Range in poker refers to the different hands that a player can hold, and the resulting range of possible hands that he or she can make a bet with. The most common hand type in poker is the five card hand, which includes two cards of the same rank, as well as three cards of different ranks.
There are a total of 38 possible five card hands, with ten of them being straight, nine of them being flush, eight of them being full house, and so on. Range is important in poker because it determines which hands are playable and which hands are not.
For example, if you hold a five card hand that includes two cards of the same rank, you are playing a high-card hand. This means that you can only make a low-ball bet with this hand, since all other bets are out of the question.
If you instead hold a five card hand that includes three cards of different ranks, you are playing a middle-card hand. This means that you can make both high and low-ball bets with this hand, since it falls between the two categories.
Range also plays an important role in preflop strategy. For example, if you are playing heads-up against an opponent who is known to play low-ball preflop plays, it is important to have a range of hands that you can make low-ball bets with.
This way, even if your opponent manages to hit your high-card hands more often than not, you will still be able to make some small profits by making low-ball bets with your middle-card and weak hands. .
Finally, range also affects postflop play. For example, if you are holding an A-8 offsuit and your opponent holds an A-7 offsuit, it is usually not worth it to put all your money into the pot preflop because your opponent will most likely call with his A-7.
Instead, you may want to wait until later in the hand when your opponent may be more inclined to fold his A-7 because he has less value in the pot. By understanding range in poker and using it wisely in your play strategy, you can increase your chances of winning at poker overall.
