MTT preflop strategy

SB range vs BB 3-bet at 10 bb (5-max)

When you open from SB and BB 3-bets you, with an effective stack of 10 bb in a 5-max tournament, the solver plays 56.3% of its hands (call 15.6%, all-in 40.7%) and folds 43.7%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.

Fold 43.7%Call 15.6%All-in 40.7%

Each cell: the share of each action for that hand, left to right. Gray cell: hand not in the range at this point.

Key takeaways for this spot

  • The solver plays 55.9% of the hands that reach this spot, about 8 combos out of 14.
  • Call is the main action for 22.0% of hands: from JJ down to 75o, the weakest hand played this way.
  • All-in is the main action for 26.9% of hands: from AA down to J5s, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as T5s, 86s, 97o, 94s.

What changes at 12 bb (2 hands change action)

  • Q7o: all-in here, fold at 12 bb
  • J5s: all-in here, call at 12 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from SB, facing a 3-bet, at 10 bb in 5-max?

The solver plays 55.9% of the hands that reach this spot, about 8 combos out of 14. Call is the main action for 22.0% of hands: from JJ down to 75o, the weakest hand played this way.

What should you do with suited connectors (54s to T9s) in this spot?

The solver's main action with each hand: 98s call, T9s all-in.

How do you train on this spot?

Exploit It's free quiz deals you random hands in this exact spot and shows you the solver's answer after each choice.

Short stack: the push/fold chart, from 5 to 20 bb

The same spot at other depths
Related spots

Equilibrium computed by the Exploit It solver in chip-EV, antes included, open size 2 bb at 25 bb or less and 2.2 bb deeper. The model's range-width caps can make some EVs of unplayed actions optimistic: play the frequencies.