Preflop Ranges for Tournament Poker by Position

Preflop strategy is the foundation of winning tournament poker and the first thing I look into with new students. The decisions you make before the flop determine which hands enter your range, how wide or narrow you play from each position, and what your range will look like by the river. This guide breaks down raise-first-in ranges from every seat at a 40 big blind stack depth, explains the patterns that make ranges easier to memorize, and highlights the most common preflop mistakes that cost tournament players money.

Why Preflop Ranges Matter in Tournaments

Tournament poker rewards disciplined preflop play more than almost any other format. Establishing deep reads that require large sample sizes is difficult in tournaments that may have 1,000 players or more and feature constant table changes as the tournament progresses. As a result, much of the game leans on playing profitable ranges in the absence of player-specific adjustments to our opponents or theoretically sound preflop strategies. Playing too many hands from early position bleeds chips versus 3-bets from savvy aggressive opponents while playing too few hands from late position surrenders equity you should be defending. The solution is a structured set of raise-first-in and defending ranges that widen predictably as you move from early position to the button.

At 40 big blinds, one of the common and most important stack depths in MTTs, our preflop ranges follow a clear positional logic. Earlier positions play tighter because there are more players left to act who could 3-bet and compromise the weaker raises. Later positions play wider because there are fewer opponents who can wake up with a strong hand. This is not a subjective preference. It is a mathematical reality driven by the number of remaining players and the probability of running into a premium holding.

Understanding these ranges is not about memorizing 1,326 hand combinations. It is about recognizing patterns, learning the boundaries of each range, and drilling those boundaries until they become automatic. The BBZ free preflop trainer is a free poker trainer with over 900 GTO preflop charts across formats, stack depths, and positions. You can try it free for 7 days to start drilling these exact scenarios.

Raise-First-In Ranges by Position

All raise-first-in ranges are linear at 40 big blinds. This means each position plays the best hands available, ranked from strongest to weakest, and the range simply extends further down the hand strength ladder as you move toward the button. There is no gap in the middle of the range. If you know the worst hand you would open from a given position, you know that you should open every hand that ranks above it. This is why learning range perimeters is so powerful: the bottom of each range tells you everything you need to know.

Under the Gun (UTG)

UTG is the tightest open in an eight-handed tournament. With seven players left to act, the range is narrow and value-heavy. You are looking at mixing offsuit Jx as the lowest card in your hand (QJo, KJo), suited 9x as the vertical bar of suited hands (T9s, J9s, Q9s), pocket pairs down to pocket fives, and a small selection of suited connectors. There is very little room for marginal holdings here because the risk of facing a 3-bet or playing out of position postflop is too high.

UTG raise-first-in range at 40 big blinds. Approximately 17% of hands. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

UTG+1

One seat later, the range opens slightly. You pick up a few more suited connectors and suited aces, but the overall shape stays tight. The difference between UTG and UTG+1 is marginal at most stack depths.

UTG+1 raise-first-in range at 40 big blinds. Approximately 19.4% of hands. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

Lojack (LJ)

The lojack is where ranges begin to expand more noticeably. You start including more suited one-gappers, suited 8x becomes the low card suited floor (98s, T8s, J8s, Q8s), and we open more offsuit broadways.

LJ raise-first-in range at 40 big blinds. Approximately 23% of hands. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

Hijack (HJ)

The hijack opens roughly 28% of hands. This is where the Rule of 5-6-7-8-9-10 starts to become visible. More on that later. The hijack opens suited 7s as its lowest suited holdings (hands like 97s, T7s, and the rest of the vertical bar of suited 7s where the 7 is the low card in the hand. Note that J7s does heavily fold here but the EV of raising is actually zero and technically not a costly mistake). We also open offsuit 10x (again as the lowest card) as the ranges lowest offsuit boundary (JTo, QTo, KTo). The pattern becomes clearer once you compare it to the cutoff and button.

HJ raise-first-in range at 40 big blinds. Approximately 28% of hands. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

Cutoff (CO)

The cutoff opens approximately 36% of hands. The cutoff opens suited 6x hands with the 6 as the lowest card. This refers to hands like J6s, T6s, 96s, and 86s forming a clean vertical bar we can easily remember at the tables. The boundary of the offsuit region is 9x referring to T9o, J9o, Q9o, and K9o. The range is substantially wider than the hijack, reflecting the fact that only the button, small blind, and big blind remain.

CO raise-first-in range at 40 big blinds. Approximately 36% of hands. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

Button (BTN)

The button is the widest open on the table, and it is also the most profitable position to play from. At 40 big blinds, the button opens roughly 51% of hands. The suited boundary drops to suited 5x hands like 75s, 85s, and 95s that form a clean vertical bar we can remember on the tables. The offsuit boundary is offsuit 8x referring to 98o, T8o, J8o, and Q8o.

