6-Max CO Range Overview
In 6-max Texas Hold’em, the Cutoff (CO) is the position immediately before the Button. It is a late position that provides excellent opportunities to open a wider range of hands, especially when the players in the blinds are tight. The CO allows you to apply pressure, steal blinds, and play hands that may be too loose for earlier positions such as UTG or MP.
The CO range is typically around 25 to 30 percent of hands, which is wider than UTG or MP but still requires discipline. Premium hands should always be played aggressively, while speculative and suited connectors can be used to exploit positional advantage.
Opening from the CO is often about balancing value hands with hands that can realize equity postflop. This makes the position highly flexible and profitable when used correctly.
Typical CO Hands in 6-Max
Premium Pairs AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT
Medium Pairs 99, 88, 77, 66
Broadway Hands AK suited/off, AQ suited/off, AJs, KQs, KJs, QJs
Speculative Suited Connectors JTs, T9s, 98s
Suited One-Gappers Occasional J9s, T8s
This range allows you to apply pressure on the blinds while maintaining strong postflop potential. Suited connectors and one-gappers can create straights, flushes, and strong draws, giving you multiple ways to win pots.
CO 6-Max Range Table
Hand Type Hands to Open CO
Pocket Aces AA
Pocket Kings KK
Pocket Queens QQ
Pocket Jacks JJ
Pocket Tens TT
Pocket Nines 99
Pocket Eights 88
Pocket Sevens 77
Pocket Sixes 66
Ace-King Suited AKs
Ace-King Offsuit AKo
Ace-Queen Suited AQs
Ace-Queen Offsuit AQo
Ace-Jack Suited AJs
King-Queen Suited KQs
King-Jack Suited KJs
Queen-Jack Suited QJs
Jack-Ten Suited JTs
Ten-Nine Suited T9s
Nine-Eight Suited 98s
Jack-Nine Suited J9s
Ten-Eight Suited T8s
Tip Highlight premium hands AA, KK, QQ, AKs in green, secondary strong hands JJ, TT, AQ, AJs, KQs in yellow, and speculative suited connectors JTs, T9s, 98s, J9s, T8s in blue. Grey out all other hands outside this CO range.
Why CO Range is Wider than MP
Fewer players left to act behind you reducing the risk of domination
Strong position advantage against the Button and blinds
Ability to steal blinds and apply pressure on tight opponents
More postflop flexibility with speculative hands
Allows you to exploit passive or predictable blind players
Adjusting Your CO Range
Aggressive blinds tighten your range to avoid costly 3-bets
Passive blinds widen your range to exploit weak callers
Deep stacks include more suited connectors and one-gappers to realize equity
Short stacks focus mainly on premium hands and high-card broadways
Table dynamics adapt your opening frequency based on tendencies; CO is ideal for stealing and exploiting mistakes
Key Takeaways for 6-Max CO
CO is a high-leverage position use it to pressure opponents and steal blinds
Maintain a balanced range value hands for protection speculative hands for postflop potential
Color-coded charts improve memorization and help make consistent preflop decisions
Postflop playability is essential suited connectors and one-gappers provide multiple ways to win pots
Dynamic adjustments maximize profitability tighten against aggressive players widen against passive players
Consistency and discipline in the CO lead to long-term success in 6-max games
By mastering the 6-max CO range you gain a flexible and powerful tool to exploit late positions, control pots, and increase your overall profitability at the table. Proper understanding and memorization of these hands allow for confident preflop decisions and strong postflop play.