6-Max Preflop Charts: GTO Opening Ranges for Cash Games (2026)
Most online cash games run 6-handed, and 6-max preflop ranges are meaningfully different from full ring. You open wider from every seat, the blinds come around faster, and loose-passive play punishes you less. This guide gives you GTO-accurate 6-max preflop charts for every position at 100bb, with the exact hands to open, the right raise sizing, and how to defend from the big blind.
Quick Answer
GTO 6-max preflop charts open 15-17% from UTG, expand to 25-28% from the cutoff, and reach 40-45% on the button at 100bb. The standard open size is 2.5bb from all positions (3bb from the small blind). The big blind defends roughly 35-40% of its range against a button open. These ranges are 10-15 percentage points wider than their 9-max equivalents because you face fewer players and the positional advantage compounds faster at short tables.
6-max opening ranges at a glance
These are raise-first-in (RFI) frequencies at 100bb in a standard 6-max NL Texas Hold'em cash game. The ranges assume a rake of roughly 5% up to 1-2bb (typical of NL100-NL500 online). Mixed strategies are simplified to pure actions, which costs minimal EV at most stakes but makes the ranges learnable.
| Position | Seats Behind | RFI Range | Open Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTG (LJ) | 5 | 15-17% | 2.5bb |
| HJ (Hijack) | 4 | 19-22% | 2.5bb |
| CO (Cutoff) | 3 | 25-28% | 2.5bb |
| BTN (Button) | 2 | 40-45% | 2.5bb |
| SB (Small Blind) | 1 | 39-47% | 3bb |
| BB (Big Blind) | 0 | Defense only | — |
Ranges based on GTO solver output for 100bb 6-max NL cash games. Adjust tighter at microstakes where rake is higher relative to pot size.
UTG (Under the Gun): 15-17% opening range
UTG is the tightest seat in 6-max, but it's still substantially looser than UTG at a 9-handed table. You have five players left to act, which constrains the range, but the position advantage you gain post-flop against the blinds is real and worth collecting.
The UTG range at 6-max includes all pocket pairs (22+), all suited aces (A2s+), suited kings down to K8s or K9s, suited queens down to QTs, suited broadway connectors (JTs, T9s), and offsuit broadways AKo, AQo, AJo, KQo, and KJo in most solver outputs. Some solvers fold KJo from UTG; at tougher lineups, dropping it costs little.
UTG core hands (always open):
Hands like 98s, 87s, and A5o are borderline from UTG. At softer tables where opponents call too wide, you can add them. Against 3-bet-heavy lineups, tighten. The 15-17% figure is the GTO floor; the actual hands shift slightly based on opponent tendencies.
HJ (Hijack): 19-22% opening range
One seat removed from UTG, the hijack opens wider with one fewer player to worry about. The additional hands are primarily suited connectors, weaker suited kings, and offsuit broadways that were borderline from UTG.
The HJ range adds 98s, 87s, 76s, K8s (some K7s), Q9s, J9s, and ATo. Offsuit hands like KJo and QJo enter the range here. You still fold most offsuit connectors and low-card suited connectors below 65s. Pocket pairs remain a full open; 22 is correct to raise from any position in 6-max at 100bb.
HJ additions vs UTG:
The HJ is often called the "lojack + 1" in 6-max notation since the lojack seat disappears at short tables. If your poker room labels seats differently, treat the HJ as the second-earliest position to act preflop in a 6-handed game.
CO (Cutoff): 25-28% opening range
The cutoff is where 6-max gets interesting. You're one seat off the button, you have position on the blinds, and the button is the only player who can take that position away from you post-flop. The CO opens 25-28% of hands, a meaningful jump from HJ.
New additions include weaker suited aces (A2s-A5s already in; add A6s if not already included), suited gappers like T8s, 97s, 86s, 75s, hands like K6s-K7s, Q8s, and offsuit hands such as KTo, QTo, and JTo entering the range. You also start opening more Axo hands: A9o, A8o, and even A7o at some solver outputs.
| Hand type | UTG | HJ | CO |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pocket pairs (22+) | |||
| Suited aces (A2s+) | |||
| Suited one-gappers (T8s, 97s) | - | - | |
| Offsuit broadways (AJo+) | |||
| KTo, QTo, JTo | - | - | |
| A9o-A7o | - | - | |
| KJo-KQo | KQo only |
BTN (Button): 40-45% opening range
The button is the most profitable seat in poker, and GTO reflects that. You open 40-45% of hands from the BTN, acting last on every postflop street. The only players left to beat are the two blinds, who are investing money at a structural disadvantage.
The button range is broad enough that it starts including two-gappers (J8s, T7s, 96s, 85s, 74s), weak offsuit broadway combinations (K9o, Q9o, J9o, T9o), and most Axo hands down to A2o in some spots. The logic is simple: you have guaranteed post-flop position, so speculative hands gain value they don't have out of position.
BTN additions vs CO (significant ones):
One important note: the button range is also the one most sensitive to your opponents. If the blinds are tight players who fold too often, widen further. If they defend wide and play well post-flop, tighten back toward CO frequencies and focus on hand quality. The GTO range is your default; deviate against exploitable opponents.
Practice these ranges until they're automatic. Preflop Wizard drills you on 6-max GTO spots from every position.
SB (Small Blind): 39-47% opening range
The small blind is the strangest position in 6-max preflop charts. You open a range nearly as wide as the button (39-47%), but you use a larger sizing (3bb instead of 2.5bb) and you're out of position against the big blind for the entire hand.
The wider open sizing from SB serves two purposes: it limits the big blind's pot odds to call (making speculative defense less profitable), and it builds more dead money into pots where you can win on the flop with a c-bet. The cost is that when the BB defends and plays back at you, you're playing a big pot out of position.
SB ranges include all pocket pairs, all suited aces, suited broadway hands, most suited connectors down to 54s, and a wider swath of offsuit hands than any earlier position. The GTO solution here varies more by solver and rake structure than other positions, so treat the 39-47% figure as a range rather than a fixed number. Against a big blind who 3-bets aggressively, tighten to the lower end and add 4-bet bluffs. Against a passive BB who folds or calls, widen and play more flops.
Key SB principle: Your 3bb sizing needs to charge the BB enough that it cannot profitably defend 100% with any two cards. At 3bb, the BB is getting 4:1 odds to call, meaning it needs 20% equity to break even on a call. That's why GTO says fold roughly 30-35% of BB ranges facing a SB open, even though the BB already has money invested.
BB (Big Blind): defense ranges vs. each position
The big blind is the only position that defends rather than opens. You already have a full big blind invested, so the math of calling is more favorable than it would be from any other seat. The key metric is the minimum defense frequency (MDF): the proportion of your range you must defend to keep opponents from profitably betting any two cards.
Against a 2.5bb open, MDF is roughly 54%, meaning you should defend (call or 3-bet) more than half your range. In practice GTO folds about 45-50% of hands from BB vs. a UTG open (tightest spot), and only 30-35% vs. a button open (widest spot). The difference reflects your opponent's range quality.
| Facing open from | BB defense frequency | Approx. 3-bet % |
|---|---|---|
| UTG (2.5bb) | ~50% | ~8% |
| HJ (2.5bb) | ~54% | ~9% |
| CO (2.5bb) | ~58% | ~10% |
| BTN (2.5bb) | ~65% | ~11% |
| SB (3bb) | ~55% | ~13% |
Most players defend too tight from the BB against late-position opens and too loose against early-position opens. The numbers above fix both mistakes. Suited connectors and small pocket pairs play well in defense because they have high implied odds and can disguise their strength.