BTN raise-first-in range at 40 big blinds. Approximately 51% of hands. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

The Rule of 5-6-7-8-9-10

One of the most useful shortcuts for learning preflop strategy in tournaments is the Rule of 5-6-7-8-9-10. This rule describes the lowest card in your suited and offsuit opening ranges from the button, cutoff, and hijack. The numbers refer to the low card in the hand, meaning the smaller of the two cards. For example, when we say the button opens suited 5s, we mean hands like T5s, 95s, 85s, 75s, and 65s.

Here is how the rule works for suited hands. The button opens suited 5s. The cutoff opens suited 6s. The hijack opens suited 7s. Each position steps up by one rank as you move away from the button and toward earlier positions. The logic is simple: with fewer players behind you, you can include weaker hands. With more players behind you, the bottom of your range needs to be stronger.

The offsuit side follows the same pattern but starts higher. The button opens offsuit 8x (hands like 98o, T8o, J8o, Q8o). The cutoff opens offsuit 9x (T9o, J9o, Q9o, K9o). And lastly, the hijack opens offsuit 10x (JTo, QTo, KTo). Again, each position steps up by one rank as you move earlier.

This mnemonic is not a perfect representation of the full range. There are nuances within each position depending on the specific combination and its interaction with blockers and playability. But as a practical tool for quickly recalling the approximate shape of a range at the table, the Rule of 5-6-7-8-9-10 is remarkably accurate. It captures the key insight that ranges widen in a structured, predictable way from position to position.

Small Blind Play: VPIP and Isolation Strategy

The small blind is a unique position because it is the only seat that is guaranteed to be out of position postflop against every opponent. This creates a tension between wanting to play hands (because the odds are valuable) and wanting to avoid difficult postflop spots where positional disadvantage erodes your equity.

At 40 big blinds, the small blind VPIP (voluntarily put chips in pot) is approximately 83%, meaning the small blind enters the pot with the vast majority of its hands when folded to. This includes a mix of raises, limp-raises, and open limps.

For a deeper look at blind versus blind dynamics, including small blind limp strategies, isolation frequencies, and postflop adjustments, see our Complete Guide to Blind vs Blind Play. Blind versus blind spots are among the most frequently misplayed in tournament poker, and mastering them is one of the highest-EV improvements you can make.

The small blind can play suited 8x against opens from most positions, but drops to suited 7x against late position opens from the button and cutoff, where wider defense is justified because those opens are wider themselves.

SB VPIP at 40 big blinds. Approximately 83% of hands played when folded to. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

On the offsuit side, the small blind plays offsuit 10s against button and cutoff opens but tightens considerably against earlier position raises, where the raiser’s range is much stronger and the risk of being dominated increases.

When facing a button raise specifically, the small blind defends quite wide. The chart below shows the small blind’s response to a standard button open at 40 big blinds, including 3-bet, call, and fold frequencies.

SB vs BTN RFI at 40 big blinds. Defense includes 3-bet and call frequencies. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

Big Blind Defense: The Rule of 5-6-7

The big blind plays the widest range at the table. Because you already have a full big blind invested, you are getting a discount on every call. This means the big blind defends much wider than most players expect, and the defense pattern follows its own memorable rule.

The big blind plays all suited hands against opens from every position. This is a critical point that surprises many players. It is only the offsuit combinations where the big blind needs to make real decisions about folding. The suited portion of the range is essentially locked in. This means your attention when studying big blind defense should focus entirely on the offsuit boundaries.

The offsuit boundary follows the Rule of 5-6-7 for the big blind. Against a button open, the big blind defends the full horizontal bar of offsuit 5x hands (65o, 75o, 85o, 95o, T5o). Against a cutoff open, the big blind tightens to the offsuit 6x bar (86o, 96o, T6o). Against a hijack open, the offsuit 7x bar (97o, T7o, J7o). These horizontal bars form the backbone of the offsuit defending strategy from the big blind, and memorizing them gives you a reliable framework for the position.

BB vs BTN RFI at 40 big blinds. Approximately 84% VPIP including calls and 3-bets. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

One important caveat: big blind defense is very sensitive to the raiser’s sizing. If your opponents use larger open-raise sizes, the defending ranges contract, particularly on the offsuit side. A 2x open gives you better pot odds than a 2.5x or 3x open, which shifts the boundary of which offsuit hands are profitable calls. Pay close attention to opponent sizing tendencies and adjust your offsuit defenses accordingly.

BB Isolation Against Small Blind Limps

When the small blind limps (which is a common strategy at many stack depths), the big blind has the opportunity to isolate with a raise. The isolation range is wider than most players assume because you have position, the small blind has shown weakness by limping rather than raising, and you are closing the action.

BB vs SB limp at 40 big blinds. Approximately 45% isolation raise frequency. Source: BBZ Poker Charts.

How to Learn Ranges Faster: Focus on the Perimeter

Many players approach preflop study by trying to memorize full range grids hand by hand. This method is slow, exhausting, and inefficient. There is a better approach: learn the perimeter.

