Poker study / TableRival
How to read heads-up push/fold ranges without antes
A coloured square only makes sense when you know the chart’s assumptions. Start with the player count, effective stack and whether you are shoving or facing a shove.
What do AKs, AKo and 77 mean?
A range is a set of hands, not one specific pair of cards. A typical 13 × 13 chart groups 169 starting-hand types. The letters are ranks: A — ace, K — king, Q — queen, J — jack and T — ten.
| Notation | Meaning | Combinations |
|---|---|---|
| AKs | Ace and king of the same suit | 4 |
| AKo | Ace and king of different suits | 12 |
| 77 | A pair of sevens | 6 |
“s” means suited; “o” means offsuit. Pairs usually sit on the diagonal. Always read the hand labels and legend: axis direction and colour meanings can vary. One square does not represent one card combination.
Identify the effective stack first
Heads-up means two players. The effective stack is the smaller of their stacks in the hand: the larger stack cannot win more chips from one opponent than that opponent can commit.
For example, before posting the blinds, you have 12 BB and the opponent has 8 BB. The effective stack is 8 BB. BB means big blind. If the big blind is 100, then 8 BB means 800 chips.
Check whether the chart measures the stack at the start of the hand or the chips still behind. In this example, 8 BB includes the amount subsequently posted as a blind — do not add it again.
Check the assumptions before reading a square
- Player count: heads-up means two people. Do not automatically apply the chart at a six-player table.
- Decision type: an initial shoving range and a range for calling a shove are different.
- Available actions: a push/fold model limits the first decision to all-in or fold. It does not compare the full strategy including limps and smaller raises.
- Antes: no ante is a specific assumption about the pot and costs. Selecting the same BB number does not make a no-ante chart suitable for an ante game.
- Model objective: a chip-based model does not automatically account for tournament payout pressure (ICM).
TableRival’s ranges cover a model with two players, 2–15 BB, all-in or fold and no antes. They help you understand this model, not provide a universal preflop plan.
Check your understanding
Do A♠K♠ and A♠K♥ belong in the same square?
No. A♠K♠ is AKs, while A♠K♥ is AKo. Suited and offsuit hands are separate categories.
You have 12 BB and the opponent has 8 BB. Which stack do you select?
8 BB, if the chart uses the same before-blinds effective-stack definition as the example. Make sure you are comparing the same stack definition first.
Does a “push” square tell you whether to call an all-in?
No. Select the correct decision type first. A calling range considers the situation where the opponent has already shoved.
Once the chart notation is clear, practise the price of calling separately. Understanding notation alone does not give a particular hand’s equity against a range.