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Preflop ranges by position: which hands to open from UTG to the button
A range for open-raising should widen as you get closer to the button: fewer players are left to act behind you, and being in position for the rest of the hand makes up for a weaker starting hand.
The basic rule: position = range width
From UTG, if you open, everyone at the table can still 3-bet you or wake up with a strong hand: your range needs to stay tight. On the button, only the two blinds can react, and you'll play the rest of the hand in position — so your range can widen substantially without becoming unprofitable.
Opening ranges by position (landmarks)
UTG (Under the Gun) — the tightest range
You're first to act, with everyone behind you able to wake up with a strong hand. Typical range: pairs 77+, AJs+, KQs, AQo+ — roughly 12-14% of hands.
MP (Middle Position) — a bit wider
Fewer players left to act behind you than from UTG. You can add medium pairs (55+), strong suited connectors (T9s, JTs) and a few extra offsuit hands (KJo). Roughly 16-18%.
CO (Cut-Off) — the range widens noticeably
Only the button and the blinds can still react. You add small pairs (22+), medium suited connectors (87s, 98s), suited aces (A2s+) and more offsuit hands. Roughly 22-25%.
BTN (button) — by far the widest
You're last to act preflop and you'll have the positional advantage for the rest of the hand. The range widens sharply: every pair, every suited ace, plenty of offsuit hands and suited connectors. Roughly 40-45%.
SB (small blind) — a special case
You act last preflop against limpers, but you'll be out of position for the rest of the hand. The range is close to the CO in width, but with a preference for hands that play well out of position (pairs, solid suited hands).
The most common mistake at the micro stakes
Plenty of NL2-NL10 players keep a button range almost as tight as their UTG range — out of caution. The result: they leave a significant amount of BB/100 on the table by passing up profitable spots where the positional advantage alone makes up for a weaker hand.
Building and keeping these ranges on hand
Rather than memorizing every combo by heart, FlopIQ's Range Manager lets you save an opening range by position and check it in one click before you sit down at the table.
Once these opening ranges are set, the next step is knowing which hands to 3-bet rather than call — see our article on building a 3-bet range.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the opening range widen toward the button?
Because the number of players who can still wake up with a strong hand behind you shrinks, and because being in position for the rest of the hand gives you more information to play correctly even with a weaker hand.
Do you need to memorize these ranges hand by hand?
No — remember the logic (the closer you get to the button, the wider you open) and a few landmarks per hand category. FlopIQ's Range Manager lets you save and check these ranges directly instead of memorizing them by heart.
Do these ranges change in tournaments?
The principle (widening toward the button) still holds, but stack depth in a tournament tightens ranges as stacks shrink — a hand playable at 100 big blinds isn't necessarily playable at 20.
Are these exact GTO ranges?
No, these are standard ranges inspired by GTO — a solid, defensible baseline, not exact solver output. They serve as a starting point to adjust afterward based on the real opponents at your table.
Find out if your positional ranges are too tight
Upload your Winamax history: FlopIQ measures your real VPIP by position and tells you where you're playing too tight.
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What FlopIQ does on this topic
The FlopIQ tools and analyses that directly address what you just read.
Range Manager
An editable 13×13 matrix, GTO-inspired standard ranges by position — and your actually-played ranges, extracted from your history and overlaid on the reference.
Open the Range Manager →Range
Thinking in a spread of hands rather than a single hand — the foundation for everything else.
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