The Small Blind is poker's trickiest preflop spot — you are out of position postflop and have already invested 0.5bb. GTO balances a tight open-raise range with selective 3-bets vs late opens, and folds a lot. Discipline here saves bb/100. At 20bb you are in push/fold and short-stack territory — many hands become all-in or fold, and postflop play is shallow. GTO at 20bb is about maximizing fold equity and avoiding dominated calls. Rake matters less; raw equity matters more. Below is the GTO range grid for SB at 20bb (6-max, rake 5% cap $3) — green = raise, amber = call, red = fold. Hover any hand for exact frequencies and EV.
88.8%
Raise (150)
0.0%
Call (0)
11.2%
Fold (19)
Hover or tap a hand to see GTO action, frequencies, and EV.
Pre-computed with TexasSolver · 0.5% exploitability · Rake 5% cap $3 · 6-max
| Action | Hands | Frequency | Avg EV (bb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raise | 150 / 169 | 88.8% | 1.60 bb |
| Call | 0 / 169 | 0.0% | 0.00 bb |
| Fold | 19 / 169 | 11.2% | 0.27 bb |
From the Small Blind, keep your open-raise range tighter than the Button (you are OOP), but 3-bet aggressively vs CO/BTN opens — hands like A5s and K9s make great 3-bet bluffs with blocker value. Fold the bottom 40% without hesitation. Short-stack strategy: shove or fold with many hands — ATo+, KJs+, and pairs 66+ are often jams from late position. Limping is almost never GTO at 20bb. Study push/fold charts alongside these ranges.
Pro tip: Compare this chart to your actual VPIP from this position in your tracker. The gap between GTO and your play is your leak — Lab's leak detector quantifies it in bb/100.
GTO open-raise frequency for SB at 20bb depends on rake and field, but our TexasSolver-based chart (0.5% exploitability, 5% rake cap $3) shows the solver-preferred raise/call/fold mix for all 169 hands. Hover the grid above for exact frequencies per hand. Generally, SB is moderate — see the grid for 20bb specifics.
Use the 3-step method: (1) Quiz yourself — cover the grid and ask 'What does GTO do with AJo SB 20bb?' (2) Check and note surprises. (3) Drill the borderline hands (the amber/mixed cells) with Lab's spaced-repetition drills. 10 minutes a day per position beats cramming.
These ranges are solved for 6-max cash, 5% rake cap $3, which matches most micro-to-mid stakes online games. At very low stakes with high rake or vs extremely tight/loose opponents, exploitative adjustments beat pure GTO — but you need to know GTO first to know when to deviate. See our Methodology for solver details.
No. This chart is for post-hand study only. Using any solver chart or AI assistance during live play violates PokerStars and GGPoker Terms ofService and risks account bans and fund seizure. Study off-table, play your A-game on-table.
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