The gist in 30 seconds
To adjust your poker ranges, start from a solid baseline for each position, then change only the hands at its edge based on what you observe: how often the players behind you fold, call or 3-bet. You don't need to rebuild anything. Add or drop a handful of marginal hands, and keep everything else as is.
This quick guide gives you a simple routine for 6-max cash games with 100 big blinds, plus examples you can use tonight.
Adjust the edges, not the whole range
The most common mistake is to change everything because of one opponent. A range is built on solid pillars: premium hands, strong suited hands, pairs. Those stay in whatever the table does.
What moves is the edge. On the button, hands like K5s or A4o are borderline: they make a little money in good conditions and lose it in bad ones. That is where your adjustments belong.
Think of it as a dial, not a switch. You turn it a notch looser or a notch tighter.
Step 1: Know your baseline
You can't adjust something you don't remember. Before reading your opponents, you need a default range for each position that you can recall without thinking.
Here is a simplified starting point for the button, the most profitable seat to open from. It is an example, not a solver solution (a solver is software that computes ranges): treat it as a base to refine.
- Open
- Fold
RAISE: 22+, A2s+, K5s+, Q7s+, J7s+, T7s+, 96s+, 86s+, 75s+, 64s+, 54s, A4o+, K9o+, Q9o+, J9o+, T9o, 98o
In this range, the hands that sit at the border are the weakest suited kings (K5s, K6s), the low offsuit aces (A4o, A5o) and the weakest connectors (64s, 98o). These are the ones you will move around.
Step 2: Position is your first adjustment
Before looking at any opponent, you already adjust to where you sit. The more players left to act behind you, the more likely one of them has a strong hand, so the tighter you open.
152
combos in the UTG example range (11.5% of the 1,326 hands)
486
combos in the BTN example range
36.7%
of all hands opened from the button, versus 11.5% from UTG
A combo is one specific way to deal a hand: a pair has 6, a suited hand 4 and an offsuit hand 12. From the button you open about 334 more combos than from UTG, simply because only the two blinds are left to act behind you.
So your baseline is a family of ranges, one per seat. Opponent-based adjustments come on top of that.
Step 3: Read the players behind you
Once your baseline is set, watch the players who act after you. In a raise-first-in spot, they are the ones who decide whether your edge hands make money.
Do they fold?
Blinds who fold to most steals make your marginal opens more profitable.
Do they 3-bet?
A player who re-raises often punishes weak offsuit hands that can't continue.
Do they call too much?
Players who rarely fold reward strong, value-oriented hands over pure bluffs.
Use the table below as a cheat sheet. These are rules of thumb that reflect simple logic, not exact numbers.
| What you observe | Small adjustment |
|---|---|
| Blinds fold a lot to steals | Add a few hands just below your edge (for example K4s, Q6s or T8o on the button) |
| Blinds 3-bet often | Drop the weakest offsuit edge hands (A4o, A5o, 98o) and keep suited hands, which play better when called |
| A player calls almost everything | Favor hands that make strong pairs or strong draws; cut pure bluffs; open slightly bigger |
| A nit sits in the blinds | Steal more often, but fold your edge hands when the nit finally 3-bets |
| Players limp in front of you | Raise bigger than usual to isolate them, and with hands that play well against a weak range |
Notice that every line moves only a few hands. That is deliberate.
Step 4: Adjust when you face a 3-bet
Adapting is not only about opening. When you raise and someone 3-bets, your continuing range should also depend on who that player is.
Here is a baseline for opening from the CO and facing a button 3-bet:
- 4-bet
- Call
- Fold
RAISE: QQ+, AKs, AKo, A5s CALL: JJ-77, AQs-ATs, KQs, KJs, QJs, JTs, T9s, AQo
From there:
- Against a frequent 3-bettor: call a bit wider in position, and 4-bet a few more bluffs with hands like A5s or A4s. They block the aces in your opponent's strongest hands and still have some value when called.
- Against a player who rarely 3-bets: their range is mostly premium hands. Fold the bottom of your calling range (small pairs, for example) and keep 4-bets for your real value hands.
Common mistakes when adjusting
Reacting to too little information
One 3-bet doesn't make a player aggressive. Wait for a pattern over a decent number of hands before moving a range. Without evidence, stick to the baseline.
Changing too much at once
If you open twice as wide against a single weak player, you also play those hands against everyone else who acts behind you. Keep adjustments small and targeted.
Forgetting that others adapt too
If you steal every button, good players will start 3-betting you more. Your image matters as much as theirs, so be ready to tighten back up.
Adjusting without a baseline
This is the root cause of most leaks. If you don't know your default range, you can't tell whether you're adjusting or simply guessing. Your adjustments then become random.
Make your baseline stick
The hardest part of adapting is memory: you need your default ranges ready in a few seconds, so that your attention at the table goes to your opponents rather than to remembering whether K5s is a raise.
A spaced repetition tool helps with this. FishRangeTrainer shows you flashcards of your ranges, like Anki, and brings back the hands you miss more often. You can start from the example ranges, then save your own tweaks, for instance a custom spot such as "BTN vs tight blinds" with your adjusted range. It isn't a solver: you enter your own ranges or start from the examples.
Key takeaways
- Adjust the edge hands of your range, not its core.
- Know your baseline by position before adapting to anyone.
- Position is your first adjustment: 11.5% of hands from UTG in the example, 36.7% from the button.
- Watch the players behind you: do they fold, 3-bet or call too much?
- Make small changes, based on a pattern, not on a single hand.
- Facing a 3-bet, call wider and bluff 4-bet more against frequent 3-bettors, and tighten against players who rarely 3-bet.
- Poker always involves risk: good adjustments improve your decisions but never guarantee results.
Frequently asked questions
How many hands do I need before adjusting my ranges?
There is no magic number, but a single hand is never enough. Wait until you see the same behavior repeat, such as folding to steals or 3-betting several times, before moving your edge hands.
Should I tighten or widen my range against a bad player?
It depends on how they are bad. Against players who fold too much, widen your opens a little; against players who call too much, keep a value-oriented range and cut pure bluffs.
Which hands are easiest to add or remove?
The edge hands of each position: for example low suited kings, low offsuit aces and weak connectors on the button. Strong hands stay in all situations.
Do I have to adapt at all as a beginner?
Not right away. Learn a solid baseline for each position first, then add one or two simple adjustments, like stealing more against tight blinds.
Are the ranges in this guide the optimal ones?
No. They are simplified starting points for 6-max cash games at 100 big blinds, not solver solutions. Refine them as you gain experience.
Article prepared with the help of AI, reviewed and approved by the publisher of FishRangeTrainer. Poker involves a risk of losing money.