MTT preflop strategy

BB defense vs BTN open at 25 bb (8-max)

When BTN opens, everyone else folds and you're in the BB, with an effective stack of 25 bb in a 8-max tournament, the solver plays 76.2% of its hands (call 52.5%, raise 6.40 bb 4.3%, all-in 19.4%) and folds 23.8%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table.

Fold 23.8%Call 52.5%Raise 6.40 bb 4.3%All-in 19.4%

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 76.2% of the hands that reach this spot, about 1,011 combos out of 1,326.
  • Call is the main action for 53.7% of hands: from KQs down to 32s, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Raise is the main action for 3.5% of hands: from AA down to 53o, the weakest hand played this way.
  • All-in is the main action for 18.4% of hands: from TT down to 33, the weakest hand played this way.
  • Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as J6o, J2s, 96s, J5o.

What changes at 20 bb (13 hands change action)

  • KQs: call here, all-in at 20 bb
  • KQo: call here, all-in at 20 bb
  • A6s: call here, all-in at 20 bb
  • A6o: call here, all-in at 20 bb
  • JTs: call here, all-in at 20 bb
  • QTo: all-in here, call at 20 bb

What changes at 30 bb (11 hands change action)

  • A8s: all-in here, raise at 30 bb
  • A7s: all-in here, call at 30 bb
  • A7o: all-in here, call at 30 bb
  • QJo: all-in here, call at 30 bb
  • QTo: all-in here, call at 30 bb
  • Q4o: call here, fold at 30 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from BB, facing an open, at 25 bb in 8-max?

The solver plays 76.2% of the hands that reach this spot, about 1,011 combos out of 1,326. Call is the main action for 53.7% of hands: from KQs 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 all-in, 44 all-in, 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 all-in, A3s all-in, A4s all-in, A5s all-in.

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.

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.