MTT preflop strategy

BTN range vs MP limp at 70 bb (9-max)

When a recreational player limps from the MP and you're on the BTN, with an effective stack of 70 bb in a 9-max tournament, the solver plays 35.2% of its hands (raise 4.00 bb 35.2%) and folds 64.8%. These frequencies come from Exploit It's full preflop tree: a chip-EV equilibrium with antes, computed for every position at the table. The limper is a typical recreational player: his limping range is assumed (small pairs, suited aces, connectors, weak broadways, about 19% of hands); you and the other players play equilibrium against it, with an isolation raise or an all-in.

Fold 64.8%Raise 4.00 bb 35.2%

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 35.2% of the hands that reach this spot, about 466 combos out of 1,326.
Raise is the main action for 35.1% of hands: from AA down to 53s, the weakest hand played this way.
Surprise: the solver folds some top-50 hands here, such as K9o, A6o, A5o, A4o.
Conversely, the solver plays hands ranked outside the top 100, such as 96s, 86s, 76s, 75s.

What changes at 50 bb (5 hands change action)

K9o: fold here, raise at 50 bb
K3s: raise here, fold at 50 bb
J6s: raise here, fold at 50 bb
T6s: raise here, fold at 50 bb
96s: raise here, fold at 50 bb

What changes at 100 bb (6 hands change action)

K9o: fold here, raise at 100 bb
A6o: fold here, raise at 100 bb
K2s: fold here, raise at 100 bb
Q4s: fold here, raise at 100 bb
J5s: fold here, raise at 100 bb
T8o: fold here, raise at 100 bb

Frequently asked questions

Which hands should you play from BTN, facing a limp, at 70 bb in 9-max?

The solver plays 35.2% of the hands that reach this spot, about 466 combos out of 1,326. Raise is the main action for 35.1% of hands: from AA 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 raise, 33 raise, 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.

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.