Free study guide · Updated September 8, 2026
PLO5 preflop ranges: read the strategy behind a five-card hand
Use the free PLO5 range browser to compare action frequencies and expected values for a specific preflop decision. Select the game conditions first: a strategy is meaningful only for the position, stack depth, rake and action sequence it was solved for.
Choose a spot before choosing a hand
Start with the scenario selector and read its table size, stack and rake settings. Follow the action row to the player whose decision you want to study. An unopened button decision and a button facing an early-position raise are different nodes, even when the hole cards are identical.
The Range view lists hands at the selected node. Use the hand search and shape filters to narrow the list, then compare a few nearby hands. The Categories and Matrix views help you see patterns that are difficult to find in a long list of individual holdings.
Frequency and EV answer different questions
Action frequency tells you how often the stored strategy chooses that action. It is not the probability of winning the pot. EV describes the expected value of an action under the solver model. A mixed strategy can assign weight to several actions with very similar EVs.
Compare EVs within the same decision and configuration. Do not compare an EV from one stack depth or rake model with a value from a different scenario as if it were the same decision. The data and method page describes the source, scenario coverage and published limitations.
Worked example: isolate the fifth card
Compare A♠ K♠ Q♥ J♥ T♦ with A♠ K♠ Q♥ J♥ 3♦ in the same node. Both hands retain the same four connected cards and two suits. The change isolates the fifth card: the ten adds connected pairings, while the three adds different, less connected pairings.
Search each holding, record the available actions and their frequencies, and compare the EV gaps. Then repeat in another position. This is a study exercise, not a claim that either hand always raises or folds: use the actual output for the selected scenario.
Turn a comparison into practice
After identifying a pattern, open the trainer for that spot. Decide before looking at the answer, then review the EV loss as well as the action label. Repeatedly missing one hand category is a more useful study target than memorising one isolated result.
These are stored solver strategies, not a live opponent model or a guarantee of profit. Missing data is not a recommendation to fold. Use the tool for study away from live play, and consult the method page before treating any range as universal.
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