The first seat where stealing is the point. Two players behind, position on everyone but the button, and a range half again as wide as middle position.
| High card | A | K | Q | J | T | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | AA — Open-raise | AKs — Open-raise | AQs — Open-raise | AJs — Open-raise | ATs — Open-raise | A9s — Open-raise | A8s — Open-raise | A7s — Open-raise | A6s — Open-raise | A5s — Open-raise | A4s — Open-raise | A3s — Open-raise | A2s — Open-raise |
| K | AKo — Open-raise | KK — Open-raise | KQs — Open-raise | KJs — Open-raise | KTs — Open-raise | K9s — Open-raise | K8s — Open-raise | K7s — Open-raise | K6s — Open-raise | K5s — Fold | K4s — Fold | K3s — Fold | K2s — Fold |
| Q | AQo — Open-raise | KQo — Open-raise | QQ — Open-raise | QJs — Open-raise | QTs — Open-raise | Q9s — Open-raise | Q8s — Open-raise | Q7s — Fold | Q6s — Fold | Q5s — Fold | Q4s — Fold | Q3s — Fold | Q2s — Fold |
| J | AJo — Open-raise | KJo — Open-raise | QJo — Open-raise | JJ — Open-raise | JTs — Open-raise | J9s — Open-raise | J8s — Open-raise | J7s — Fold | J6s — Fold | J5s — Fold | J4s — Fold | J3s — Fold | J2s — Fold |
| T | ATo — Open-raise | KTo — Open-raise | QTo — Open-raise | JTo — Open-raise | TT — Open-raise | T9s — Open-raise | T8s — Open-raise | T7s — Fold | T6s — Fold | T5s — Fold | T4s — Fold | T3s — Fold | T2s — Fold |
| 9 | A9o — Open-raise | K9o — Open-raise | Q9o — Open-raise | J9o — Fold | T9o — Fold | 99 — Open-raise | 98s — Open-raise | 97s — Open-raise | 96s — Fold | 95s — Fold | 94s — Fold | 93s — Fold | 92s — Fold |
| 8 | A8o — Open-raise | K8o — Fold | Q8o — Fold | J8o — Fold | T8o — Fold | 98o — Fold | 88 — Open-raise | 87s — Open-raise | 86s — Open-raise | 85s — Fold | 84s — Fold | 83s — Fold | 82s — Fold |
| 7 | A7o — Fold | K7o — Fold | Q7o — Fold | J7o — Fold | T7o — Fold | 97o — Fold | 87o — Fold | 77 — Open-raise | 76s — Open-raise | 75s — Open-raise | 74s — Fold | 73s — Fold | 72s — Fold |
| 6 | A6o — Fold | K6o — Fold | Q6o — Fold | J6o — Fold | T6o — Fold | 96o — Fold | 86o — Fold | 76o — Fold | 66 — Open-raise | 65s — Open-raise | 64s — Fold | 63s — Fold | 62s — Fold |
| 5 | A5o — Fold | K5o — Fold | Q5o — Fold | J5o — Fold | T5o — Fold | 95o — Fold | 85o — Fold | 75o — Fold | 65o — Fold | 55 — Open-raise | 54s — Open-raise | 53s — Fold | 52s — Fold |
| 4 | A4o — Fold | K4o — Fold | Q4o — Fold | J4o — Fold | T4o — Fold | 94o — Fold | 84o — Fold | 74o — Fold | 64o — Fold | 54o — Fold | 44 — Open-raise | 43s — Fold | 42s — Fold |
| 3 | A3o — Fold | K3o — Fold | Q3o — Fold | J3o — Fold | T3o — Fold | 93o — Fold | 83o — Fold | 73o — Fold | 63o — Fold | 53o — Fold | 43o — Fold | 33 — Open-raise | 32s — Fold |
| 2 | A2o — Fold | K2o — Fold | Q2o — Fold | J2o — Fold | T2o — Fold | 92o — Fold | 82o — Fold | 72o — Fold | 62o — Fold | 52o — Fold | 42o — Fold | 32o — Fold | 22 — Open-raise |
The cutoff opens close to 30% of hands, and the reason is arithmetic rather than courage. Only three players remain — the button and two blinds — and all three fold most of the time. A raise that takes the blinds uncontested a decent share of the time is profitable before any card is dealt.
That changes which hands qualify. Suited gappers and weak offsuit aces are not opened because they flop well; they are opened because they win the pot preflop often enough, and because when they are called the cutoff usually has position. Fold equity, not hand strength, is doing the work.
The exception is the button. When the player on your left is aggressive and three-bets often, the bottom of this range stops printing — the steal fails and you play a reraised pot out of position. Against a tight button the same range should stretch further. This is the first seat where the neighbour matters more than the chart.
Real hands from the trainer where you are sitting in this seat. Each one shows the solver-verified answer before it asks you to trust anything.
Around 29% of hands in a 6-max cash game: all pairs, every suited ace, suited kings to K6s, suited gappers down to 75s and 54s, and offsuit broadways from A8o, K9o, Q9o and JTo. The chart and its notation are at the top of this page.
Because only three players are left and all three fold most of the time. The raise wins the blinds uncontested often enough to profit on its own, and when it is called the cutoff has position on everyone except the button.
Yes — this is the first seat where the player on your left matters more than the chart. Against a button that three-bets a lot, drop the weakest suited gappers and offsuit aces. Against a tight button, open wider than the baseline says.