When can a beginner feel confident with their pre-flop decisions at a 6-max+ table?

I’ve been thinking about the learning curve in poker, especially for beginners who often struggle with pre-flop decisions.

In a table with at least 6 players, the dynamics change a lot compared to heads-up or short-handed play. There’s more chance someone has a strong hand, more positions to consider, and a higher risk of being dominated.

My question is: at what point can a beginner start to feel “safe” or confident about their pre-flop ranges in this environment?

• Is it after memorizing standard opening ranges?
• Is it when they understand position deeply (UTG vs Button vs Blinds)?
• Or does true confidence only come with post-flop practice, since pre-flop is just the foundation?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially from players who remember the transition from shaky pre-flop play to feeling comfortable in 6-max or full ring games.

There is no shortcut: memorize the ranges!

But it will be really difficult to do it just looking at the ranges and trying to stick them into your brain.

Of course, you need to try to understand and memorize the big picture, but you will see that you can't remember every detail. In order to refine it, my suggestion is:

1. You can play and learn through repetition. Separate some money you can afford to lose and jump into NL2 cash tables. Try to screenshot the situations in which you are uncertain of what to do. Then, after the session, get your ranges and see the right idea and try to memorize that way.

2. You can try to get some range-building tool (like this Range Analyzer). Then you make a way to randomize a position and a situation. For example: what is the 3-bet range from Cut-off position when Lo-jack raises? You can try to reproduce it in the range building tool, and then you compare with the correct one. Then you will learn which ones you missed. Repeat for other situations, specially those that occur most often, like BU vs. BB, blind war, BU vs. CO, etc.

I am sure that these two ways will skyrocket your range understanding.

A 6max thread nice!, .... I love 6 max, I have noticed it seems to intimidate some people

but it's just so much better than 9max to me, position is so much more important

and ranges of course👍