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Reading hands

Narrowing a range street by street.

8 steps, as text; answers are folded so you can test yourself. · step through the interactive version →

  1. 01, open this step in the interactive version
    RangeAA, AKs, AQs, AJs, ATs, A9s, A8s, A7s, A6s, A5s, A4s, A3s, A2s, AKo, KK, KQs, KJs, KTs, K9s, K8s, K7s, AQo, KQo, QQ, QJs, QTs, Q9s, Q8s, AJo, KJo, QJo, JJ, JTs, J9s, J8s, ATo, KTo, QTo, JTo, TT, T9s, T8s, A9o, 99, 98s, 97s, A8o, 88, 87s, 77, 76s, 66, 65s, 55, 44, 33, 22

    Reading a hand isn’t guessing one hand. It’s narrowing a , one action at a time.

  2. 02, open this step in the interactive version

    They from the cutoff. This is their range before the .

  3. 03, open this step in the interactive version
    Your cardsQ♥ Q♣BoardK♠ 8♦ 3♣

    You call with Q♥ Q♣. The flop is K♠ 8♦ 3♣ and they bet. Which of their hands like this flop most?

    Hands with a king · Small pairs · Suited connectors

    show answer

    answerHands with a king

    whyTop pair or better wants to build the pot. Most of their other hands missed and bet less often, or give up.

  4. 04, open this step in the interactive version
    RangeAA, AKs, AQs, AJs, ATs, A9s, A8s, A7s, A6s, A5s, A4s, A3s, A2s, AKo, KK, KQs, KJs, KTs, K9s, K8s, K7s, AQo, KQo, QQ, QJs, QTs, Q9s, Q8s, AJo, KJo, QJo, JJ, JTs, J9s, J8s, ATo, KTo, QTo, JTo, TT, T9s, T8s, A9o, 99, 98s, 97s, A8o, 88, 87s, 77, 76s, 66, 65s, 55, 44, 33, 22

    Here are the hands that hit hard: any king, and the sets 88 and 33. Every one of them beats your queens.

  5. 05, open this step in the interactive version
    RangeAKs, AKo, KK, KQs, KJs, KTs, K9s, K8s, K7s, KQo, KJo, KTo, 88, 33, 22, QJs, JTs, T9s, 65s

    The turn is the 2♥ and they bet big. Big bets on later streets tend to come from very strong hands or from bluffs.

  6. 06, open this step in the interactive version

    After that big turn bet, what is left in their range is mostly…

    Middle-strength hands · Strong hands and bluffs · Every hand they opened

    show answer

    answerStrong hands and bluffs

    whyHands in the middle usually check to reach cheaply. A range of only strong hands and bluffs is called .

  7. 07, open this step in the interactive version

    Your queens beat only the bluffs. Count the on each side, and compare that to the price of calling.

  8. 08, open this step in the interactive version

    At every street, ask which hands would do this. Remove the rest. What remains is their range, and that is what you play against.