Starting Hand
How to Play 44 — Pocket Fours Preflop Strategy
6-Max Cash Opening (100bb)
How often GTO opens 44 first-in from each seat.
Short-Stack Jam Frequency
How often 44 is a first-in shove at short stacks (tournament).
| Stack | UTG | MP | LJ | HJ | CO | BTN | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5bb | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 8bb | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Generated from the Crafty Penguin GTO solver · 6-max cash (NL500) & MTT Chip-EV · updated Jul 28, 2026
Drill your preflop ranges against the solver
Train 44 and every other hand until the right open is automatic.
Train preflop →Playing 44 preflop
A strong hand — open from most positions; the HJ is the earliest seat it opens. As stacks get short it only gets stronger — at 5bb 44 is a jam from essentially every seat.
Position matters: from under-the-gun (LoJack) 44 opens 36% of the time, rising to 100% on the Button as fewer players are left to act behind you. The later you are, the wider you can open.
The common mistake with 44 is opening it from early position where the solver folds it. Respect the position threshold — it's an open from the HJ onward, not before.
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