How 6-max preflop charts differ from 9-max
The most common mistake players make when switching between formats is applying 9-max charts in 6-max games. The result is playing too tight from every position, surrendering significant EV in late-position spots.
| Position | 9-Max RFI | 6-Max RFI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTG | 9-12% | 15-17% | +5-6% |
| MP/HJ | 14-16% | 19-22% | +5-7% |
| CO | 22-25% | 25-28% | +3-5% |
| BTN | 44-48% | 40-45% | Similar |
| SB | 35-40% | 39-47% | +4-7% |
Interestingly, the button range at 9-max (44-48%) is slightly wider than at 6-max (40-45%). That seems counterintuitive, but the reason is that 9-max BTN only has the two blinds left, same as 6-max BTN, but the 9-max game selects for tighter players overall, making a wider BTN open slightly more profitable. In 6-max, where players are generally looser, the equilibrium narrows slightly.
For a detailed breakdown of 9-max ranges and full ring strategy, see our 9-max preflop chart guide.
Raise sizing in 6-max: why 2.5bb is standard
The standard 2.5bb open size in 6-max (vs. 3bb in many live and 9-max games) comes down to rake and game dynamics. Online 6-max games typically take 5% rake up to a cap, which means a 3bb open builds a slightly larger pot that the rake eats into more aggressively. A 2.5bb open risks less, charges the blinds meaningfully, and still builds enough dead money to make c-betting worthwhile.
The exceptions are the small blind (3bb standard, explained above) and live games, where many players still open 3bb or larger. Against a population that calls too wide and plays poorly post-flop, a larger open size increases your win rate on called pots. Against strong, tight regulars, a smaller size limits variance and avoids building huge pots out of position.
A useful rule: match your open size to the game. In weak-passive live games, size up to 3-4bb and play more pots. In tight-aggressive online games at NL100+, 2.5bb is the GTO benchmark and deviating costs small amounts of EV without clear justification.
5 preflop mistakes that hurt most in 6-max
Playing 9-max ranges in 6-max
The most expensive mistake. Folding hands like 98s, ATo, or QJo from HJ in a 6-max game costs real EV. These are solid opens at 6-handed. Run a GTO trainer until your HJ and CO ranges feel natural at 6-max frequencies.
Under-defending the big blind
Many players fold 55-60% of their BB range across the board, regardless of what position opens. Against a CO or BTN open, you should be defending 58-65% of hands. Tight BB play is a consistent leak against aggressive openers.
Limping from the small blind
The SB limp is not part of GTO 6-max strategy at 100bb. You either raise (39-47%) or fold. Limping gives the BB a free look with its entire range and puts you in a terrible spot post-flop. The only exception is very deep stacks (150bb+) where some solvers introduce SB limps.
Raising too small from the small blind
Some players open 2.5bb from SB out of habit from other positions. The correct size is 3bb because the BB is getting better pot odds to call at 2.5bb, making a wider BB defense range correct, which in turn makes your SB range less profitable. Size up to price out the speculative defense.
Flat-calling too much out of position
Flatting hands like AJs, KQs, or TT from HJ or UTG when there is a raise in front of you is typically a mistake. These hands play much better as 3-bets or folds, not calls. Calling out of position with strong hands gives opponents too easy a time post-flop and builds bad pot-sized pots for the wrong hands. See our guide on poker 3-bet strategy for when 3-betting beats flatting.
Adjusting 6-max preflop charts for different situations
GTO 6-max charts are your baseline. In practice, two variables move the ranges significantly.
Stack depth
At 150bb+, high-implied-odds hands (small pairs, suited connectors) go up in value and speculative Axo hands go down. At 50bb, suited connectors and low pairs lose implied odds value and you lean more toward high-card-strength hands. The standard 6-max charts above target 100bb exactly. For deeper stacks, see our deep stack preflop strategy guide.
Opponent tendencies
GTO is unexploitable but not maximally exploitative. Against a player who 3-bets 20%+ of hands, tighten your opening range and build more 4-bet bluff combos into your response. Against a player who folds to c-bets 80% of the time, widen your BTN and SB opens significantly and bet every flop. The charts above assume normal opponent frequencies; adjust in proportion to how far your opponents deviate from GTO play.
