Reading Ed Miller's Read Hands at NLH. In it, one of the exercises is to map out a hand range for yourself. I think I play generally like the following range although I sometimes have a "**** for brains" moment and spaz out. I am fully aware of the importance of position so I know my range shifts from position to position. Also, in these ranges, I have some hands listed that may appear questionable to some, but it's not like it is a go-to map of what I do every time. Sometimes I just mix them in as I have been watching many of Doug Polk's videos and he talks about mixing up your ranges. I am also writing these down on paper to kind of have as a go to, whenever I have the urge to spaz and try and prevent that from happening. Also, I may mix up at times facing different opponent types. I guess other pertinent information is I play $3.30-$11 deepstack, longer level tourneys on WPN exclusively. Those are the players I need to beat, not Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen.

Utg-Utg+2

Raise. AA-TT, AKs-AJs, AK-AQo

Call / Limp 99-77, KQs QJs JTs

3B. AA-QQ AKs

4bet. AA





HiJack / LoJack

Raise. AA-88, AKs-ATs, AK-AJo KQs

Call / Limp 99-77, QJs-QTs, JTs-J9s

3B. AA-JJ AKs AQs

4bet. AA-QQ




Cut Off / Button

Raise. AA-22, AKs-ATs, A5s-A2s, AK-A8o, KQs-KTs, KQo-KJo, QJs-QTs, JTs-J9s, T9s-98s

3B. AA-JJ AKs AQs

4bet. AA-TT




Small Blind



Raise. AA-22, AKs-A2s, AK-A2o, KQs-K8s, QJs/o-Q9s/o, JTs-J9s,JTo, T9s-T8s, 89s-87s

Call / Limp 86s, 67s, 56s-54s

3B. AA-QQ

4bet.(vs BB). AA-99, AKs-AQs




Now obviously, the opening raise ranges are for unopened pots. I'm not going to 5x J9s with 2 previous limpers or raise 22 from the button into a calling station's BB. I may have this a little screwed up but I think this is a pretty good jumping off point? Like I said this is just kind of a rough go to I am developing for myself until I really find my way by memory. Thoughts? Help? Thanks in advance.




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I'd recommend you move the "call/limp" hands into your raising range or just fold them. In online games, you don't make money by limping.

I would recommend implementing anything ArtyMcFly says. I find this to be a general +EV learning method


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I generally see where you are coming from. Perhaps just strike them from a "limp" range but still keep them in a call range vs a raise with other callers while I am in position? While also changing to "limp" to either "raise" and more than likely "Fold".

Example: a player with a VPIP/PFR of 19/16 Min raises utg or utg+1 with a loose passive calling him and myself in the HiJack, CO, or BTN. Could it not be profitable to call 87a-T9s , J9s, JTs in the long run? I mean I guess effective stacks would need to be north of 45 BBS, or at least one of my opponents being in that stack size range. Surely it would be a spot to avoid if one of the opponents was say 10-15 BBs as I could be either to make a tough decision or play a bigger pot than I would like on a draw.

It should also be noted I think that they would ideally be played in a fit or fold manner. Losing 2 bbs is one thing, losing 10 on a spaz move is completely different.

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There is so much success in small stakes tournaments from being heads up in position, that speculating in multiway pots from late position may be unnecessary, and the favorable stack sizes and player stats have to be just right. If both other players are LAG, good luck in moving them off a flop they like, if both other players are TAG, good luck in out flopping their value, hoping for a flop they miss and dont choose to pot size cbet anyway.


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Fair enough. That makes sense. Thank both of you guys/gals for all of your input and help.

I don't believe I have ever seen Doug advocating limping.

I'm pretty sure I said He advocates mixing up your ranges. I never said he advocates limping. The tournaments on WPN that I play, I see a lot of limping early on (200-400 BBs). Some of them start with 10k in chips and 15-30 starting blind levels. I'm not an expert in any form of the game however, I am definitely trying to learn more and sap as much knowledge as I can from more knowledgeable players.