MTT preflop strategy

SB range vs BB 3-bet at 15 bb (6-max)

When you open from SB and BB 3-bets you, with an effective stack of 15 bb in a 6-max tournament, the solver plays 62.1% of its hands (call 30.2%, raise 11.96 bb 3.9%, all-in 28.1%) and folds 37.9%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.

Fold 37.9%Call 30.2%Raise 11.96 bb 3.9%All-in 28.1%

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 61.8% of the hands that reach this spot, about 5 combos out of 8.
  • Call is the main action for 34.7% of hands: from JJ down to 97o, the weakest hand played this way.
  • All-in is the main action for 28.6% of hands: from AA down to Q4s, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as T5s, T4s, 97o.

What changes at 12 bb (16 hands change action)

  • QTo: call here, all-in at 12 bb
  • Q9o: fold here, all-in at 12 bb
  • JTo: fold here, all-in at 12 bb
  • Q7s: call here, all-in at 12 bb
  • T9s: call here, all-in at 12 bb
  • J8s: call here, all-in at 12 bb

What changes at 17 bb (14 hands change action)

  • K8s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
  • Q9s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
  • K7s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
  • K6s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
  • Q8s: all-in here, call at 17 bb
  • K5s: all-in here, call at 17 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from SB, facing a 3-bet, at 15 bb in 6-max?

The solver plays 61.8% of the hands that reach this spot, about 5 combos out of 8. Call is the main action for 34.7% of hands: from JJ down to 97o, 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: 55 all-in, 66 all-in.

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

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

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.