Rake
Higher rake (microstakes, some live games) compresses ranges slightly. Speculative hands that need to realize their equity across multiple streets lose value when rake cuts into every pot. At NL10 or NL25 online with capped rake structures, play closer to the tighter end of each position range and favor tighter hand requirements for marginal calls.
How to actually memorize and use these charts
Knowing the ranges is not the same as playing them automatically at the table. The gap between knowing and doing is what training tools exist to close.
The most efficient method is spaced repetition on specific positions. Drill UTG for a week until it feels automatic, then add HJ, then CO, then BTN. Trying to internalize all six positions at once leads to blending and making mistakes from every position. Focus beats breadth at the learning stage.
Static chart images (PDFs, screenshots) help you learn the theory but don't build automatic decision-making. A dedicated preflop trainer that quizzes you on each spot in a game-like format builds muscle memory faster. Preflop Wizard drills you on 6-max GTO spots from every position, shows instant feedback on each hand, and tracks which spots you're leaking chips in.
For a full framework on range practice methodology, see our guide on how to practice poker ranges effectively.
Drill these ranges until they're automatic
Preflop Wizard trains you on GTO 6-max preflop spots from every position. Get instant feedback on every hand, track your leaks, and build real muscle memory.
FAQ
What percentage of hands should I play in 6-max poker?
In a 6-max game, you will voluntarily put money in the pot (VPIP) across all positions at roughly 22-28% at GTO play. The exact number depends on your table position distribution and how often you post the blinds. Players who play 6-max online and sit at full tables will see button and cutoff seats roughly 1 in 6 orbits each, pulling their overall range toward the wider end.
Can I use 6-max preflop charts in live poker games?
Yes, but adjust for the larger open size and looser player pool typical in live games. Live 6-max (where it exists) often features 3bb opens and calling ranges that are wider than GTO. The structural ranges (tight-to-loose from UTG to BTN) translate directly, but the specific hand thresholds shift slightly based on ante structures and opponent tendencies.
Should I use the same 6-max preflop chart at every stake?
The range structure holds across stakes, but microstakes (NL10-NL25) benefit from slightly tighter ranges due to higher rake relative to pot size. At NL100 and above, the charts above are close to optimal. At NL500+, opponent tendencies matter more and pure GTO play may leave exploitative EV on the table. Use GTO as the default and deviate when you have a specific read.
Is a 2.5bb open always correct in 6-max, or should I sometimes raise larger?
2.5bb is the GTO default for most 6-max online formats. You can raise to 3bb when the table plays calling stations (to build bigger pots in better spots), when stacks are shallower than 80bb (where pot odds math changes), or in live games where 3bb is the norm. Raising larger is also reasonable against recreational players who do not adjust their calling frequency based on sizing.
How do 6-max preflop ranges change when there are antes?
Antes increase the pot size before anyone acts, which improves the pot odds for stealing and loosens opening ranges by 2-4% at most positions. The BTN and CO benefit most because they have the best steal position. The BB defense frequency also increases because the caller gets better odds with an ante in the pot. Our guide on poker ante strategy covers the range adjustments in detail.
What is the difference between GTO 6-max charts and exploitative charts?
GTO 6-max charts are designed to be unexploitable: no opponent can profitably deviate from their GTO strategy against you. Exploitative charts deviate from GTO to maximize EV against specific opponent tendencies. For example, opening 50% from the button against a big blind who folds to 70% of opens is exploitative but highly profitable. GTO is the correct starting point; exploit when you have reliable reads.
Related guides
9-Max Preflop Chart: Full Ring Ranges (2026)
How full ring ranges compare to 6-max at every position.
Cash Game Preflop Strategy (2026)
Complete preflop strategy framework for cash games.
Preflop Raise Sizing Guide (2026)
Why sizing matters and how to size every open correctly.
Poker 3-Bet Strategy (2026)
When and how to 3-bet from every position in 6-max.