Gambling terms, explained straight

Poker

Preflop range chart 9-max

A chart that maps every possible starting hand in Texas hold 'em to a recommended action for a full nine-player table before the flop.

Format
Commonly presented as a 13×13 matrix of starting-hand combinations 2.
Position-sensitive
Recommended ranges change by seat and by prior action 12.

Key points

  • Maps each starting-hand combination to an action (e.g., open, call, fold) for a specific preflop situation 12.
  • Designed for Texas hold ’em at a full nine-player table, with ranges varying by seat 14.
  • The chart covers actions like opening, calling, 3-betting, 4-betting, and folding 13.

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Poker preflop ranges — a broader term for any set of hands played preflop; a 9-max range chart is the visual table that presents those ranges
  • Preflop range chart by position — a position-specific chart is one subtype; '9-max' specifies table size, while 'by position' specifies the seat-based breakdown
  • GTO preflop ranges — solver-derived theoretically balanced ranges; the chart itself is only the presentation format
Poker Gto poker chart 9 max A GTO poker chart 9 max shows solver-derived balanced ranges for a nine-handed table. Poker Preflop poker chart A preflop poker chart gives recommended actions for starting hands before the flop. Poker Poker hands chart preflop A poker hands chart preflop ranks starting-hand strength for Texas hold 'em. Poker Poker odds chart preflop A poker odds chart preflop shows the probability of winning with each starting hand. Poker Poker range A poker range is the set of hands a player might hold in a given situation. Poker Poker odds chart A poker odds chart displays the likelihood of various outcomes in a hand.

Sources

  1. PokerSkill: LLMs Can Play Expert-Level Poker without ... arxiv.org Supports the application to Texas hold ’em and the position-sensitive nature of ranges.
  2. GTO Wizard Benchmark arxiv.org Supports the definition, the 13×13 matrix format, and the distinction from broader terms.
  3. Profit-Maximizing Poker Agents for No-Limit Hold'em arxiv.org Supports the inclusion of 3-betting and 4-betting actions in the chart.
  4. Texas hold 'em en.wikipedia.org Supports the application to Texas hold ’em and the nine-handed table context.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.