Completing in SB...thoughts?

Decerto · #1 08-28-2006, 03:59 AM

I have had quite a few discussions recently about completing in the SB preflop with a wide range of hands. My thoughts are that if you are getting good enough odds, you should be completing with any two cards, but it seems to be the consensus on 2+2 that you should fold in these situations dispite the pot odds. (example; Blinds are 50/100, Stack Size is 2200, You have K4s in the small blind, there are 4 limpers)

I do realize that a lot of the STT players do not really know how to play post flop and this is the reason they give for folding in situations like this, but if you are good at playing post flop should you still be folding here?

Please discuss the advantages and disadvantages of completing or folding in the SB.

Thanks,

Decerto

Lego05 · #2 08-28-2006, 04:01 AM

I would call in the above example. I would be surprised if anyone would fold.

Decerto · #3 08-28-2006, 04:05 AM

Okay a bit of an exageration in the example, but my question still stands. Why is folding in the SB with pot odds often advocated on these forums?

Auren · #4 08-28-2006, 07:58 AM

I am not expert but I think it is because of extremely hard postflop situations if you do not get perfect flop.

In your example if flop is KJ5 rainbow. You are first to act and you got highest pair with lousy kicker and 4 people to act after you. How do you play that?

mattak · #5 08-28-2006, 08:23 AM

I beleive one of the reasons for not completing is that STTs are such a short time/stack/blinds ratio that it is more important to preserve your stack for bubble play than to get involved early. I also think that most posters here multi table and it is very hard to play post flop with marginal hands unless you have solid reads on your table. That being said I think that most lower limit "formula" players (tight early/ aggressive late) leave some chips on the table by not playing more hands against other players who are even worse than us post flop.

#6 08-28-2006, 12:34 PM

I play 35+3, 6-max usually. Or the occasional 30+3 9-man.

I complete the SB almost all the time. My hand has to be truly awful, like 94o to fold. Even then, if I'm getting 11-1, I complete that too. You just have to be willing to lay down top pair fairly regularly.

You also want to keep the pot small because your hand is really bad even if you hit something. If you hit a pair, don't lead. Check, see what the action looks like. Just call a small bet and try for trips/2-pair.

The hands that kill you are things like J4s or K3s. Hitting trip jacks or kings is a death wish because you'll be outkicked by anyone interested in hanging around. Hitting trips 4's or 3's though is gold. 2-pair is often gold too as people will hit their J or K and think they're top pair is good, but you've got them reverse dominated.

If I win one of these hands at showdown, it's pure money afterwards. People call me a donkey and start thinking I play crap all the time, not just in the SB, and I get tons of action on my real hands.