Range Advantage vs Nutted Advantage

In my final column I introduced up two phrases chances are you’ll or might not be conversant in – Range Advantage and Nutted Advantage. I felt they have been worthy of clarification for these of you uncertain what I used to be speaking about. 

To be a profitable participant within the fashionable recreation it’s important to play based mostly in your vary and your opponent’s vary, reasonably than your particular person hand or theirs. 

Range Advantage refers to which of you has the perfect of it by way of the complete vary of arms you play. When you could have Range Advantage you may be extra aggressive, even when your precise hand has missed utterly.

Nutted Advantage refers to how typically you make an excellent sturdy hand, often Two Pair or higher. When you could have Nutted Advantage you’ll be able to wager larger and demand extra respect. 

To a few of you these two ideas would possibly sound like basically the identical factor, so let us take a look at an instance. 

Range vs Nutted Advantages

Let’s say you elevate beneath the gun with a strong tight vary, which could appear to be this:

Your opponent defends their large blind, you assume they might have raised with most of their premium arms preflop however saved a giant hand again for steadiness, as an instance they reraise with KK half the time and flat the opposite half. Their vary appears to be like like this:

The flop comes 4 2 2

On this flop, you could have the Range Advantage. You have the numerous overpairs and the higher Ace excessive arms. Even although you hardly ever join with the board you’ll be able to wager right here since you often determine to have the perfect hand. 

Your opponent, nonetheless, can reraise you on this board as a result of they’ve the Nutted Advantage. Even although their hand misses more often than not, they’ve 44, 22, 32s and A2s of their vary, whereas the one 2 in your vary is A2s. You have essentially the most sturdy arms right here, however your opponent has extra arms which can be Trips or higher. 

This does not imply you shouldn’t wager on this spot, it is nonetheless an excellent board on your vary, however having Nutted Advantage means your opponent is the one one who could make large bluffs, reraises, check-raises and different energy strikes. A superb opponent will recognise this on a flop like this and it’s one thing it’s good to put together for as you progress up the stakes. 

Dara O’Kearney is sponsored by Unibet and is co-host of the award profitable Chip Race Podcast. 

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