Beginner's Strategy For Playing Blinds

[warriors]

What is a reasonable strategy for playing out of the blinds in small stakes limit?

BB: How to play a 1 bet raise from late position or the SB?
When do you raise vs. the SB who called .5 bet

SB: When do you call a vs. a late pos. call/raise?
When do you call .5 bet with the BB as only opponent?
What do you do if you call and BB raises you?
What aboout raising vs. BB and getting re-raised?

[crablegs33]

there's no set in stone rules for blind play...
it's all read specific on the player... your table image... the many hands you could possess vs. the range you put your opponent on...

really is a general question... would probably be better to post hands on your blind play and ask for comments instead...

[Warren Harding]

Things to consider in general:

* You have a better idea of what you pot odds are, because you can predict where the action will end

* You position is absolutely worst.

* the blind structure-- be more conservative if the blinds are 3:1, be liberal if 3:2, and so on.

* Blind play is not set in stone as crablegs said. It's artful and guesswork.

some specifics

Without a read, you can raise most hands against a completing SB with no other players in the pot (With other players in the pot, no dice). In reality, I raise 50% or less of my hands when folded to the SB, who completes (depends on whether this player can fold for 0.5).

if it's heads up, you (SB) and BB, BB raises, you will have the pot odds to call always. Whether you raise depends on your hand and whim.

[JacksonTens]

[ QUOTE ]
if it's heads up, you (SB) and BB, BB raises, you will have the pot odds to call always. Whether you raise depends on your hand and whim.

[/ QUOTE ]

But don't always limp in the SB when folded to, It's easy to steal there...

JT

[SackUp]

[ QUOTE ]


if it's heads up, you (SB) and BB, BB raises, you will have the pot odds to call always. Whether you raise depends on your hand and whim.

[/ QUOTE ]

3:1 is not always correct to call with. I usually don't just complete HU, but if I do it is against a super passive opponent who I doubt raises. If he does raise then 3:1 is usually not enough on my money.

[Warren Harding]

[ QUOTE ]
if it's heads up, you (SB) and BB, BB raises, you will have the pot odds to call always. Whether you raise depends on your hand and whim.

[/ QUOTE ]

let me clarify two things:

I'm not advocating open-completing in the SB. My mind is not made up on when to/not to.

You should have the odds to at least call whether you complete in the SB and get raised, or raise in the SB and get 3bet. I was not conisdering (very good) reads, but when you are sure you're dominated and offsuit (~19% - ~22% winning percentage after all five cards), then its a fold. Problem is it takes a very good read, because even a passive player can put raise in here for the hell of it.

[suited aces]

Enjoy.

[Bob T.]

This is a topic that someone could probably write a book about. Then someone else could write another book with the material that was left out of the first one.

Post some hands. Then give people a chance to talk about the factors that they might use in making decisions. Do a little work here, Don't just ask these open ended questions that have a lot of answers that mostly depend on the situation.

BB: How to play a 1 bet raise from late position or the SB?
When do you raise vs. the SB who called .5 bet


The main factor to consider is how aggressive the raiser is, and how likely he is to be on a steal. If he is loose and/or aggressive/ or a frequent stealer, loosen up. If he is particularly passive, or he doesn't steal, you need to play fairly tight.

SB: When do you call a vs. a late pos. call/raise?


Never calling a raise in the SB is probably a good place to start. If you can't threebet, you probably don't want to play.

When do you call .5 bet with the BB as only opponent?
What do you do if you call and BB raises you?
What aboout raising vs. BB and getting re-raised?

See my response to the BB questions. All player dependent.