progressBB defense vs UTG+1 open at 45 BB
8-max MTT · ante 12.5 % · UTG+1 opens, small blind folds · chip EV
How the BB defends at 45 BB
Facing a UTG+1 open to 2 BB (small blind folds) with 45 big blinds, the big blind folds only 28% of hands, calls 65%, 3-bets to 9 BB with 6.9%. The big blind already has one blind in the pot and closes the action, so it gets a good price.
Always 3-bet: AA, AKs, AKo, AQo, KK, QQ, JJ.
Folded: K5o, K4o, K3o, K2o, Q7o, Q6o, Q5o, Q4o, Q3o, Q2o, J6o, J5o and 17 more.
Against other openers at 45 BB the big blind continues with: vs BTN 88%, vs CO 79%, vs HJ 77%, vs LJ 75%, vs UTG 70%. The later the opener, the wider its range, and the more the big blind defends.
Closest decisions (the book continues with them only part of the time): K6o 58%, T6o 36%, Q8o 28%. These are the hands worth drilling, because a small change in the opponents or the stack flips them.
What changes around 45 BB
The book continues with 72% of hands here, 72% at 40 BB and 73% at 50 BB. Going from 40 BB to 45 BB, no hand crosses the 50% line; only the frequencies shift.
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Numbers come from the progressGTO solution book (v14, chip EV, 8-max, ante 12.5 %): our own equilibrium computation with a modelled postflop. It is an approximation, not an exact solution, and it keeps improving. Hover or tap a hand to see its exact frequencies.
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