Small Blind Play

[tagWAG]

When it's folded to me in the sb, I'm just making it up as I go along...

How do you play in the small blind in these situations, assuming
a) BB is the type who will raise your completion with just about any 2, and
b) BB checks his option often.

Without prior reads, and assuming you are oop all streets, what's your default mix of hands to complete/raise/fold in the SB in an unraised pot, which is folded to the sb?

Do you go for bigger raise sizing since we are oop, or some sort of "as much as it takes to get BB to fold" judgement bet sizing..."

[Buzz-cp]

Not sure if this is best but...

If BB folds to steals a lot, I will 4-5x 35-50% of my hands, and then cb 1/2 pot most flops.
If BB is very aggro, I will just fold most of the time, all but my best hands (~10%). I really think position is key here.
If BB rarely raises option, then I will usually complete and bet most flops trying to take it down. I will still raise preflop with my better hands.

edit: one more thing: if BB is super-aggro--your option a), then I will probably just complete QQ-AA and reraise when he autoraises. Then again, he is probably reraising, if we open-raise anyhow, where we can 3-bet.

[Grunch]

If it's folded to me in the SB, I will never open-complete. My range opens up quite a bit, as we're heads-up now, but I'll either just fold or open for a raise. If he folds a lot, I'll open any 2 cards. If he is looser & more aggressive I'll open slightly less, but no so much less that I can't open AA for action. Its a very delicate balance, and depends totally on your opponent and the flow of the game at that moment. It has very little to do with your actual cards.

[bravos1]

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When it's folded to me in the sb, I'm just making it up as I go along...

How do you play in the small blind in these situations, assuming
a) BB is the type who will raise your completion with just about any 2, and

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I am never just completing unless I know BB is going to raise and I have a strong hand. Usually won't complete there either though, because the one time he does decide to check his option is the time he flops trip 2s with 82o [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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b) BB checks his option often.


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If BB is one to check his option frequently in situations like this, he is telling you that he is weak and/or passive. I will be raising liberally in this situation.
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Without prior reads, and assuming you are oop all streets, what's your default mix of hands to complete/raise/fold in the SB in an unraised pot, which is folded to the sb?

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I think these situations have far less to do w/ the cards you are holding and much more on the opponent. If I have no reads, I will tighten up a bit until I get some reads, and then play accordingly.
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Do you go for bigger raise sizing since we are oop, or some sort of "as much as it takes to get BB to fold" judgement bet sizing..."

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I'm interested in hearing thoughts on this as well. I know I have read that some people make the raise a bit bigger if they are going to possibly OOP. Many times though this is referring to a situation like hero having AKo in SB w/ 3 limpers to him. In this case, instead of raising 4BB+1 for each limper, there are those that would suggest something like 5-6BB+1/limper. I dunno???

[marchron]

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If it's folded to me in the SB, I will never open-complete. My range opens up quite a bit, as we're heads-up now, but I'll either just fold or open for a raise. If he folds a lot, I'll open any 2 cards.

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Is this really the +EV play if you're at a deep table where blind steals are worthless compared to more lucrative postflop play?

[Grunch]

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If it's folded to me in the SB, I will never open-complete. My range opens up quite a bit, as we're heads-up now, but I'll either just fold or open for a raise. If he folds a lot, I'll open any 2 cards.

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Is this really the +EV play if you're at a deep table where blind steals are worthless compared to more lucrative postflop play?

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It would have to be pretty damned deep, and the BB would have to be pretty damned bad in order to make completing trash more +EV than raising it.

[diebitter]

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If it's folded to me in the SB, I will never open-complete. My range opens up quite a bit, as we're heads-up now, but I'll either just fold or open for a raise. If he folds a lot, I'll open any 2 cards.

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Is this really the +EV play if you're at a deep table where blind steals are worthless compared to more lucrative postflop play?

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Yes it is into pretty much any 100BB game with a big blind who is vpip < 22 or similar. This 22 is a personal preference, but I'm sure someone could do the math and say the exact vpip where it's profitable to raise to 3BB or 4BB into a lone big blind.


Not only do you pick up some smallball bucks, you keep your vpip and pfr higher than it would be, which means that you appear more loose to any HUD user than you otherwise would. The looser you appear, the more action you will get back in marginal spots.

[djshawk]

Watch for how quickly he folds when you raise, a lot of multitablers click the check/fold button . If you get to the right of one of these then you can minraise and take it down meaning you need to successfully steal way less to show a profit. Even in these cases I normally still raise to 4BB though.

[gharp]

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Watch for how quickly he folds when you raise, a lot of multitablers click the check/fold button . If you get to the right of one of these then you can minraise and take it down meaning you need to successfully steal way less to show a profit. Even in these cases I normally still raise to 4BB though.

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Hush! Quiet you...

Seriously, I was going to post this point too. And also echo diebitter's point that the SB is a place you can look to increase your VPIP and appear looser to the people who are using HUDs (if LAG is your thing).

I'll also add that completing the SB and betting any flop is about as successful as raising 4xBB preflop in terms of taking down the BB, and you can risk less money doing it.

[tagWAG]

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I'll also add that completing the SB and betting any flop is about as successful as raising 4xBB preflop in terms of taking down the BB, and you can risk less money doing it.

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This is roughly the recipe that I've hit upon. Basically complete about 75% of all hands, and autobet flop.

If the big blind raises, I reraise or fold. It seems to me (playing nl 200) that there is also a brand of multi tabling tag/slag that will on principle raise ATC in the big blind, but then, facing a reraise, will be reluctant to get involved in a blind war. These are the same players who will fold their button raises too often to a light 3 bet from the blinds. So against these guys I aim for a limp reraise whenener I think that >50% of their range won't want to call, which in practice means often.

Probably all a bit reckless...