MTT preflop strategy

UTG open range at 12 bb (7-max)

When you're UTG and first to act, with an effective stack of 12 bb in a 7-max tournament, the solver plays 22.7% of its hands (raise 2.00 bb 22.6%) and folds 77.3%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.

Fold 77.3%Raise 2.00 bb 22.6%All-in 0.0%

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 22.7% of the hands that reach this spot, about 301 combos out of 1,326.
  • Raise is the main action for 22.8% of hands: from AA down to 44, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Surprise: the solver folds some top-50 hands here, such as K9o, Q9s, K7s, QTo.

What changes at 10 bb (2 hands change action)

  • K8s: raise here, fold at 10 bb
  • JTs: raise here, all-in at 10 bb

What changes at 15 bb (2 hands change action)

  • K9o: fold here, raise at 15 bb
  • K7s: fold here, raise at 15 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from UTG, first in, at 12 bb in 7-max?

The solver plays 22.7% of the hands that reach this spot, about 301 combos out of 1,326. Raise is the main action for 22.8% of hands: from AA down to 44, 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 fold, 33 fold, 44 raise, 55 raise, 66 raise.

What should you do with weak suited aces (A2s to A5s) in this spot?

The solver's main action with each hand: A2s raise, A3s raise, A4s raise, A5s raise.

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.