Hand Ranges vs. Specific Reads: Which Approach Wins More Often at the Table?

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A game of poker means knowing how strong your hand is relative to the other likely hands around the table. Unfortunately, in the game of poker, we are always playing with incomplete information.

There are ways to partially determine a player's likely hand. Generally, professional and experienced players will determine a likely range of hands for each opponent at the table, rather than attempt a specific read – specific reads are usually little more than pure guesswork.

Poker Evolution

The Internet has changed the way many of us play poker, with more people playing online than in person. Online poker is more convenient and accessible, and it also enables players to fine-tune their game and improve their playstyle.

Esportsbets highlights the importance of learning poker hands, but online betting expert Ben Boland also points out the significance of reading other players to determine how they play.

Hand Reading

Hand reading is an important part of competitive poker. It is the skill of being able to determine the likely hands an opposing player has based on factors like their actions, table position, play style, and tells. Hand reading is not guessing, but it is true that amateur players are more prone to guessing what hands they're up against.

Play Actions

When a game of poker starts, you have very little known information. Depending on the type of poker being played, you may be able to see community cards, and you do know table position and blind postings, however.

Once betting starts, you can use this information, as well as player actions, like calling, checking, and raising, to help build a clearer picture of a player's position.

Player Tells

Tells can also give invaluable information to help form a picture of somebody's hand. While there are fewer tells at online poker games, they do still exist. In physical games, players can look at body language as well as betting speed and more. In online games, bet speed, bet size compared to previous actions, and even online chat can give potential tells.

Hand Ranges

There are thousands of possible hands a player can have in a game of poker. Accurately predicting exactly what hand a player has is effectively impossible. However, it is possible to determine a likely range of hands a player has.

This means you might be able to determine a player has a premium hand, pre-flop – AA, KK, QQ, JJ, for example. As the hand progresses, this range might tighten as the player raises or takes other actions.

Evaluate

The key to effective poker hand range determination is to use as much information as you have available to you and not to take any piece of information in isolation. Consider a player's position at the table, as well as their opening bet.

If you've played several hands already, consider the type of player an opponent is when considering their bets.

Reevaluate

View hand range determination as a science. In science, it is important to reevaluate a theory based on the latest available information. In some cases, when a player takes an action, this might enable you to tighten the possible hand range.

But, in other cases, it may mean completely reevaluating the range of hands you believe that player has.

Use The Information

Knowing your opponent's hand range is only part of the battle. Once you have an idea of an opponent's likely hands, you need to use this information to help formulate your own game plan and determine your own bets.

And, while it is important to reevaluate according to changing conditions, don't second-guess yourself based on a single action.

Practice

Learning to read hand ranges takes experience, and that experience can only be gained by putting it into practice. Play online, take part in physical games, and watch games while trying to range hands yourself.

The Problem With Specific Reads

It is very difficult, especially during the early actions of a game, to get close to an accurate prediction of a player's exact hand. Effectively, a specific read is little more than a guess. Specific reads also have less flexibility, which means players are less likely to deviate from what is likely to have been an inaccurate read. Psychologically, it is difficult to force yourself to change your mind.

Novice and first-time players know they need to have some idea of what hands other players have, and this can lead to attempts at specific reads, but professional and experienced players rely on hand ranges.