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Old 05-18-2007, 09:53 PM
Harv72b Harv72b is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Baltimore, MD
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Default Re: No Limit Texas Hold\'em : How to play the Small Blind in Cash Game

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I wonder how you do play the small blind in Cash Game. Sometimes, there is a lot of limper, but you have a crappy hand, and I am not sure how much the pot odds (and implied odds) should be to limp in. Rag hands can put yourself in trouble, if you get top pair and low kicker. And you do not have position.

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A lot of people play far too loose from the SB in situations like this, I presume because they saw people doing it in the games on tv. Put that out of your mind for the time being--those guys that you see on tv are good (okay, maybe a couple exceptions), and they fully understand how to play a weak made hand from out of position in a multi-way pot. For most of us, we have a lot more difficulty effectively playing a hand like top pair/no kicker, or bottom two pair, and because of that we cannot profitably play junk hands from the SB. If it's suited then yeah, complete and hope to flop a flush draw, but otherwise there's no shame whatsoever in just folding. No matter what the pot odds.

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Sometimes, there is noone in the pot, not sure that a blind steal with a crappy hand is worth it, but why do risk some money just for the big blind in cash game ?

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In NL cash games, blind stealing is far less important than it would be in limit games or in tournaments. The amount of the blind just doesn't make a whole lot of difference to your stack here, and whenever you do have a hand you're likely to win quite a few of those blinds with it. People still try to steal for a few reasons:

1) Force of habit, or because they think they should.
2) Steal-raising with junk or borderline hands makes it more likely that observant opponents will give you action later, when you raise from late position with a real hand.
3) It can be fun to play hands that you don't usually get to see a flop with, as well as challenging.

In a NL game, and especially in a micro stakes NL game, I wouldn't bother with stealing a whole lot. And when I did try a steal raise, it would be with a hand that still has some strong potential if I see a flop (suited connector, offsuit broadway cards, etc).

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Sometimes there is a couple of raisers and you do fold as soon as possible.

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Absolutely. Even if you know that one or both are full of it, you don't beat maniacs by trying to outbluff them.

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The only thing that is hard to play in the small blind is the position and the pot odds. With many limpers it might be ok, with noone I do not think so.

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It truly does depend a great deal on your own skill level and how comfortable you are playing weak hands postflop. Just keep in mind that the pros & other guys you see on tv or in the big online games are good enough that they can make preflop calls (sometimes raises) that would be a big mistake for almost anyone else. As a beginning NL player, you wouldn't be making a mistake at all if you just folded preflop any time you weren't sure what to do.
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