the charts
- Advantages
- Tips
- FAQ
Professional approach to pre-flop strategy
A professional approach to playing poker is to make profitable decisions in any situation that arises at the table.
It is not surprising that the basis of profitable poker is formed at the earliest stage of the game - on preflop. It is here that a large number of players make many mistakes, and not only beginners suffer from this. Beginners (as well as amateurs who do not pay enough attention to improving their strategy) are poorly aware of which cards are really profitable to enter the game, and also do not take into account various factors affecting this: positioning at the table, the presence of strong opponents, the influence of player stacks, the tournament stage, and the like.
A clear understanding of which starting hands should be used to enter the hand in a particular situation allows you to create the basic conditions for a positive poker game and saves the player from many complex decisions both on the pre-flop and on subsequent streets. To do this, there are ready-made and proven recipes – charts of starting hands in poker. Charts of starting hands in poker - tables of certain starting card combinations recommended for entering the game depending on our position at the table, the depth of the stacks and the actions of the players in front of us.
Our head coach did a titanic job to create a step-by-step system of preflop charts:
- Level 1 – Basic game for beginners up to $6
- Level 2 – Advanced microlimit game up to $22
- Level 3 – Advanced middle limits game $25 - $150
- Level 4 – Advanced high stakes game $210 - $1,050
Each chart table is formed specifically for a certain limit and also for a certain level of the player in the ability to study the charts. The lower the STEP of the charts, the easier it is formed to quickly memorize the most important principles of the game. And the higher the STEP, the more complex and sophisticated the system of various pre-flop situations, which is created to improve the pre-flop strategy fixed in the previous steps.
Ways to compile starting hand charts in poker
Solver charts
With the advent of solvers (computer simulation programs), the process of mathematical modeling of a profitable poker game has significantly accelerated. And we can say that this marked the beginning of the emergence of starting hand charts based on solver solutions (solver charts). Solver charts are matrices of ready-made solutions, tested by thousands and millions of hand simulations, which computer programs play based on the concepts of the GTO strategy (optimal game theory). These charts can provide interesting information for professionals and inspire new thoughts and solutions, but this chart is absolutely not suitable for developing a game from low and middle limits since the strategy against which the solver calculates the optimal chart of the game is catastrophically different from the real conditions of the game at the tables.
Practical charts
Another way to compile the starting hand charts in poker is a deep, comprehensive analysis of large databases of hands played by real poker players. It is these charts, based on a practical game, that our school offers and recommends for use.
The main advantage of this method is that it takes into account:
- real strategies common among players at this limit;
- the average level of the player himself, who plays the hands from the chart, taking into account the fact that he will not be able to play them optimally and will make mistakes;
- even a certain percentage of tilt is taken into account;
- even if the RNG in the rooms is twisted in any way — this will be taken into account in the real analysis.
What is the difference between the starting hand tables in the cache and MTT cash
- There is rake in the cash — it narrows the opening ranges and makes calls less profitable.
- In MTT, the value of chips varies depending on the stage of the tournament.
- In the cache — the depth of the stacks is stable, and in the MTT — is constantly changing.
- MTT has more situational factors: bubble, ICM, stage, knockouts.
Therefore, the charts for tournaments are more complex and more flexible.
Advantages of professional preflop charts from the coaching team
The pre-flop charts offered and recommended by our educational portal are created by a team of University of Poker coaches.
Thanks to many years of coaching experience and active cooperation with both poker funds and various professional players, as well as their own tournament practice, the team was able to collect and carefully analyze large volumes of poker statistics obtained from the practical game. A detailed study (research) of these large databases of hands played by players of various limits made it possible to identify various patterns and obtain valuable conclusions about the current trends in the game of the field, the profitability of playing certain starting hands on the pre-flop and their relationship with the overall profitability of the game. Pre-flop charts created on the basis of the research obtained have been tested in the practice of trainers and dozens of students and users of our portal.
How to choose a starting hand chart
- The choice of the starting hands chart from those presented on our website will depend on both the experience of the players and the limits they play.
Newbie Poker Chart
For players making their first steps in poker, we recommend the Level 1 chart — a fairly simple course with a simple data structure that will create a good base for a positive profitable game at microlimits and lay the foundation for further professional growth.
