Blind Defence

When I play ring-game and even too some extent short-handed Hold'em, I have pretty high defending standards in big blind. This strategy works if opponents assume you will adapt should they push on more on my blind. What if this is not the issue, and opponents start raising even more against your big blind, seeing that you (correctly?) fold for a single raise pretty often.


What is the correct strategy is specific players get over-aggressive on your blind. Calling raises with K7o won't help as long as you will always fold the flop unless you flop a pair (heads-up). Is three-betting more liberally and frequently getting to a showdown with A high the answer?


What is the correct strategy if the table in general start raising your big blind more often? I think you must show strength in heads-up confrontations and work hard on an image as a very tough player to face whenever you decide to play a hand.


Short-handed, I don't mind as much whether my blind gets raised a fair or large percentage of the time. Strong players should be able to cope, by strong defending and solid attack outside the blinds themselves. In ring-games, I'd like to see some flops unraised. What percentage should one be 'pleased' with here. What, if anything, does the experts thinks change the frequency of when your blind gets raised. Are the average-to-good player perhaps more inclined to raise a strong blind, particularly if this player leans slightly too much on tight side? Or do indeed the table take notice and change strategy accordingly if they see a strong player in big blind thinking "I am not going to war with that player already commited to the pot with 1 sb."?


lars

I generally have pretty high standards for defending my blinds. I am often very tight out of the SB. Here are some percentages on my defense.


Fold BB vs. steal raise – 53%

I used to defend with any two suited cards, but I’ve tightened up to Jxs. All suited connectors, almost all one-gaps, and some two gaps. Any two face cards, I’ll usually defend one raise. I will usually defend with almost all pairs. I often re-raise with a pretty solid hand vs. a steal attempt. If you pound a habitual stealer a couple times, they will usually stop. If it is re-raised to me, I’ll fold all but the most premium hands.


Fold BB vs. non-steal raise – 67%

I usually just fold against a legitimate raise. If there are some cold-callers, I might see the flop with any pair and usually most all suited cards and big non-suited cards. Most all have to be abandoned after the flop, so I like to just wait for a better hand.


Fold SB vs. steal-raise – 79%

I just don’t like to defend the SB very much. I need a big hand that plays well short handed or vs. a weak player.


Fold SB vs. non-steal raise – 90%

See non-steal raise comments, except add that it must be suited or a group 1-2 hand. I won’t defend with KTo and other weak trash hands.


If steal raises are pounding you and you have generally tight defense standards, defend by raises and re-raises. I like to let them know that if they are going to come after me, I plan to make it expensive. If you get lucky and win a few in a row, they will stop. I prefer to defend by raising than calling if I start to be treated like a target.


Comments welcome – too tight, too loose, what else should I consider when defending?

I see fewer flops from the blinds than any player in California. Way fewer than Joe Momma, also a self-proclaimed tight blinds player. And unlike Joe Momma, I cannot distinguish between "steal raises" and regular raises, so I fold to all of them.


I'm often out and about when games get short. I keep folding, even in short-handed games, and sometimes I think that over the long haul I'm even in full games and everything I've made has been at shorthanded, and if I had to point to one reason, it'd be because I fold the blinds.


I LOVE the concept of "defending the blinds" because it's the downfall of nearly every potentially winning player, especially at shorthanded. What happens is, players who are used to playing properly snuggly in ring games, from the blinds and otherwise, get into the habit of defending the blinds in shorthanded games, simply because it IS shorthanded, and of course you have to play more hands, right? (Wrong.)


And one thing leads to another and some sort of mob frenzy kicks in and once one of these guys comes unglued, he stays unglued, not tilted, as such, but simply lose, and he's just a gambling away, hand after hand, having a grand old time, all because he started defending the blinds with hands he'd usually muck, because it's shorthanded, and then tomorrow he'll wake up and call himself a tight player. Okay! Whatever you say!


Tommy

I actually judged my tightness based on what I see other players defend with.


Tommy, what type of hands that I mention would you drop

"what type of hands that I mention would you drop"


Suited hands with a low card except for A-x, plus all non high-card connected hands and one gappers.