Starting Hand
How to Play 88 — Pocket Eights Preflop Strategy
6-Max Cash Opening (100bb)
How often GTO opens 88 first-in from each seat.
Short-Stack Jam Frequency
How often 88 is a first-in shove at short stacks (tournament).
| Stack | UTG | MP | LJ | HJ | CO | BTN | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5bb | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 98% |
| 8bb | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 6% |
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 88 and every other hand until the right open is automatic.
Train preflop →Playing 88 preflop
A premium hand — open it first-in from every position. As stacks get short it only gets stronger — at 5bb 88 is a jam from essentially every seat.
88 opens from every seat — it's strong enough to raise even under the gun (LoJack), where you have the whole table left to act behind you. Position doesn't change the decision here: it's an open everywhere.
The common mistake with 88 is playing it too passively — slow-playing or flat-calling when the solver simply raises it for value from every seat. Open it, and be ready to get the money in.
Get the complete preflop chart pack (PDF)
Join thousands of players getting weekly GTO insights, strategy breakdowns, and training tips straight to their inbox. Free forever.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime.
You're in!
Download the chart pack (PDF)Your download is ready above. We'll also send the occasional solver insight — unsubscribe anytime.