MTT preflop strategy

CO range vs BTN 3-bet at 10 bb (8-max)

When you open from CO and BTN 3-bets you, with an effective stack of 10 bb in a 8-max tournament, the solver plays 77.4% of its hands (call 77.4%) and folds 22.6%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.

Fold 22.6%Call 77.4%

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 77.8% of the hands that reach this spot, about 5 combos out of 7.
  • Call is the main action for 78.2% of hands: from AA down to 22, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Surprise: the solver folds some top-50 hands here, such as K9o.

What changes at 12 bb (12 hands change action)

  • KTo: call here, fold at 12 bb
  • K8s: call here, fold at 12 bb
  • QJo: call here, fold at 12 bb
  • Q9s: call here, fold at 12 bb
  • K7s: call here, fold at 12 bb
  • QTo: call here, fold at 12 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from CO, facing a 3-bet, at 10 bb in 8-max?

The solver plays 77.8% of the hands that reach this spot, about 5 combos out of 7. Call is the main action for 78.2% of hands: from AA down to 22, 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 call, 66 call.

What should you do with offsuit broadways (KJo, KQo, QJo) in this spot?

The solver's main action with each hand: KJo call, KQo call, QJo 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, 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.