Defending the Big Blind...is it even necessary to look at your cards?

[BeDoHave]

72o or AA...does it matter?

From a "defending your BB against an obvious steal" sort of game theory standpoint?

Aren't you just going to be playing the counter-strategy to his hand, not dependent on your own hand strength?

Is there anyone that does this already (defends the BB without looking at his own cards)?

I think it sounds fun and will try it the next time I play live.

[kimchi]

I think doing this will force your opponent to only steal with decent holdings.

A good opponent will want you to think that he knows he should only raise your blind with better cards - and then raise with rags anyway.

I think it's an interesting strategy - he'd never know what you had and you could have (or represent) any part of the flop.

People play so often (and often incorrectly) from the blinds that I think it is one of the biggest leaks in many people's game.

[AlanBostick]

Bill Chen advocates, or at least used to advocate, always defending one's blind. I take Bill seriously, but my gut tells me it's wrong.

[BeDoHave]

[ QUOTE ]
I think doing this will force your opponent to only steal with decent holdings.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is a good thing... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[BeDoHave]

In case it's not obvious...this applies to limit poker only.

[HCR]

I never post in this forum but have been seeing this ALOT lately.
Getting your AA called down with BB T5,J8,etc.
When I'm close to the button they always think I'm stealing.
Definately a strategy a lot of others employ.

[Louie Landale]

So. The opponent always raises on the button and always bets the flop when checked to. It may be the case that 72o will win one time in 4, but that's only if there is no more betting and hands are show down. Certainly this particular hand will be folded most of the time on the flop, denying yourself 2 chances to snag an otherwise winning pair.

Thus, bad hands will not actually win their hot and cold "fair share", thus that statistic is not that useful.

You are better off chosing a more realistic proportion of hands to defend, such as half of them. You won't win half the pots but will win more money overall since you will not only start with a better hand you'll have the other guy betting into you.

- Louie

[jjpregler]

One of the problems with defending your blind is that you are paying to be out of position. If the steal is from late position, I still like hands with some potential. Further, in early stages of a tournament, I will let them steal unless, I have a decent hand. Then I'll play back at them when the blinds go up.

The blinds have a negative expecation, don't lose any more than you have to from the blinds.

[BeDoHave]

This is purely from a limit hold'em standpoint.

NL the blinds are too small to fight over, and in tourneys the blinds are either way too small, or way too big 90% of the time.

[BeDoHave]

[ QUOTE ]
I never post in this forum but have been seeing this ALOT lately.
Getting your AA called down with BB T5,J8,etc.
When I'm close to the button they always think I'm stealing.
Definately a strategy a lot of others employ.

[/ QUOTE ]
Not every raise on the CO/button is a steal. Let's assume you as the BB know the difference.

Now you're left with devising a counter-strategy to make it at least less appealing to attempt to steal your blind (if not completely remove blind stealing out of the CO/button's repertoire).

If you are only raising premium hands from the CO & button, I'll gladly relinquish my blind when I don't have a hand I like.