Let’s take a look at how to navigate this tricky spot.
SB vs BTN open (3-max)
You’re in the SB and the Button opens: a classic but tricky situation. This guide will show you how to handle it effectively.
👀 Key Takeaways
1️⃣ The Small Blind (SB) is a tough position: you're out of position against a usually strong BTN open.
2️⃣ Prefer 3-bet shoving with your best hands to maximize EV and avoid postflop mistakes.
3️⃣ You can flat call with a few specific hands, but you need to be very selective.
1. A very (very) awkward position
This spot is difficult to play for several reasons:
You're out of position against the Button.
The BTN has a fairly strong opening range, including Ax, broadways, and pocket pairs.
The BB acts after you and can squeeze.
➡️ You’re therefore stuck between two players, in an unstable situation where your range of decisions is limited.
Here’s a closer look at the range that the BTN typically opens with at 25 bb:
Left: GTO opening range from the Button. Right: Recreational player opening range.
As we can see, both GTO and recreational players play a relatively strong range from the Button. The recreational range is even stronger than the GTO one.
🤏 In this context, from the SB, it's better to play relatively few hands — but play them well.
In the SB, stay patient. Sometimes it’s better to let the storm pass.
As you can see, both the GTO and our Exploitative range between 20 and 25 bb suggest folding most of your hands:
Top: GTO range. Bottom: Exploitative range.
2. Why prefer 3-bet shoving?
3-bet shoving is the best response to a BTN open because:
It simplifies the hand — no postflop play, so no out-of-position mistakes.
Recreational players tend to call all-ins too often, even with dominated hands.
📈 This tendency of recreational players to overcall gives your best Ax, Kx, and pocket pairs a lot of value when shoved.
Here’s the difference between the GTO theoretical call frequency and that of recreational players in the BB when you 3-bet shove from the SB:
Stack Size
GTO Call % 🤖
Recreational Call % 🐟
17 bb
~10 %
~20 %
12 bb
~10 %
~17 %
And below, the call frequency of the BTN when you 3-bet shove from the SB:
Stack Size
GTO Call % 🤖
Recreational Call % 🐟
17 bb
~41 %
~70 %
12 bb
~47 %
~73 %
We can clearly see that recreational players tend to call too often — both from the BB and the Button.
❓ Which hands should you prioritize for shoving?
That said, let’s now look at the most relevant hands to shove from the SB vs a BTN open:
Strong Ax: AJo+, ATs+, A9s, etc.
Pocket pairs: 77+ at 20 bb, and 66+ when shorter.
Strong Kx: KQs, KJs, KTs from 16 bb and below.
All of these hands dominate the recreational player’s calling range and are difficult to play postflop out of position.
❌ A common mistake: not shoving enough. Many players don't shove hands like AJo, KQs, 88... Yet these hands are very EV+ to shove.
3. Calling from the SB: when and why?
Even though the SB is tough to play, you can consider calling with a few specific hands, especially if:
You’re comfortable in 3-way postflop pots.
Your hand is suited and connected.
The BB is passive — which is true for the vast majority of recreational players.
Yes, the vast majority of recreational players are very passive in the BB. Their squeeze rate is roughly half of what GTO recommends.
Squeeze rate: GTO vs recreational players at 15 bb:
Stack Size
GTO 🤖
Recreationals 🐟
15 bb
~18 %
~9 %
Here are a few examples of solid hands to call with — hands that take advantage of BB’s passivity: KQs, QJs, JTs
⚠️ But be careful: if you don’t have a clear postflop strategy, it's often better to stick to a shove-or-fold strategy. GTO strategy, in fact, suggests only 3-bet shoves or folds from 20bb deep — no flat calls. It’s a simple and effective option.
Choosing to have a calling range is only a good idea if you feel confident playing postflop. Otherwise, you may end up in very difficult spots.