University of Poker charts — Level 1 for tournaments up to $8
The basic version of this chart is not enough to cover all the player's needs. For beginners who have received the first experience of the game, we recommend a version marked FULL, to get which you need to fulfill one simple condition of the site loyalty program — make 1 any poker room according to the instructions of the school (at the link).
University of Poker charts — Level 1 FULL
The structure of the information presented in the chart is slightly expanded, but the list of techniques and situations under consideration is increasing. Many new aspects will require diligent work to fully implement them into the practical game.
Beginner & Low Limit Pro Chart
For players who have chosen tournament poker as their main occupation, more advanced courses and charts are intended, the first of which is the video course “Optimal preflop ranges — Level 2”. The course will be useful for players of MTT limits up to $22 and contains the most current game charts on these limits, made according to the latest research (review) of the field this year.
Advantages of the course:
- The proposed 17 videos detail how to use the charts in the game, what to look for when studying them and putting them into practice;
- The thoughtful structure and consistency of the material presented make the learning process quick and informative;
- Particular attention is paid to the game in one of the currently most popular varieties of MTT — tournaments with knockout rewards (knockout tournaments). It is told how the game changes in such tournaments, given the reward for knocking out of different sizes.
Chart for professional middle limits
Professional poker players consider preflop as an integral part of the overall tournament strategy, depending on many factors (tournament stages, table positioning, player stack sizes, etc.). For experienced players who regularly participate in tournaments with medium and high buy-ins (from $25 to $150), we recommend the most detailed and in-depth course on preflop: "Optimal preflop ranges — Level 3".
This course contains both current charts of games for limits from $25 to $125, created according to the latest research (research) of the field of the current year, and 13 videos with detailed explanations. Also, this video course will be useful for players of lower limits who have already introduced preflop charts from the “Level 2” course into their game on a regular basis. The information presented in this course will help such players to further improve their preflop game.
High Limit Professional Chart
At high stakes ($215–$1050), preflop requires maximum accuracy and discipline. Here, each decision directly affects the long-term ROI, and mistakes are especially costly. The Optimal Preflop Bands — Level 4 course is designed specifically for professionals who consistently play tournaments with high buy-ins.
It contains current charts for $215+ limits, compiled on the basis of modern field research and the practice of regular players of this level. The material will help to systematize the preflop strategy and eliminate even minor errors in the game, which are crucial at high stakes.
The course is also suitable for ambitious players of middle limits who want to prepare for the transition to the next level.
How to use tables and introduce new knowledge into the game
All the starting hands charts presented on our portal have a similar structure. The information is presented in the form of sections and subsections arranged according to common features: preflop action, position at the table, stack size, actions of our opponents and others. Despite the fact that the structure of the charts is intuitive, the presented data is highlighted with convenient color markings, and many sections are provided with additional comments.
Even with all this convenience, introducing knowledge into the game is a rather time-consuming process. Our coach also took care of this, having developed a very effective method of introducing new knowledge into the game strategy and bringing them to automatism during his coaching practice. All you need to do is watch one video and fully implement all its recommendations. Discipline, trust in the coach — this is what will help you if you can find these qualities in yourself and work exactly as described in this video. The video is the very first in Section 1 of our free video course “Basics of preflop and postflop games”.
Tips for beginners
For novice players, we recommend the following scheme for studying the charts and introducing them into your game:
- Consider learning and implementing starting hand charts as an integral part of your learning process. Do it regularly!
- Study the information presented in the charts, in order, section by section.
- Peek into the charts regularly during the game and before and after your action.
- Reduce the number of tables.
- And most importantly — keep notes on the coaching methodology mentioned above.
Conclusion
Preflop charts of starting hands in poker are one of the modern tools necessary to build a competent and profitable strategy of the game. This is especially important in tournament poker, where the optimality of a preflop player's decision depends on a large number of different factors. A clear understanding of which starting hands are beneficial to enter the preflop game in a particular situation saves players from a lot of difficult decisions in the subsequent stages of distribution and, in general, greatly affects the profit at a distance. Remember that playing preflop is a crucial part of a positive profitable poker game. And take the time to improve your strategy in this area!