How To Exploit A Tight Big Blind

Imagine you're playing a 6max NLHE game online.

You open 2.2x from UTG. Everyone folds and the BB 3bets to 12.5bb.

This is the GTO range the BB should be playing against an open in theory (assuming NL500 Pokerstars rake):

- Calling a good amount of suited hands
- 3betting QQ+, AQs+, a mix of suited broadways and some weaker hands like low suited connectors, A5s/A4s, K6s and medium suited Kx, Qx and Jx

Now, against this BB's GTO 3betting range, this would be the range we would play from UTG:

- Already mixing 50% of folds with TT and lower, folding AQo and some suited broadways
- Only value-4betting KK & AA (AKo is likely more of a value-bluff)
- bluff 4betting some suited Kx and Ax

However, in reality a lot of people don't play a correct GTO range, especially from the BB. As an experiment, let's assume this was a range that the BB would play against an UTG open raise instead:

- Calling a bit tighter
- 3betting a lot tighter: We can all imagine many players who don't put the GTO range to the table and 3bet K6s, Q9s or 78s against UTG. So imagine a 16 tabling ABC reg who only 3bets value hands

In that case, this would be how we as UTG should respond to that ABC player's 3bet - our best exploit strategy:

- We fold almost everything
- Only QQ+ and AK can be continued full frequency and they mostly prefer 4betting for value
- The only other hand type that could call here sometimes is low suited connectors
(- This is built on the assumption that this BB would call JJ, QQ, AQs and AKo against our 4bet, jam KK & AA and mix AKs 50/50)

What does this tell us?

You can make your first heavy hitting exploit before even seeing the flop.
GTO ranges are great, but as soon as someone deviates from them, your best preflop strategy looks a lot different.
And a lot of opponents do deviate from GTO ranges.

Adjust your preflop ranges against those opponents and you'll print money.
You'll save money against nits, avoid postflop spots where you're dominated and can fight back against aggressive players.

Check out PREFLOP XPLOITS if you want to learn how to adjust your ranges in any spot against different types of opponents - and population as a whole: