Hijack and Cutoff Opening Ranges: 6-Max Poker Guide 2026

Hijack and cutoff opening ranges are the bridge between the tight ranges you play from early position and the wide, aggressive ranges you use on the button. Get them right and you steal blinds profitably without running into too many hands behind you. Get them wrong and you either bleed chips by folding too much or by opening hands that cannot handle a 3-bet. This guide breaks down what a sound 6-max opening strategy looks like and how to adjust it at the table.

What Are the Hijack and Cutoff Positions?

In a six-handed game the seats clockwise from the big blind are under the gun (UTG), the hijack (HJ), the cutoff (CO), the button (BTN), the small blind (SB), and the big blind (BB). The hijack sits two seats to the right of the button, and the cutoff sits directly to the right of the button. Both are called "late-middle" and "late" positions because few players remain to act behind you.

Quick answer: A standard 100 big blind 6-max strategy opens roughly 20 to 23 percent of hands from the hijack and 27 to 32 percent from the cutoff. The exact numbers depend on rake, stack depth, and how aggressive the blinds are, but the principle is constant: the fewer players left to act, the wider you can raise.

Why Position Drives Your Opening Range

Every opening raise is a bet that you will win the pot, either immediately or after the flop. When you open from the hijack, three players (the cutoff, button, and at least one blind) can still wake up with a strong hand. From the cutoff, only the button and the two blinds remain. That drop in remaining opponents is the main reason ranges widen.

Position after the flop matters just as much. On the button you act last on every street. From the cutoff you act last unless the button calls, and from the hijack you act in position against the blinds but out of position against the cutoff and button. Hands that play well in position, such as suited connectors and offsuit broadways, gain value as you move toward the button. If you want a refresher on the theory behind this, our range construction guide explains how to build a range from the top down.

A Practical Hijack Opening Range

At 100 big blinds with a standard 2.5x open, a reasonable hijack range includes:

• Pairs: every pair from 22 up. Small pairs are mostly set-mining hands, but they also block some of the calling hands behind you and play well in multiway pots.
• Suited aces: A2s through AKs. The wheel aces (A2s to A5s) are included mainly for their blocker value and straight potential.
• Suited broadways and connectors: KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs, T9s, and 98s. Suited one-gappers like J9s and T8s are marginal and often mixed.
• Offsuit broadways: AKo, AQo, AJo, ATo (often mixed), KQo, and sometimes KJo.

That works out to about 21 percent of hands. Notice what is missing: weak offsuit hands like K9o, Q9o, and J9o, and the lowest suited kickers. These hands tend to be dominated when called and are poor 3-bet bluff candidates.

Hijack hands that often get mixed

Solvers frequently choose to open some hands only part of the time. Hands like A9s, K9s, Q9s, and 87s sit near the boundary of profitability. A simple way to handle this at the table is to open them when the players behind you are passive and fold them when an aggressive cutoff or button is likely to 3-bet.

A Practical Cutoff Opening Range

The cutoff range expands to include most of what the hijack opens plus a layer of speculative hands. Expect to open something like 27 to 32 percent from the cutoff:

• All pairs and all suited aces.
• Most suited kings (K5s and better in many charts) and suited queens down to Q8s or Q9s.
• Suited connectors and one-gappers down to roughly 54s and 64s.
• Offsuit broadways including KJo, QJo, and sometimes KTo or QTo.
• A9o and sometimes A8o in games where the blinds fold too often.

The button is the biggest obstacle to a wider cutoff range. If the player on the button 3-bets frequently, tighten up and open mostly hands that can continue against a re-raise. If the button is passive or tight, widen your range and take the blinds more often.

How Stack Depth and Rake Change the Numbers

Chart ranges assume 100 big blinds. Deeper stacks favor suited connectors and suited aces because implied odds increase. Shorter stacks (40 to 60 big blinds) favor high-card strength and pairs, and you should drop many speculative suited hands. See our bankroll management article if you are moving between stake levels, since rake structure varies and affects how wide you can profitably open.

Rake matters a lot at micro and small stakes. Because rake is usually taken from pots that see a flop, borderline opens lose a little more value. In high-rake games, trim the bottom 10 to 15 percent of your cutoff range. In low-rake or rakeback-heavy games, you can stay closer to solver output.

Adjusting to the Players Behind You

Charts are a starting point, not a script. Use these adjustments:

1. Tight blinds that fold too much: widen your cutoff range, and consider a smaller sizing such as 2.2x.
2. Aggressive 3-bettors on the button: tighten the hands that cannot call a 3-bet and add more suited aces that can 4-bet bluff.
3. Calling stations in the blinds: keep your range value-heavy and drop the weakest speculative hands, because you will not win enough pots uncontested.
4. Short stacks behind you: be careful with hands that cannot handle a shove.

For more on handling re-raises, review our overview of GTO and exploitative strategy, which explains when to deviate from balanced play.

Common Hijack and Cutoff Mistakes

The first mistake is limping. Open-limping from the hijack or cutoff gives up the initiative and invites the blinds to see a cheap flop. The second is playing the cutoff like the button. The button can open nearly half its hands because only the blinds are left. Copying that frequency from the cutoff gets you 3-bet and outplayed. The third mistake is opening too many offsuit trash hands because they "look like" they could win. Offsuit hands with a weak kicker rarely make strong pairs and often make second-best hands.

Finally, many players fail to plan the next street. Before you raise, know what you will do against a 3-bet, a call, and a flop continuation bet. A hand with no plan is a hand you probably should not open.

Frequently Asked Questions

How wide should I open from the hijack in 6-max?

Most solver-based strategies at 100 big blinds open around 20 to 23 percent of hands from the hijack. Tighten if the players behind you are aggressive and widen modestly if they are passive.

Should I open-limp the cutoff?

No. A raise-or-fold approach preserves the initiative, wins the blinds outright, and builds a pot when you have the best hand. Limping is almost always a leak in 6-max cash games.

What is the difference between the hijack and the cutoff?

The hijack is the seat two to the right of the button, and the cutoff is the seat directly to the right. The cutoff has one fewer opponent behind it, so its range is wider.

Does opening range change in tournaments?

Yes. Antes widen ranges, short stacks tighten them, and ICM pressure near the bubble changes everything. Adjust using the ICM strategy principles when payouts matter.

Conclusion: Build a Range, Then Adjust

Strong hijack and cutoff play comes from a solid baseline and smart adjustments. Start with the ranges above, track how often your opens get 3-bet, and tweak accordingly. Ready to sharpen the rest of your game? Browse our poker training videos and explore the best online poker sites to put these ranges to work.