progressBTN open range at 18 BB
8-max MTT · ante 12.5 % · folded to the Button · chip EV
How BTN opens at 18 BB
When the action folds to the Button with 18 big blinds (8-max MTT with ante), the book plays 40% of hands: a raise to 2 BB with 27% and all-in with 13%. The other 60% fold.
Always raised: AA, AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo, AJs, AJo, ATs, A9s, A8s, A7s, A6s, A2o, KK and 38 more.
Always all-in: A9o, A8o, A7o, A6o, A5o, A4s, A4o, A3s, A2s, KQo, Q9s, J9s, T9s, 98s, 87s, 44, 33, 22.
Mixed hands (the book splits them between actions): ATo, A5s, A3o, KJo, K7o, QJo, Q2s, JTs, JTo, J5s, T8s, 86s, 76s, 55.
At this depth the open is a small raise, with some hands going all-in directly.
Next to it at 18 BB: CO 30%, SB 86%. Seats closer to the button open more here, because fewer players are left to wake up with a big hand.
Closest decisions (the book opens them only part of the time): 86s 52%, 76s 68%, J5s 32%, Q2s 70%. These are the hands worth drilling, because a small change in the opponents or the stack flips them.
What changes around 18 BB
The book opens 40% of hands here, 41% at 17 BB and 41% at 19 BB. Compared with 17 BB, these hands come into the range: 86s. With the extra chips some former all-ins become small raises: AJo, A6s, A3o, A2o, KQs, KJo and 3 more.
Free 7-day ICM course by e-mail
One short lesson a day, each with a worked example in exact numbers: chips vs. money, the bubble factor, who feels the pressure, payout structures, satellites. No account needed.
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.
progressGTOAll rangesGuidesDaily spotICM calculatorOpen the appPrivacyTerms