BB defense vs UTG open at 20 bb (8-max)
When UTG opens, everyone else folds and you're in the BB, with an effective stack of 20 bb in a 8-max tournament, the solver plays 60.4% of its hands (call 50.1%, raise 6.40 bb 3.1%, all-in 7.2%) and folds 39.6%. 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 60.4% of the hands that reach this spot, about 801 combos out of 1,326.
- Call is the main action for 50.8% of hands: from 77 down to 32s, the weakest hand played this way.
- Raise is the main action for 2.3% of hands: from AA down to 22, the weakest hand played this way.
- All-in is the main action for 6.2% of hands: from QQ down to A2s, the weakest hand played this way.
- Surprise: the solver folds some top-50 hands here, such as A4o.
- Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as J2s, 96s, T5s, T4s.
What changes at 17 bb (10 hands change action)
- KK: raise here, all-in at 17 bb
- JJ: raise here, all-in at 17 bb
- 77: call here, all-in at 17 bb
- AJo: call here, all-in at 17 bb
- 55: raise here, all-in at 17 bb
- KTo: call here, all-in at 17 bb
What changes at 25 bb (13 hands change action)
- QQ: all-in here, raise at 25 bb
- AJs: all-in here, call at 25 bb
- AQo: all-in here, raise at 25 bb
- 66: all-in here, raise at 25 bb
- KTs: all-in here, call at 25 bb
- 55: raise here, call at 25 bb
Frequently asked questions
Which hands should you play from BB, facing an open, at 20 bb in 8-max?
The solver plays 60.4% of the hands that reach this spot, about 801 combos out of 1,326. Call is the main action for 50.8% 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 raise, 33 call, 44 call, 55 raise, 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 all-in, A3s all-in, 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
- BB defense vs MP open at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB defense vs HJ open at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB defense vs CO open at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB defense vs BTN open at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB calling range vs BTN all-in at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB calling range vs SB all-in at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB range vs UTG limp at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB range vs MP limp at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB range vs HJ limp at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB range vs CO limp at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB range vs BTN limp at 20 bb (8-max)
- BB range vs SB limp at 20 bb (8-max)
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.