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#1
05-18-2007, 02:01 PM
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No Limit Texas Hold\'em : How to play the Small Blind in Cash Game ?
Hi everyone,
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. 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 ? Sometimes there is a couple of raisers and you do fold as soon as possible. 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. Guys, what do you think ? 
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#2
05-18-2007, 02:27 PM
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Re: No Limit Texas Hold\'em : How to play the Small Blind in Cash Game
[ QUOTE ]
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. [/ QUOTE ] If there are a lot of limpers and you have no reason to expect a raise from the BB and your hand isn't complete junk (like 32o, 74o, etc), I think you can call with as few as 5 limpers or so. Also, you MUST be able to lay down a hand like top pair no kicker in NLHE. If you can't do that easily, just fold all but the very best hands. [ QUOTE ] 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 ? [/ QUOTE ] The blinds in a NL game are usually very small compared to stack sizes. Preflop hold'em is a battle for the blinds, and there's nothing to battle over. Just give it up and move on. Tournament poker is another matter entirely.
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#4
05-18-2007, 09:53 PM
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Re: No Limit Texas Hold\'em : How to play the Small Blind in Cash Game
[ QUOTE ]
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. [/ QUOTE ] 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. [ QUOTE ] 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 ? [/ QUOTE ] 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). [ QUOTE ] Sometimes there is a couple of raisers and you do fold as soon as possible. [/ QUOTE ] Absolutely. Even if you know that one or both are full of it, you don't beat maniacs by trying to outbluff them. [ QUOTE ] 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. [/ QUOTE ] 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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#5
05-19-2007, 03:00 PM
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Re: No Limit Texas Hold\'em : How to play the Small Blind in Cash Game
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] 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. [/ QUOTE ] 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 . . . They don't show everything on TV. Maybe they show a guy limping in with 26o, but they didn't show him folding 10 hands in a row before that. He could have played the 26 as a game theory move, or maybe he just got tired and was off his game for a moment during his third 12-hour tournament day. Winning with 26 might be great TV, but (unless it's Gus Hansen) it may not be representative of what's really going on.
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#6
05-19-2007, 03:41 PM
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Re: No Limit Texas Hold\'em : How to play the Small Blind in Cash Game
Nice knowledge sharing Harv. I do not have any more problem to fold hands at the SB unless there is a pot family. As a min-raise when I am BB, if I do not have a good hand to stand by it I let it go.
This is a little improvement in my play, and I am sure like big rivers are made by small ones, my poker play grows thanks of you, all the 2+2 community.
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