SPOT PRINCIPLE
Suited hands stretch down a rank across the board while A9o and JTo quietly leave – the deep trade of domination risk for nut potential.
Implied odds arrive. Every pocket pair and connected suited hand gains; weak offsuit broadways start bleeding reverse implied odds and get trimmed first.
The cutoff attacks the button and the blinds. This is the first position where pure steal equity carries a meaningful share of the range.
Assumes a live-standard open to ~4bb, raise-or-fold. In straddled games, halve your effective big blinds and read the chart at that depth.
Baseline assumptions: 9-handed · no ante · no straddle · 4bb opens · low-rake live structure · cold-calling allowed. Charts reduce low-frequency mixes to a single default action; adjust live for opponents and rake. Baseline v1 · updated 2026-08.