Because raise-first-in ranges are linear, every hand above the boundary is included. This means the only information you actually need is the outline of the range, specifically the worst hand that makes the cut. If you know that the cutoff opens suited 6x, you do not need to separately memorize that it also opens suited 7x, 8x, 9x, and all suited broadways. Those are automatically included because the range is linear and they rank higher.

The same principle applies to the big blind. If you know that the big blind defends the offsuit 6x bar against a cutoff open, you know that every offsuit hand stronger than 86o is also a defense. You do not need to memorize them individually. The perimeter contains the information. Everything inside it follows logically.

When you sit down with the free preflop trainer, focus your attention on the boundary hands. These are the spots where you are most likely to make mistakes at the table because they are the hands closest to the fold/open threshold. The middle of the range is easy. Pocket aces are an open from every position. The difficulty lies in knowing whether 97s is a hijack open or a fold, and that question is answered entirely by knowing the perimeter.

Common Preflop Mistakes in Tournaments

Even players who have studied ranges make systematic preflop errors that cost them EV over time. Here are the most frequent mistakes and how to correct them.

Playing Too Tight From the Button

The button is the most profitable position at the table, yet many tournament players open far fewer hands than they should. If you are folding hands like T5s, 85s, or 75s on the button at 40 big blinds, you are leaving significant EV on the table. The button should be your widest open by a substantial margin. Review your tracking software and compare your button open percentage to the 51% benchmark.

Defending Too Narrow in the Big Blind

The big blind gets a discount on every call, but many players fold too often because the hands feel weak. Remember: the big blind plays all suited hands against every position. If you are folding 63s to a button raise, you are making a clear error. The offsuit boundary (the Rule of 5-6-7) gives you a reliable framework for the harder decisions. As discussed earlier, it is only the offsuit combos where you need to pay careful attention.

Ignoring Raise Sizing Adjustments

Your defending range in the big blind should not be static. It needs to respond to the raiser’s sizing. Against a 2x open, you defend wider. Against a 3x open, you tighten up, particularly with the weaker offsuit holdings. Many players use one fixed defending range regardless of sizing, which creates significant leaks. If your opponents tend to use larger open sizes, your offsuit boundaries shift upward, and hands that are calls against 2x become folds against 3x.

Overvaluing Suited Connectors From Early Position

Suited connectors like 87s and 98s are profitable opens from the hijack and later, but they are marginal from UTG and UTG+1 at 40 big blinds. The playability advantage of suited connectors does not overcome the positional disadvantage and the risk of multi-way pots where you are out of position against multiple opponents. If you find yourself opening 76s every time from under the gun, revisit your early position ranges.

Not Adjusting to Table Dynamics

While GTO ranges provide the baseline, tournament poker involves real opponents with tendencies. If the players in the blinds are folding excessively, your opening range from late position should widen beyond the baseline. If someone behind you is 3-betting aggressively, tightening your open from that position is a sound adjustment. The ranges in this guide are the starting point. Good players adapt from there. For a deeper dive into exploitative 3-bet adjustments, the 3-Betting at Short Stacks course covers these spots in detail.

How to Study Preflop Ranges Effectively

Knowing the theory is only half the equation. The other half is drilling the ranges until the correct decision is automatic. A free GTO trainer is the most efficient way to build this muscle memory, and the BBZ poker trainer is available online free for 7 days. Here is a structured approach to preflop study that produces lasting results.

Start with one position per session. Pick the button, for example, and spend 15 to 20 minutes in the free preflop trainer working through raise-first-in decisions. Pay attention to the hands near the perimeter. When you miss a hand, note whether you were too tight (folding an open) or too loose (opening a fold). After a few sessions, you will notice the boundary locking into memory.

Move to the big blind next. Practice defending against opens from each position separately. Start with big blind versus button, which is the widest defending range and the most common spot. Then work through cutoff, hijack, and lojack opens. Remember that the suited portion is essentially locked in. Your study time on big blind defense should focus almost entirely on the offsuit boundaries.

Putting It All Together

Preflop strategy in tournament poker is not about guessing or feeling your way through decisions. It is about understanding the structural logic behind ranges, learning the key boundaries, and applying them consistently. The Rule of 5-6-7-8-9-10 gives you a fast mental framework for opening ranges from the button, cutoff, and hijack. The Rule of 5-6-7 does the same for big blind defense. And the principle of linear ranges means that learning the perimeter of each range is all you need to reconstruct the full range at the table.

These patterns hold across most tournament situations at 40 big blinds, which is one of the most common stack depths in mid-stage play. As stacks get shorter or deeper, the ranges shift, but the positional logic remains the same. Earlier positions play tighter. Later positions play wider. The big blind defends broadly with suited hands and selectively with offsuit hands. And the boundary hands are where your study time should be concentrated.

If you want to drill these ranges until they are automatic, the BBZ GTO preflop charts include a free preflop trainer that lets you practice raise-first-in decisions from every position and stack depth. The 7-day free trial gives you full access to drill the exact scenarios covered in this guide.