progressSmall blind strategy: limp, raise or shove
The most awkward seat at the table has the most unusual plan.
When everyone folds to the small blind only the big blind is left. The small blind has already paid half a big blind, so completing the blind (a limp) costs another half, and the big blind can still raise. After the flop the small blind acts first. That combination, a small price and a poor position, is why this seat looks different from all the others.
What the solution book does when folded to
| Stack | Raise | All-in | Limp | Fold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 BB | 0% | 62% | 21% | 18% |
| 15 BB | 2% | 38% | 44% | 16% |
| 20 BB | 12% | 20% | 54% | 13% |
| 30 BB | 24% | 8% | 55% | 13% |
| 40 BB | 29% | 0% | 57% | 14% |
| 60 BB | 8% | 0% | 81% | 11% |
| 100 BB | 2% | 0% | 85% | 14% |
The small blind rarely folds when it can enter for half a big blind: it folds 18% of hands at most at any depth in the table. Three stages stand out:
- At 10 BB the main play is the all-in (62%). A limp that gets raised can be expensive with so few big blinds.
- Between 15 and 30 BB the limp grows and the shove shrinks. At 20 BB the book limps 54% of hands, raises 12% and shoves 20%.
- Deep, the limp dominates. At 60 BB the book limps 81% and raises only 8%; at 100 BB the limp is 85%.
Against a button open
When the button opens and the small blind has to act with the big blind still behind, the book mostly folds:
| Stack | Fold | Call | 3-bet | All-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 BB | 72% | 1% | 2% | 26% |
| 20 BB | 71% | 6% | 0% | 23% |
| 30 BB | 71% | 9% | 12% | 8% |
| 40 BB | 70% | 13% | 17% | 0% |
| 60 BB | 71% | 10% | 19% | 0% |
The fold frequency stays close to 71% at every depth. What changes is how the rest is played: shoves at 10 and 20 BB, and 3-bets and calls once the stack is deeper. The small blind is squeezed between the opener and the big blind, which still gets to act.
What to take away
- Do not fold the small blind lightly when folded to: half a big blind plus the dead money makes entering cheap.
- Do not copy one plan at every depth: shove-heavy at 10 BB, limp-heavy from about 20 BB.
- Against a button open the small blind needs a real hand, and the book folds most of the time.
The exact hands for every depth are in the charts, for example the small blind at 30 BB. Practise them in the trainer until the limp and the raise feel natural.
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Questions
Should the small blind limp?
In our book it often does: at 20 BB it limps 54% of hands and at 60 BB 81%. At 10 BB it mostly shoves.
How often does the small blind fold when folded to?
Rarely. At any depth in our table it folds at most 18% of hands.
What should the small blind do against a button open?
In our book it folds about 71% of hands at every depth and uses the rest for calls, 3-bets or shoves depending on the stack.
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progressGTO guides use our own solution book (v13, 8-max tournaments with ante, chip EV): an approximation of equilibrium with a modelled postflop, not an exact solution. Numbers are computed from the book and from the exact ICM model.
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