How do you get a list of percentage hand ranges (i.e. 7% of hands)?
05-26-2024
, 10:07 PM
You could use a software like Equilab, and change the VPIP to the desired %
Here is 7% which isn't too far off what you posted from MPT
Here is 7% which isn't too far off what you posted from MPT
05-29-2024
, 04:08 PM
Hand ordering is a peculiar area of poker theory that I took a deep dive into a few years ago.
The first thing to realize is that there isn't one correct order. The optimal hand ordering facing an open is different from opening yourself. The value of a hand changes depending on what your opponent is representing. Furthermore, variables like stack depth can exaggerate or mitigate the value of implied odds.
In fact, there are many, many different approaches to creating hand orders: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/3...hands-1630561/
Here are some of the most common methods:
1) Equity Hand Orders
The simplest way to order hands is to calculate the equity of every hand, then order them from strongest to weakest.
That results in the following hand order:
That's a pretty bad ordering; it's really only useful in creating HU push/fold charts.
2) Iterative Equity Method
The problem with the previous method is that the defender can change what they call with, which in turn changes what you should open, which in turn changes what they should call with... repeat.
A more powerful hand ordering method is described here by propokertools. The idea is to iterate the list until you achieve something stable. You can do this process for 2 players, or 10.
Here's a 10-max iterative equity ordering by ProPokerTools:
3) Equity Squared Method
Another interesting method is the equity^2 approach. This method works well because squaring the equity of a hand increases the value of nuts, while decreasing the value of middling hands relative to their equity. This essentially models the implied odds of a hand. I think this method is better than (1), but worse than (2).
4) EV Method
One of the reasons this area of poker science is so neglected is that it's not useful anymore. Nowadays, if you want to calculate the best range of hands to continue with, you'd simply run a GTO simulation which gives you the expected value of hands. So there's no need for orderings.
However, if you really want a list, you can take the EVs and create a list out of them anyway.
Here's a hand ordering I made myself for a 100bb cash game HJ opening range:
5) Multiway Equity Method
Another approach I've experimented with is to create hand orderings based on multiway equity calculations. I prefer this approach because it's simple, and strongly resembles GTO opening ranges.
For example, here are the top 44% of hands in an 8-way equity calculation, compared with a GTO BTN RFI range. As you can see, it's remarkably close.
You can change the number of players in the equity calculation and the top X% of hands using this spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...05YKISpqU/copy
6) Defending Ranges
As mentioned earlier in this post, the best defending hands are not ordered in the same way as the best opening hands. Again, this is because the EV of your hand depends on what your opponent is representing.
Using my multiway equity approach, I calculated the best order of hands against two UTG opening ranges. Doubling the number of attackers inflates the value of implied odds as well as the effect of dominated cards, the end result more closely resembles optimal defending ranges.
BB Defend vs UTG Open, based on multiway equity calculations:
Let's compare the top 25% of hands using this ordering against the GTO defending range:
Left: BB top 25% of hands by equity against 2xUTG opens, right: GTO defending range
Left: BB top 25% of hands by equity against 3xUTG opens, right: GTO defending range
The BB vs 2xUTG defense tends to be a bit too top-heavy undervaluing implied odds, whereas the BBvs3xUTG range tends to overvalue implied odds.
Realistically most people just use a solver rather than leaning on these arcane equity ordering methods, but I've got a soft spot for these old-school poker theory methods.
-----
Where can I find these hand orders? Why are they useful?
I've spend a lot of time creating hand orders using different methods. They mostly come in handy when I want to quickly simulate deviations in one players preflop strategy.
The other area of use is in creating preflop abstractions. But that's a topic for another day.
You can download my hand orderings here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18An...ew?usp=sharing
To use them, just extract the folder, and put it in the 'HandOrder' folder of the free (or paid) version of PioSolver. You can also use them with Flopzilla or GTO+ with some minor modifications.
The first thing to realize is that there isn't one correct order. The optimal hand ordering facing an open is different from opening yourself. The value of a hand changes depending on what your opponent is representing. Furthermore, variables like stack depth can exaggerate or mitigate the value of implied odds.
In fact, there are many, many different approaches to creating hand orders: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/3...hands-1630561/
Here are some of the most common methods:
1) Equity Hand Orders
The simplest way to order hands is to calculate the equity of every hand, then order them from strongest to weakest.
That results in the following hand order:
That's a pretty bad ordering; it's really only useful in creating HU push/fold charts.
2) Iterative Equity Method
The problem with the previous method is that the defender can change what they call with, which in turn changes what you should open, which in turn changes what they should call with... repeat.
A more powerful hand ordering method is described here by propokertools. The idea is to iterate the list until you achieve something stable. You can do this process for 2 players, or 10.
Here's a 10-max iterative equity ordering by ProPokerTools:
3) Equity Squared Method
Another interesting method is the equity^2 approach. This method works well because squaring the equity of a hand increases the value of nuts, while decreasing the value of middling hands relative to their equity. This essentially models the implied odds of a hand. I think this method is better than (1), but worse than (2).
4) EV Method
One of the reasons this area of poker science is so neglected is that it's not useful anymore. Nowadays, if you want to calculate the best range of hands to continue with, you'd simply run a GTO simulation which gives you the expected value of hands. So there's no need for orderings.
However, if you really want a list, you can take the EVs and create a list out of them anyway.
Here's a hand ordering I made myself for a 100bb cash game HJ opening range:
5) Multiway Equity Method
Another approach I've experimented with is to create hand orderings based on multiway equity calculations. I prefer this approach because it's simple, and strongly resembles GTO opening ranges.
For example, here are the top 44% of hands in an 8-way equity calculation, compared with a GTO BTN RFI range. As you can see, it's remarkably close.
You can change the number of players in the equity calculation and the top X% of hands using this spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...05YKISpqU/copy
6) Defending Ranges
As mentioned earlier in this post, the best defending hands are not ordered in the same way as the best opening hands. Again, this is because the EV of your hand depends on what your opponent is representing.
Using my multiway equity approach, I calculated the best order of hands against two UTG opening ranges. Doubling the number of attackers inflates the value of implied odds as well as the effect of dominated cards, the end result more closely resembles optimal defending ranges.
BB Defend vs UTG Open, based on multiway equity calculations:
Let's compare the top 25% of hands using this ordering against the GTO defending range:
Left: BB top 25% of hands by equity against 2xUTG opens, right: GTO defending range
Left: BB top 25% of hands by equity against 3xUTG opens, right: GTO defending range
The BB vs 2xUTG defense tends to be a bit too top-heavy undervaluing implied odds, whereas the BBvs3xUTG range tends to overvalue implied odds.
Realistically most people just use a solver rather than leaning on these arcane equity ordering methods, but I've got a soft spot for these old-school poker theory methods.
-----
Where can I find these hand orders? Why are they useful?
I've spend a lot of time creating hand orders using different methods. They mostly come in handy when I want to quickly simulate deviations in one players preflop strategy.
The other area of use is in creating preflop abstractions. But that's a topic for another day.
You can download my hand orderings here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18An...ew?usp=sharing
To use them, just extract the folder, and put it in the 'HandOrder' folder of the free (or paid) version of PioSolver. You can also use them with Flopzilla or GTO+ with some minor modifications.
