Leak Check: Defending Blinds

[Vyse]

I've been reading a couple of old, good threads on blind defense, and I'm interested in how uNL does with this. I will play back at someone stealing my blinds from the button if I know he's doing it. I will not do anything the first couple of times, but by the third or fourth I know it's habitual (and I should have some stats on him) and I will 3bet him every now and then to let him know.

About 17K hands this month -- not the biggest sample size but I have been playing my normal game.

Folded SB to Steal: 87.78%
Folded BB to Steal: 77.48%

I'm thinking both numbers are too low, and I'm sometimes feeling a bit too antsy to defend my blinds. What are some of your numbers and what's the general consensus to blind defense here at uNL?

[Capone]

I really play tight in the blinds accually. I fold the mass majority. I don't like playing in the blinds in fact play fromt he blinds is -EV. I limit my 3-betting range to premium hands, and I don't randomly try to steal.

[wildzer0]

Meh, I don't know what the ideal numbers are but I don't defend my blinds too excessively, the occasional 3bet with a decent hand, etc, is good enough I think.

[Nogatsira]

I don't think you should care TOO much about defending blinds. It's a not so important part in a cashgame. You will lose alot of money if you're going to play back out of position.
Defending blinds is for tournaments, defending the button is for cashgames!

If the CO open raises, then you should play back at them and profit. If the button open raises your BB, then just let it go unless you have a good hand thats playable OOP.

[homeslice]

I don't have specific stats, but if I'm playing a regular opponent TAG OTB, I'll let him get away w/ it the first time, but after that I will defend. Once I do it, It's amazing to see how many orbits will go by before they attempt to steal again...

[Capone]

Of course occasionaly you play back but I don't like being OOP the rest of the hand in the raised pot. If anything im a nit in the blinds. But I loosen up a lot in LP.

[Vyse]

If I'm not stealing I play extremely tight in the blinds, but when it comes to position abusers I open up. I'd say my 3betting range for someone I know is a blind thief is SCs about 76s+, ATo+, PP 77+, though sometimes even if I have a hand theoretically good enough to 3bet, I won't if I have been 3betting them a lot recently.

The real problem comes postflop once they call the cbet; TAGs/LAGs love to float and I often think they are, so as a result it feels a bit weak tight just to cbet and C/F. But there's also the double-edge razor that some players will go insane with their blind stealing and will stack off really light in this situation when they suspect you're playing back at them.

EDIT: So I'm thinking tighten my range a bit, only 3bet every now and then just to keep them honest until they start doing it again, and then repeat to minimalize variance.

[Capone]

[ QUOTE ]
If I'm not stealing I play extremely tight in the blinds, but when it comes to position abusers I open up. I'd say my 3betting range for someone I know is a blind thief is SCs about 76s+, ATo+, PP 77+, though sometimes even if I have a hand theoretically good enough to 3bet, I won't if I have been 3betting them a lot recently.

The real problem comes postflop once they call the cbet; TAGs/LAGs love to float and I often think they are, so as a result it feels a bit weak tight just to cbet and C/F. But there's also the double-edge razor that some players will go insane with their blind stealing and will stack off really light in this situation when they suspect you're playing back at them.

EDIT: So I'm thinking tighten my range a bit, only 3bet every now and then just to keep them honest until they start doing it again, and then repeat to minimalize variance.

[/ QUOTE ]

i aggreeee