Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

Recently moved up to 10c/20c and was at a tighter and more aggressive table than usual – (the table was running at 15/10 for a while[img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]). So I came across a few blind defense situations that I'm not yet comfortable with. An example:

1st hand at the table (it's amazing how often the first hand at the table gets posted on these forums, right?). However it is the 2nd hand I've observed that this guy had raised pre – on the previous occasion he won the pot with a flop continuation bet.

Party Poker 0.10/0.20 Hold'em (10 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises</font>, <font color="#666666">6 folds</font>.

Final Pot: 1.75 BB

Now I did some analysis on pokerstove, and if I conservatively estimate his raising range from this position at 5% then I still have 28% equity pre-flop. So if I had defended my blinds with it then it would not be immediately bad as far as equity is concerned. But I'm thinking that this hand could easily partially hit giving me massive reverse implied odds. So is the fold correct?

Now, this is an important supplementary question. Please answer. What if the raise came from a good aggressive lag on the button where a 20% raising range is more likely? Are suited connectors ever good to defend the blinds with?

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

in situation 1 I would just fold, especially in a 10 handed game against a player you know nothing about.

in situation 2 I would call, flop a pair, then checkraise, cuz thats how i roll

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

I would'n consider a raise from MP1 a steal, so whe're not really in need to defend. And 79s are not really connectors but one-gaps.
Since the playability of this hands on pretty much every flop but OESDs and/or flushdraws is very limited I'm folding this kind of hand all the time except maybe when I know I can easily outplay the preflop raiser with 9 high on the flop.

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

You would need a very good read on someone to want to defend with suited gappers. I think you are assuming a steal too much if you think someone raising in mp and mp1 back to back is a steal when you've seen him play only those hands. There isn't as much stealing going as you think.

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

[ QUOTE ]
You would need a very good read on someone to want to defend with suited gappers. I think you are assuming a steal too much if you think someone raising in mp and mp1 back to back is a steal when you've seen him play only those hands. There isn't as much stealing going as you think.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's a terminology thing which I've got wrong apparently. In the example I don't figure the opponent is "stealing". But I do figure he'd raise with at least 5% of holdings from that position. I thought that was clear from the OP.

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

Let's fix the terminology then. Blind defense is used when you think someone is stealing your blinds. If you get overly attached to your blinds you will start calling with crap like suited gappers when you won't have near enough people in the pot.

The only time you want to call a raise in the blinds to be HU with someone is:
If you think they are raising light AND have a hand that's good against their range.
If you have a quality hand that is good against anyone's hand range.
I suppose if the guy raising is 10/3 and can fold when he misses the flop, but you need pretty good reads for this and a lot of table time in.

I don't think you have the reads in either of your examples to feel really good about playing 79s to a raise HU.

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

Good answer.

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think you have the reads in either of your examples to feel really good about playing 79s to a raise HU.

[/ QUOTE ]

The first example is a real hand and I agree completely. The second example is theoretical but comes up frequently enough to think about. In the second situation I'm assuming a good tricky lag with a penchant for stealing blinds - apply whatever additional reads you want... The thrust of my question is about why we fold suited connectors (or gappers) when the equity pre-flop suggests a good call. Is it reverse implied odds? I guess it must be?

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

While they are easy to play, they just don't hit enough to make up for the times they do. Most of that is because it's HU and you aren't going to get paid.

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

I don't think they're easy to play at all. What if you hit middle pair and BDFD? Difficult to know where you are... bet for value or cheap showdown? I don't know. Shorthanded players must come up with this kind of thing all the time.

I respectfully disagree with the reasons you give too because

1) saying it's heads up is not a reason.
2) saying you're not going to get paid is ok if you're not going to pay off if you don't have the best hand. Remember we have equity pre-flop.

Sorry for being argumentative kerowo.... I don't mean to be. I'm simply trying to invigorate discussion and increase understanding of this kind of situation at a more fundamental level.

Re: Blind Defense with suited connectors
 

Find another table. An average of 15/10 at a .10/.20 game is sick-tight. But if your ass is glued to the chair, then it's not likely that anybody's really "stealing" by raising with A2C, and certainly not from MP1.