# Polarized Range

> Source: [Polarized Range in the Smarter.Poker Glossary](https://smarter.poker/glossary/polarized-range)

## Definition
A Polarized Range Is Made Of Very Strong Hands And Bluffs, With Few Medium Strength Hands In Between. Polarized Ranges Pair With Large Bets And Overbets, Because Strong Hands Want The Pot To Grow And Bluffs Need The Fold Equity. The Medium Hands That Are Left Out Are Checked, Where They Keep Their Showdown Value.

- **Category**: Theory
- **Term Code**: `polarized-range`
- **DefinedTermSet**: [Smarter.Poker Poker Glossary](https://smarter.poker/glossary)

## Related Poker Terms

- [Linear Range](https://smarter.poker/glossary/linear-range) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/linear-range.md)): A Linear Range, Also Called A Merged Range, Is A Betting Range Built From The Strongest Hands Downward With No Gap, Such As Every Pair From Aces Down To A Middle Pair. It Suits Spots Where Many Worse Hands Will Call. The Contrast Is A Polarized Range, Which Skips The Middle And Bets Only Very Strong Hands And Bluffs.
- [Overbet](https://smarter.poker/glossary/overbet) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/overbet.md)): An Overbet Is Any Bet Larger Than The Pot. It Is Strongest When The Bettor Holds A Clear Nut Advantage And A Polarized Range, Because The Opponent Then Holds Many Medium Hands That Cannot Call Comfortably. Overbets Are Most Common On Turns And Rivers, Where The Board Has Moved In The Bettor's Favor.
- [Nut Advantage](https://smarter.poker/glossary/nut-advantage) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/nut-advantage.md)): Nut Advantage Means One Player's Range Holds More Of The Strongest Possible Hands On The Current Board Than The Opponent's Range Does. It Is Different From Range Advantage, Which Compares Average Strength. A Player With A Nut Advantage Can Use Large Bets And Overbets, Because The Opponent Rarely Holds Hands Strong Enough To Punish Them.
- [Value Bet](https://smarter.poker/glossary/value-bet) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/value-bet.md)): A Value Bet Is A Bet Made Because Worse Hands Will Call It Often Enough To Show A Profit. The Test Is Simple: If The Opponent Calls, Are You Ahead Of Most Of The Hands They Call With? Value Bets Pay For Bluffs In A Balanced Strategy, And Missing Them Costs More Money Than Most Players Realize.

## Related Strategy Lessons

- [What To Do When You Face A 3-Bet](https://smarter.poker/learn/facing-a-3-bet) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/facing-a-3-bet.md)): Facing A Three Bet After Opening, Most Of An Opening Range Folds: In The Smarter.Poker Reference A Button Opener Four Bets 4.1% Of All Starting Hands And Calls 3.2%, And An Under The Gun Opener Four Bets 2.9% And Calls 1.6%.
- [How Often A Bluff Must Work](https://smarter.poker/learn/bluff-break-even-percentage) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/bluff-break-even-percentage.md)): A Pure Bluff Breaks Even When It Works As Often As The Bet Divided By The Pot Plus The Bet: A Half Pot Bluff Needs 33.3% Folds And A Pot Sized Bluff Needs 50%.
- [Mixed Strategies And Frequencies](https://smarter.poker/learn/mixed-strategies) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/mixed-strategies.md)): A Mixed Strategy Plays The Same Hand In More Than One Way At Set Frequencies, So That Opponents Cannot Tell Which Action A Hand Will Take: In The Smarter.Poker Preflop Reference, For Example, A5s Is Opened From Under The Gun 52% Of The Time And Folded The Rest.
- [Blockers: How Your Cards Change Theirs](https://smarter.poker/learn/blockers) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/blockers.md)): A Blocker Is A Card In Your Hand That Makes Certain Hands Impossible Or Less Likely For Your Opponent: Holding One Ace Cuts Your Opponent's Ace King Combinations From 16 To 12, Which Makes Some Bluffs And Calls Better Than They Look.

## Practice On Smarter.Poker

- [GTO Training](https://smarter.poker/hub/training): Scenario Based Poker Training, Free To Play.
- [Virtual Poker Table Sandbox](https://smarter.poker/features/virtual-poker-sandbox): Interactive Multi-Street Hand And Range Scenario Explorer.

## Compliance & Fair Play

There Is No Real-Money Gambling On Smarter.Poker: Club Chips Are Play Credits With No Cash Value, And Diamonds Are A Promotional Rewards Currency.