How to Fix Incorrect Ranges in Poker: The GTO Wizard Method

Learn how to build poker ranges correctly and fix mistakes with training material from GTO Wizard. Practical tips for players of all levels.

In poker, one of the key concepts that often causes confusion even among experienced players is ranges. Your success at the table directly depends on how well you construct your ranges for different game situations. The new training video by poker coach Matt Hunt — “Are Your Ranges Broken? Here’s How To Fix Them” on the GTO Wizard platform — is dedicated to this very topic. In this material, we’ll take a detailed look at what aggressive and defensive ranges are, how to build them correctly on different streets, and which tools can help you make your game as profitable as possible. Aggressive and Defensive Ranges: Basic Concepts Matt Hunt identifies two main types of ranges in poker: aggressive and defensive. Aggressive ranges include all hands with which you bet or raise. Defensive ranges are those hands with which you check or call. Defensive ranges are often mistakenly called “passive,” but as Hunt emphasizes, their real purpose is to protect your share of the pot (equity) and prevent opponents from exploiting you with constant aggression. If you fold too often in response to bets, opponents will quickly notice and start pressuring you, forcing you to fold even good hands. Aggressive ranges, on the other hand, are aimed at extracting maximum value from strong hands. But for balance, they must include not only the nuts but also well-thought-out bluffs. This prevents opponents from easily determining the strength of your hand and makes their decisions more difficult. The Structure of Aggressive Ranges: Three Main Types Hunt breaks aggressive ranges down into three categories, each built on its own principles: Polar ranges: Include both very strong hands (value) and bluffs. These ranges are used to get calls from worse hands or to make opponents fold better ones. Example: large river raises with the nuts or with a complete bluff. Merged ranges: Typical for early streets (preflop, flop), when you bet not only with strong hands but also with medium-strength hands, draws, and weak bluffs. This allows you to get value from a wider range of your opponent’s hands. Linear ranges: Include a sequential set of strong hands, often seen preflop or in situations where even medium hands can be profitable for betting or raising. For example, opening from early position with hands like AJs+ and higher. Understanding where the expected value (EV) of each range type comes from helps you build a sound aggression strategy on all streets. What Are Defensive Ranges and How to Build Them Although aggressive play often gets more attention, defensive ranges are just as important for a successful strategy. Their job is to realize the equity of hands that are too good to fold but not strong enough for aggression. Matt Hunt highlights two approaches to building defensive ranges: Linear defense: This is when you continue with one group of hands, simply calling or folding to a bet. For example, calling on the flop with top pair or a strong draw. Condensed defense: In this case, you keep some of your strongest hands in your calling range rather than raising. This protects your range from opponents “blasting through” you on later streets, knowing you don’t have the nuts. A well-constructed defensive range doesn’t allow opponents to take down pots with aggression uncontested and forces them to be more cautious against you. Building Ranges on Different Streets: From Preflop to River The strategy for building ranges changes depending on the street and the board texture: Preflop: In 4-bet or 5-bet situations with a low stack-to-pot ratio (SPR), polar ranges dominate — you’re either very strong or bluffing. In early position opens, merged ranges are more common, where both strong and medium hands are played. Flop and Turn: On static boards (where there are few possible draws), it’s more profitable to play with polar ranges, making large bets with the nuts and bluffs. On dynamic boards (with many possible draws and action), merged ranges are better to avoid giving opponents cheap outs. Defensive ranges should include enough strong hands so you can’t be exploited. River: Here, ranges become simpler: on one side — pure value bets and bluffs, on the other — protected calls. It’s important to maintain balance so as not to be predictable. Thus, properly distributing hands into ranges on each street allows you to minimize EV leaks and makes it harder for opponents to find weaknesses in your game. Range Builder Tool from GTO Wizard: How to Use It for Training Matt Hunt strongly recommends using the Range Builder tool from GTO Wizard for independent work on your ranges. According to him, it’s “your best friend” in learning poker. Here’s how it can help: Allows you to quickly and visually build and then test your ranges for different situations. Helps you find optimal strategies, especially when combined with GTO Wizard’s artificial intelligence. Develops a systematic approach to learning, instead of just memorizing charts — you start to understand why certain hands are included in a given range. If you notice that you tend to fold medium hands too often, miss value with marginal hands, or don’t defend your calling range, your ranges probably need to be reviewed. Hunt’s method and GTO Wizard’s tools will help eliminate these leaks and balance your strategy on all streets. Where to Learn More: Matt Hunt’s Video on GTO Wizard This overview only briefly covers the main ideas from Matt Hunt’s video “Are Your Ranges Broken? Here’s How to Fix Them.” For a detailed breakdown of building balanced ranges and avoiding common mistakes, we recommend watching the full video on the GTO Wizard platform. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, understanding and properly building ranges is not just theory, but a real way to increase your win rate in club games. Unlike standard rooms, clubs often feature unconventional opponent styles, and it’s flexibility in range construction that will allow you to adapt to different player pools. By using Matt Hunt’s approaches, you’ll be able not only to defend your pots more effectively against aggressive players, but also to find more spots for profitable bluffs and value bets against weaker opponents. Using tools like Range Builder will help you quickly identify your own mistakes and improve your strategy, even if you don’t have access to expensive coaches. In the end, regular work on your ranges and adapting them to the PPPoker club game format will give you a significant edge, help you avoid typical EV leaks, and make your game more resilient to aggression and exploitation from opponents.