As wide as the button and played completely differently: one player left to beat, and no position for the rest of the hand. Raise or fold, no limping.
| 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 — Open-raise | K4s — Open-raise | K3s — Open-raise | K2s — Open-raise |
| Q | AQo — Open-raise | KQo — Open-raise | QQ — Open-raise | QJs — Open-raise | QTs — Open-raise | Q9s — Open-raise | Q8s — Open-raise | Q7s — Open-raise | Q6s — Open-raise | 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 — Open-raise | 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 — Open-raise | T6s — Fold | T5s — Fold | T4s — Fold | T3s — Fold | T2s — Fold |
| 9 | A9o — Open-raise | K9o — Open-raise | Q9o — Open-raise | J9o — Open-raise | T9o — Open-raise | 99 — Open-raise | 98s — Open-raise | 97s — Open-raise | 96s — Open-raise | 95s — Fold | 94s — Fold | 93s — Fold | 92s — Fold |
| 8 | A8o — Open-raise | K8o — Open-raise | Q8o — Open-raise | J8o — Open-raise | T8o — Fold | 98o — Fold | 88 — Open-raise | 87s — Open-raise | 86s — Open-raise | 85s — Fold | 84s — Fold | 83s — Fold | 82s — Fold |
| 7 | A7o — Open-raise | 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 — Open-raise | K6o — Fold | Q6o — Fold | J6o — Fold | T6o — Fold | 96o — Fold | 86o — Fold | 76o — Fold | 66 — Open-raise | 65s — Open-raise | 64s — Open-raise | 63s — Fold | 62s — Fold |
| 5 | A5o — Open-raise | 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 — Open-raise | 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 — Open-raise | 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 — Open-raise | 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 small blind opens about as often as the button, and for a moment that looks strange. The arithmetic explains it: only one player is left, so a raise takes the pot outright a large share of the time, and there is already half a blind of yours in the middle that folding gives away.
Then the hand starts and everything inverts. Where the button acts last on every street, the small blind acts first on all of them, against the one opponent who chose to keep playing. Two seats with nearly identical opening widths could hardly play more differently after the flop.
That is why this chart is raise-or-fold with no limping branch. Limping the small blind invites the big blind in for free, out of position, with a range that is already stronger than yours — and it gives up the fold equity that was the only reason to play the hand. Raise the hands worth a fight and release the rest.
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 42% of hands when it folds to you in a 6-max cash game — all pairs, every suited ace and king, suited gappers to 54s, and a wide offsuit band from A2o, K8o, Q8o, J8o and T9o. Raise or fold; there is no limping branch in this baseline.
Not in this chart. Limping lets the big blind see a flop for free with a range that already beats yours, hands over the fold equity that made the hand playable, and leaves you out of position for three streets with no initiative to work with.
Because only one player is left to get through and half a big blind of yours is already in the pot. The width comes from fold equity, not playability — which is why the same width plays completely differently once the big blind calls.