Blind defense gets good, then gets weird

[BigBadBabar]

can folding preflop be standard? or is my defending range too low? 98o looks a lot better to me than 76o if that makes any sense.

[DavidC]

I like calling and then donking the turn instead of checkraising the flop. I don't know what the correct play is, though.

[DavidC]

also, just call the river, I think.

[Str8Fish]

Hands that beat you that are reasonable for him to have:
AQ(16),KT(9),TT(3),A2c-AJc(7),K5c-K9c(3),JT(9),89c(1-if that),Q9c(1) = 49 combinations

Hands that you beat that are reasonable for him to have:
um... air? Honestly I can't think of anything that bluff raises this river. Let's try it this way... how many combinations of air must villain have in order for this call to be correct?

EV=0=-1BB*49/(49+x) + 9.25BB*x/(49+x)

Solving for x... x~5 combinations. I think we can find 5 combinations of SOMETHING that he might have that is air. How about KQ? AT? AJ? Tilt-induced 85?

[Absolution]

This is all standard and because of his aggression I would call this until I get a better post-flop read.

[Entity]

I would fold this preflop at $2/4. The rake is too high to profitably continue, IMO, vs an unknown but aggressive raiser. The river is a very close decision only because you know nothing but that he is capable of aggression, which is the same reason I fold preflop.

Rob

[Absolution]

The rake structure makes you tighten up your defending standards?

[Big Folder]

calls. I'm guessing he turns over JT.

[Big Folder]

[ QUOTE ]
The rake structure makes you tighten up your defending standards?

[/ QUOTE ]

Certainly. You stand to win a lot less in high rake tables than lower ones. This becomes important in blind defense because its likely headsup so not much money is going in. I didn't realize that 2/4 online had a high rake though since I'm used to the $4 drop at 3/6 live [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Entity]

[ QUOTE ]
The rake structure makes you tighten up your defending standards?

[/ QUOTE ]

Any hand that is marginally profitable at best moves from that marginally profitable category to breakeven or unprofitable as rake escalates. Though it's been a while since I've specifically played the Stars $2/4 6max games, if I had to hazard a guess the rake overall is above 4bb/100.

Looking at the Stars site it's $1 per until the pot reaches 10BB (which it usually won't given this scenario) and $2 after 10BB (if I'm interpreting their chart correctly). Calculating the exact impact this has on marginally defendable hands (76o is close, IMO, in a rakeless game vs an aggressive Button -- but not close if you have the positional advantage). When you combine that with no read on your opponent postflop, it's a very easy fold for me.

Rob