The Small Blind is poker's trickiest preflop spot — you are out of position postflop and have already invested 0.5bb. GTO balances a tight open-raise range with selective 3-bets vs late opens, and folds a lot. Discipline here saves bb/100. At 40bb you are in the mid-stack zone — deep enough for postflop play but shallow enough that implied odds are reduced. GTO tightens slightly vs 100bb, cutting speculative hands like small suited connectors that need deep stacks to realize equity. Below is the GTO range grid for SB at 40bb (6-max, rake 5% cap $3) — green = raise, amber = call, red = fold. Hover any hand for exact frequencies and EV.
87.6%
Raise (148)
0.0%
Call (0)
12.4%
Fold (21)
Hover or tap a hand to see GTO action, frequencies, and EV.
Pre-computed with TexasSolver · 0.5% exploitability · Rake 5% cap $3 · 6-max
| Action | Hands | Frequency | Avg EV (bb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raise | 148 / 169 | 87.6% | 1.49 bb |
| Call | 0 / 169 | 0.0% | 0.00 bb |
| Fold | 21 / 169 | 12.4% | 0.10 bb |
From the Small Blind, keep your open-raise range tighter than the Button (you are OOP), but 3-bet aggressively vs CO/BTN opens — hands like A5s and K9s make great 3-bet bluffs with blocker value. Fold the bottom 40% without hesitation. Mid-stack strategy: you can still open-raise normally, but size down 3-bets and avoid calling 3-bets with speculative hands. Pairs and suited broadways go up in value; small suited connectors go down.
Pro tip: Compare this chart to your actual VPIP from this position in your tracker. The gap between GTO and your play is your leak — Lab's leak detector quantifies it in bb/100.
GTO open-raise frequency for SB at 40bb depends on rake and field, but our TexasSolver-based chart (0.5% exploitability, 5% rake cap $3) shows the solver-preferred raise/call/fold mix for all 169 hands. Hover the grid above for exact frequencies per hand. Generally, SB is moderate — see the grid for 40bb specifics.
Use the 3-step method: (1) Quiz yourself — cover the grid and ask 'What does GTO do with AJo SB 40bb?' (2) Check and note surprises. (3) Drill the borderline hands (the amber/mixed cells) with Lab's spaced-repetition drills. 10 minutes a day per position beats cramming.
These ranges are solved for 6-max cash, 5% rake cap $3, which matches most micro-to-mid stakes online games. At very low stakes with high rake or vs extremely tight/loose opponents, exploitative adjustments beat pure GTO — but you need to know GTO first to know when to deviate. See our Methodology for solver details.
No. This chart is for post-hand study only. Using any solver chart or AI assistance during live play violates PokerStars and GGPoker Terms ofService and risks account bans and fund seizure. Study off-table, play your A-game on-table.
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