Last Updated on August 28, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Here’s a stat that stops most players cold: at a 6-max table, the button opens roughly 45-53% of all possible starting hands, while under the gun opens as little as 13-15%. Same game, same stack size, same deck of cards. The only thing that changed is where you’re sitting. That gap is the entire reason a pre flop poker strategy chart exists, and why the players who ignore it are quietly bleeding chips every single orbit.
This guide breaks down current, solver-verified opening ranges position by position, shows you exactly where most players leak money, and gives you a chart you can actually use tonight.
The Number Every Player Should Know
Modern solver output (the same kind powering tools like GTO Wizard, Preflop Wizard, and RangeIQ) is remarkably consistent on the core numbers for a standard 100bb 6-max cash game:
| Position | Opening Range (100bb, 6-max) |
| UTG | ~13-17% of hands |
| Hijack (HJ) | ~19-24% of hands |
| Cutoff (CO) | ~25-30% of hands |
| Button (BTN) | ~40-53% of hands |
| Small Blind (SB, unopened) | ~30-40% of hands |
| Big Blind (BB, defending vs. a raise) | ~35-40% of hands |
Notice the jump from UTG to BTN — you’re playing roughly three times as many hands on the button as you are under the gun, with the exact same two cards possible. That’s not a style choice. It’s math: fewer players left to act behind you means less risk of running into a monster, and position for the rest of the hand if you get called.
Position-by-Position Breakdown
Under the Gun (UTG), The Tightest Seat at the Table
With five players still to act behind you, this is where a real poker strategy chart earns its keep. Stick to premium pairs (77+), strong broadways (AJo+, KQo), and the top suited hands (ATs+, KTs+, QTs+, JTs). This isn’t the seat to get creative, it’s the seat to be boring and profitable.
Hijack (HJ), One Seat, One Big Difference
Losing just one player from the “still to act” count is enough to justify meaningfully wider play. This is where suited connectors (98s, 87s, 76s), weaker suited kings (K8s and below), and offsuit hands like ATo start entering a solid poker basic strategy chart.
Cutoff (CO), The Real Stealing Position
Only the button and the two blinds remain. Modern charts open the cutoff at roughly 25-30% of hands, nearly double the UTG range, adding small pairs, suited aces down to A2s, and offsuit broadways like KJo and QJo.
Button (BTN), Where the Real Profit Lives
This is the seat that separates winning players from break-even ones. With position locked in for the entire hand and only two players left who can respond, current solver charts open any pocket pair, any suited ace, most suited kings/queens, and a wide swath of offsuit hands, pushing total opening frequency past 40%, sometimes over 50% depending on table dynamics.
Small Blind, Aggressive When Unopened, Tight When Facing a Raise
When the action folds to you, an aggressive small blind range can rival the button’s, many modern strategies raise 30-40% of hands here rather than limping, since limping tends to get exploited. Facing a raise from elsewhere, though, the range collapses fast to strong pairs and premium broadways.
Big Blind, The Wide Defender
You’re already invested, so current solver output has the BB defending somewhere around 35-40% of hands against a standard button open, the widest “continuing” range at the table, even though it’s rarely an opening range in the traditional sense.
Why These Numbers Keep Shifting Slightly (And Why That’s Fine)
You’ll notice published charts don’t agree to the decimal point, one source says UTG opens 13%, another says 17%; one says the button opens 45%, another says 53%. That’s not sloppiness. Solvers output mixed frequencies (a hand might be a raise 80% of the time and a fold 20% of the time), and different sites round those mixes differently for readability. The takeaway that matters isn’t the exact percentage. it’s the trend: every seat closer to the button lets you profitably play more hands, and that relationship holds true across every solver, every training site, and every serious poker strategy chart published this year.
How to Actually Use a Chart at the Table
- Learn the boundaries, not every cell. Know where each position’s range “stops” (e.g., UTG stops around 66+ and ATs+) rather than memorizing all 169 hands individually.
- Suited beats offsuit, always. Suited hands carry flush potential and better equity when behind, most charts include noticeably more suited combos than offsuit ones at the same strength tier.
- Depth changes everything. These numbers assume 100bb effective stacks. Short-stacked play (20-40bb) shifts to a push/fold framework that looks nothing like a standard opening chart.
- Charts are a floor, not a ceiling. Against passive tables, you can profitably open wider than the chart says. Against aggressive 3-bettors, tighten up. The chart gives you the unexploitable baseline, reads let you deviate for extra profit.
The Bottom Line
The gap between a 13% UTG range and a 50% button range isn’t a stylistic preference between different “types” of player, it’s the single clearest, most quantifiable edge available at the table, and it’s sitting right there in every published poker strategy charts resource for free. Learn the shape of it, drill it until the boundaries feel automatic, and you’ll have fixed one of the most common (and most expensive) leaks in the game before you’ve played a single hand out of position.
FAQs
1. What is a pre-flop poker strategy chart?
A pre-flop poker strategy chart shows which starting hands to raise, call, or fold from each table position. It helps players build consistent opening ranges before the flop.
2. What hands should I open from UTG in 6-max poker?
UTG is typically the tightest opening position. A standard 100BB 6-max strategy may open roughly 13–17% of hands, focusing on strong pocket pairs, premium broadways, and strong suited aces.
3. How wide should I open from the button?
The button generally has the widest opening range because only the blinds remain to act. Depending on the strategy and table conditions, players may open roughly 40–53% of starting hands from the button.
4. Does stack size change pre-flop ranges?
Yes. The ranges in this guide assume approximately 100BB effective stacks. With shorter stacks, such as 20–40BB, opening and continuing ranges can change significantly and may require a different strategy.
5. Should I always follow a poker strategy chart exactly?
No. Charts provide a strong baseline, but experienced players can adjust their ranges based on opponents, table dynamics, stack sizes, rake, and position. The goal is to understand the range rather than blindly follow every chart cell.
Founder of PokerClubGames.com and a Poker Researcher with 10+ years of experience in SEO, WordPress development, and gaming content strategy. Specializes in researching online poker sites, poker apps, tournaments, bonuses, and poker strategies. Experienced in poker platform reviews, affiliate marketing, and creating SEO-focused poker content for global audiences.
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