[PantsOnFire]

Let's talk preflop to keep this simple.

You start with the normal poker player, the one who has read a book and has normal starting requirements. For example, when he is UTG he will raise with JJ-AA and AK, AQs and sometimes TT. He will limp with AJs and 77-TT and fold the rest.

So there you go, you have a range. Again for the average player, this range will change depending on his position and what the action was in front of him.

You should at least know what the average player does in each situation. Now you need to adjust that range as you learn about a player. If he is loose, you will need to add to the range and if he is tight, you can reduce the range.

Also you can learn specifics about a player like he likes to slowplay AA and KK or somebody is always limping with two suited cards or a guy loves any A, or a guy has a 100% open-raise percentage from button and CO, etc. Some players disregard their position so their range could be the same whether they are UTG or CO. Some players never call a raise with small PP, some always do. Some never 3 bet with AA or KK, some 3 bet with a wider range. The list is endless.

If you are ranging hands in a basic manner, you cannot make really tough decisions well. If you can narrow down a range, then you will make better decisions. Keep in mind however that most of your opponents aren't even thinking about your hand let alone ranging you so even basic ranging will give you an overlay. Also keep in mind that bad players don't necesarily play in a normal manner so it can be difficult to range them, especially after the flop.

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