BB defense vs SB open at 15 bb (5-max)
When SB opens, everyone else folds and you're in the BB, with an effective stack of 15 bb in a 5-max tournament, the solver plays 78.4% of its hands (call 46.6%, raise 5.62 bb 5.8%, all-in 26.0%) and folds 21.6%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.
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 78.4% of the hands that reach this spot, about 1,040 combos out of 1,326.
- Call is the main action for 48.4% of hands: from 77 down to 32s, the weakest hand played this way.
- Raise is the main action for 3.0% of hands: from AA down to AQs, the weakest hand played this way.
- All-in is the main action for 25.9% of hands: from 88 down to K2o, the weakest hand played this way.
- Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as J6o, J2s, 96s, J5o.
What changes at 12 bb (15 hands change action)
- TT: raise here, all-in at 12 bb
- 88: all-in here, call at 12 bb
- QJs: call here, all-in at 12 bb
- QTs: call here, all-in at 12 bb
- K8s: call here, all-in at 12 bb
- QJo: call here, all-in at 12 bb
What changes at 17 bb (11 hands change action)
- AKs: all-in here, raise at 17 bb
- KJs: all-in here, raise at 17 bb
- K8o: all-in here, call at 17 bb
- K4s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
- K3s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
- K5o: all-in here, call at 17 bb
Frequently asked questions
Which hands should you play from BB, facing an open, at 15 bb in 5-max?
The solver plays 78.4% of the hands that reach this spot, about 1,040 combos out of 1,326. Call is the main action for 48.4% of hands: from 77 down to 32s, the weakest hand played this way.
What should you do with small pairs (22 to 66) in this spot?
The solver's main action with each hand: 22 all-in, 33 all-in, 44 all-in, 55 call, 66 call.
What should you do with weak suited aces (A2s to A5s) in this spot?
The solver's main action with each hand: A2s all-in, A3s all-in, A4s all-in, A5s 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
- BB defense vs HJ open at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB defense vs CO open at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB defense vs BTN open at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB calling range vs CO all-in at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB calling range vs BTN all-in at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB calling range vs SB all-in at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB range vs HJ limp at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB range vs CO limp at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB range vs BTN limp at 15 bb (5-max)
- BB range vs SB limp at 15 bb (5-max)
Equilibrium computed by the Exploit It solver in chip-EV, antes included, open size 2 bb, a little more at deep stacks (up to 2.5 bb on the button at 100 bb), 2 to 3.5 bb from the SB. EVs of actions the equilibrium does not play are indicative: play the frequencies.