MTT preflop strategy

SB range vs MP open at 12 bb (8-max)

When MP opens and you're SB, with an effective stack of 12 bb in a 8-max tournament, the solver plays 78.6% of its hands (call 67.2%, raise 6.40 bb 0.5%, all-in 10.9%) and folds 21.4%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.

Fold 21.4%Call 67.2%Raise 6.40 bb 0.5%All-in 10.9%

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 78.6% of the hands that reach this spot, about 1,042 combos out of 1,326.
  • Call is the main action for 67.1% of hands: from A9s down to 53s, the weakest hand played this way.
  • All-in is the main action for 11.8% of hands: from AA down to 65s, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as J6o, J2s, 96s, Q2o.

What changes at 10 bb (9 hands change action)

  • 66: all-in here, call at 10 bb
  • A9s: call here, all-in at 10 bb
  • ATo: call here, all-in at 10 bb
  • 98s: all-in here, call at 10 bb
  • 87s: all-in here, call at 10 bb
  • 76s: all-in here, call at 10 bb

What changes at 15 bb (7 hands change action)

  • ATs: all-in here, call at 15 bb
  • 55: all-in here, call at 15 bb
  • 33: all-in here, call at 15 bb
  • 95o: call here, fold at 15 bb
  • 76o: call here, fold at 15 bb
  • T2o: call here, fold at 15 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from SB, facing an open, at 12 bb in 8-max?

The solver plays 78.6% of the hands that reach this spot, about 1,042 combos out of 1,326. Call is the main action for 67.1% of hands: from A9s down to 53s, 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 call, 55 all-in, 66 all-in.

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

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