Calling a raise in the BB?

[Max2]

This may be basic, but I don't know what to do.

If I am in the big blind for one bet, and there is a raiser to 2BB, and one caller to me, should I not ALWAYS call from the BB? The reason is that my completion of 1 more bet means that I am putting 1/5, or 20% of pot, and I am rarely a 20% dog to one raiser, or one rasier and one caller.

How is my thinking flawed?

Thanks,

Max

[gregorio]

Because if you have a hand that is only a 25% dog, are you really ever going have any confidence that your J4 is the bet hand when you miss the flop and someone bets. J high may be good more than 20% of the time, but there's no way you're going to find out, unless you are willing to keep calling with it.

[metsfan88]

i dont always call min raises from the bb just because they do add up after while. if your hand is decent, call it but if it is trash like 83o or something you dont always have to call even though there is a .0000001% chance the flop comes 888 or something.

[kmak]

You may rarely be a 20% dog, but how do you know, post-flop? Particularly out of position. Before you call, make sure you know what kind of flop you are wishing for and what the odds of getting it is and base your decision on that. Remember the "20% dog" applies to seeing five cards, and you will likely have to pay more to see all of them.

[pzhon]

If you were playing showdown, with no more bets, you could call with a wide range. Since you are playing poker, you are not buying the right to see a showdown. You are buying the right to face more bets, and that hurts you, particularly since you are out of position.

The actual ranges to call depend on the position of the raiser and the caller, but you should routinely fold hands as good as Q9o. When the raiser is in earlier position, this represents more strength, which means it is less likely that you will get a free card, and less likely that you will win with one pair. That may make it right to fold ATo.