I need help with SB starting hands strategy

[fourpin]

Can someone point me to a starting hand guide that covers strategy for small blind play on short handed tables?

In going over my stats in Poker Tracker I am losing almost .2BB/hand from the SB. I'm sure it is due
to completing too often (and sometimes calling raises).
Somewhere between folding every small blind and completing everything because it is "half price" I am hoping to find a way to loose half as much as I do.

I know I don't want to face any 2+2'rs till I plug this leak.

Thanks to all.

[Guruman]

consider these things from the sb:

your opponent

first pf
-does he fold too much pf or on the flop? if he does raise 80-90% until he adjusts
-does he defend everything and peel lightly or rebluff alot? if he does, restrict your steals to Ax, Kx, and good Qs, Js, and Ts or better. His position is too much to overcome consistently.
-will he let you limp without raising? you won't know until you try, but if he will then take as many cheap flop as you can.
-does he autoraise if you limp? mix in some limp-reraises with Ax, pocket pairs, and suited connectors.

now postflop:

is he vulnerable to cont bets? widen your range and get aggressive
does he rebluff? see some flops if you can and valuebet a lot
does he need a hand to raise the turn? if not bet/threebet the big streets for value more. If so, bet/fold more.
will he call down with ace high? if so, run fewer pure bluffs. If not fire that third barrel brutha.

your cards:

-suited? be more inclined to flop and checkraise draws
-tall? those are shodown hands, do what you gotta do what you can to get them there sometimes
-ofsuit trash? either lots of action or zero action early, opponent dependent
-low/mid pocket pair? get lots of action in early, then get to showdown
-monster? get some action in, then go for some big street moves if your oppoent's aggro. otherwise just raise/bet/bet/bet for value.

[mixmastermattyk]

To clarify, do you just mean when it is folded around to you in the SB? If so, Guruman's advice is excellent and a great list of things to consider when you're in the SB. Or did you mean dealing with a late position steal when you're in the SB?

[fourpin]

Thanks fellows,

That advice will help for HU situations, but I think I am missing the boat when I have to decide whether to complete after 2 or more limpers.
My experience to date is at full ring games. In making the transition to 6 max tables I am sure that I am calling from the SB too often and am losing bets due to being out of position.

I thought I saw a starting hand guide a few months ago, but I can't find it now.

[Silverfalk]

Facing a legitimate raise-play hands you would play in late pos against a raise. Raise most times.

Facing a steal raise- (CO,Button). Raise most times if you´re going to play. tigten up a bit, and fold more if BB is not going to fold.

1 limp- play high cards, All PP, Axs, Kxs , Qxs, suited con to 54s. I fold 2 gaps becase i´ve dont playém good enough. Unsuited con i play 76+. Raise your better hands. play a bit tighter if BB i hyperaggressive.

2 limp- XXs+ 64+ 85o+ (understand that you often need to fold when you just hit a pair).

[stonescar]

[ QUOTE ]
Facing a legitimate raise-play hands you would play in late pos against a raise. Raise most times.

[/ QUOTE ]

Against a legitimate raise, I think position is more valuable than one SB. Shouldn't our 3-bet range be tighter from SB than from the button? And I don't like CCing alot from SB. Suited broadways I could CC after a raise and a call. Against a weak tight player I might raise some more hands if I have a chance to get HU.

[Vern]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Facing a legitimate raise-play hands you would play in late pos against a raise. Raise most times.

[/ QUOTE ]

Against a legitimate raise, I think position is more valuable than one SB. Shouldn't our 3-bet range be tighter from SB than from the button? And I don't like CCing alot from SB. Suited broadways I could CC after a raise and a call. Against a weak tight player I might raise some more hands if I have a chance to get HU.

[/ QUOTE ]
My Rule on playing from the SB against a legitimate raise
Only play those hands I could CC or raise with from late position.
3-bet with any hand I would cap with for value
3-bet hands I would normally re-raise from late position if the Big Blind calls 1 bet loosely but plays much tighter for 2 or if there is a limper before the legitimate raise that I can force to call two more. The goal is to reduce the number of players in the hand and put dead money in the pot. If I don't think I can do this, my three-bet range narrows down to my cap range. I will then tend to call with a lot of hands like AQs, AJs, & KQs. If I am not immediately to the right (ignoring BB) or left of the legitmate raise I am more likely to 3-bet as there are many players in the hand (at least 4 way + BB yet to act), I have premium suited broadways and I will be unable to protect a decent flop because of the size of the pot. 9+SB pots will get many players to cold call two on the flop even if you can get them to face two at once by donking into the PFR to your left or c/r the one to your right. In this case I prefer to raise assuming that even if I am behind of one, I am far enough ahead of the others that they are paying me more than 1SB and I might yet knock the BB or another player out. If I know a re-raise will not knock anyone out though, I will tend to call a raise from the SB with anything but a capping hand.

IMHO when you are in the SB, the the two reasons to re-raise what appears to be a legitimate raise is for value with your capping hand range or to try and get out players that have already put forward money (BB and/or limpers)

I am sorry if that rambles a little to get to the final point.

[LionelHutz00]

OP, what level are you playing at? you should be playing fewer hands from the SB in a 3/6 game with a 1/3 blind structure than in a 2/4 game with a 1/2 blind structure.

[adsman]

[ QUOTE ]
IMHO when you are in the SB, the the two reasons to re-raise what appears to be a legitimate raise is for value with your capping hand range or to try and get out players that have already put forward money (BB and/or limpers)


[/ QUOTE ]

I think that this is spot on. Interestingly enough, in the August edition of the 2+2 magazine, Malmuth covers this exact topic in his article titled, 'Calling with Ace-King'.

[fourpin]

Thanks again for the advice. I should have included this in my original post.

I started out at $1-2 and $3-6 limits and lost 2+ BB/100 over 10k hands.

I have moved down to $.50-1.00 while I work on my 6max play and have improved to just under 1BB/11 over 8500 hands.

I would like to inprove to 2BB/11 before I start moving up limits again.