| Hand class | Keep | Mix | Avoid | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium double-suited rundown | Keep almost always when the hand is clean and connected. | Mix only when you are early, short, or facing strong action. | Avoid only when the structure is damaged by gaps or suit problems. | A♠ K♠ Q♦ J♦ |
| Double-suited Broadway | Keep when the cards line up and the suits still matter. | Mix from seats where the hand can realize top-end equity well. | Avoid when the cards are disconnected or easy to dominate. | K♠ Q♠ J♦ T♦ |
| Pair plus support | Keep when the pair is backed by connection and suits. | Mix when you need position for the pair to realize value. | Avoid when the pair traps the rest of the hand. | A♥ A♣ K♠ Q♠ |
| Disconnected rainbow | Keep only in rare exploit spots against the right table. | Mix very selectively from the button or late position. | Avoid in most standard PLO lineups. | A♠ Q♦ 8♣ 3♥ |
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PLO starting hands chart
Compare PLO hand classes side by side before you put money in the pot.
The fastest way to sort PLO starting hands is to compare the structure, not just the face value. Premium rundowns keep more nut routes alive, broadway hands need clean support, paired hands need help from the rest of the hand, and disconnected rainbow holdings usually fall apart too often.
Hand class ladder
Keep the hands that make the nuts in more ways
Keep
Premium double-suited rundowns keep the most nut-heavy runouts live.
Mix
Broadway hands and pair-plus-support holdings need position and good suit density.
Avoid
Disconnected rainbow hands get dominated too often and realize equity poorly.
Stack depth
Deeper stacks reward redraws; shallow stacks increase the cost of fragile structures.
Side-by-side chart
Use keep, mix, and avoid guidance to sort the hand class quickly.
This chart is designed for the exact preflop question most beginners ask: which classes are worth playing now, which ones are conditional, and which ones are usually too thin to continue?
How to use the chart
Class value rises when the hand still has more than one way to make the nuts.
- Start with the structure: connection, suits, and pair support.
- Then ask whether the hand keeps wraps, flushes, or set value live on useful boards.
- When two hands look close, use the chart and the evaluator together.
Quick rule
If the hand needs one perfect flop to become playable, it is usually too thin for a standard open.
Position and stack depth
The same class changes value when the money gets deeper or the seat gets worse.
Keep the class chart fixed, then adjust the threshold for action. Position and stack depth do not change the structure of the hand, but they change how much of that structure you can actually realize.
Early position
Lean toward the cleanest classes.
- Premium rundowns and strong double-suited broadways age well because they stay connected on more boards.
- Pair-plus-support hands lose value if the pair is the only real feature.
- Disconnected rainbow holdings should usually leave the range here.
Late position
You can mix a little wider when you can control the pot.
- Broadway classes and pair-plus-support hands improve when you can see more action first.
- Board control matters because you can pass on ugly runouts more often.
- Weak hands still need a real structural reason to continue.
Deep stacks
Redraws and nut potential matter more.
- Premium rundowns climb in value because they can keep more future boards live.
- Hands that only make one-pair or second-best draws get punished harder.
- More depth rewards hands that can keep pressure on several runouts.
Short stacks
Made-hand value matters more, but structure still matters.
- Pairs gain some value because all-in equity happens sooner.
- Even here, disconnected rainbow hands stay fragile and easy to dominate.
- Choose classes that can still win with more than one outcome.
Practical examples
Use familiar hand shapes to anchor the chart.
These examples are meant to be quick memory hooks, not solver outputs. The goal is to sort your first pass correctly and then use the tools to confirm the read.
Keep
A♠ K♠ Q♦ J♦
A double-suited rundown keeps straight pressure, flush routes, and redraws alive. It stays useful on a wide range of flops and runouts.
Mix
K♠ Q♠ J♦ T♦
Broadway structure is strong, but it needs the right seat and enough depth to realize value. It is much better when the suits support the run.
Avoid
A♠ Q♦ 8♣ 3♥
This is the kind of hand that looks acceptable only because it includes an ace. It does not keep enough paths to the nuts alive once the board gets coordinated.
Next step
Use the free tools together so the chart becomes a repeatable preflop habit.
Compare the hand class with the starting-hands chart, then confirm it in the evaluator and the hand class finder. The rankings page gives you the broader ladder for where each class belongs.