Assumptions in recommending how often to defend blinds

[Wynton]

I don't have my stats in front of me, but people have criticized me for not defending my blinds more short-handed. They cite Sklansky and say I should be defending x amount. I also forget right now what Sklansky says is the proper percentage.

But whatever the numbers are (and whatever pt people say is the right amount), isn't the recommended percentage based on some assumptions about how often opponents are likely to attempt to steal blinds? Presumably, one should not defend blinds as frequently if he is against opponents that attempt steal blinds rarely. And if that is the case, then what are those assumptions we commonly make?

To take one example: I happen to play mostly 2/4 six-max at stars at the moment. Can you tell me how often I should be defending steal attempts from the bb? Moreover, can you tell me whether that answer is assuming that my opponents will be attempting steals a particular percentage of the time, and what that number is as well?

[Wynton]

Did this question get no responses because it was too stupid or basic? If so, please let me know what basic thing I'm missing.

Or maybe it's just boring.

[Trix]

As far as I remember HFAP is actually very tight with blind defences. Only defending top 28% against a Button openraise.
Most people here defend more than that and the I think the best of the 10/20 and above players defends alot more. Atleast thats the impression I´ve gotten.


Yes ofcourse you should defend less against the guy who only "steals" with AA and more agaisnt the guy who does it with any two cards...that should be obvious.

Aside from ranges you need to consider how they play postflop and how they think you play.
The bigger the edge you have postflop the more should you want to play. It´s alot more important than a few percents either way in the hand ranges.

When people say defend this or that, they assume a typical steal range. So not the most aggro player and not the most passive. Typical for me means a little more passive than the ones posted on charts.

Like 20-25 attempt to steal if you use pokertracker.

[Wynton]

Thank you, that's helpful.

So you think that the "average" short-table player can be expected to blind steal 20-25%. How would this number change, if at all, as one progresses up in stakes?

I'm particularly interested in pokerstars, where I play mostly. Right now, I play 2/4 six-max, but am on the verge of moving to 3/6, and hopefully 5/10 not too far away.

I assume that people steal blinds considerably more at 3/6 and 5/10 at ps, than at 2/4. Can you speculate how often an "average" player at ps would be expected to try and steal blinds at each of those levels?

[Trix]

I havent played on stars, but usually the play gets more aggro the higher you go.

[ QUOTE ]
So you think that the "average" short-table player can be expected to blind steal 20-25%. How would this number change, if at all, as one progresses up in stakes?

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont know and dont think it matters much. If you figure out what you wanna play against a decent player who steals 25%, then you can adjust up and down depending how your opponent plays. Just gotta have some base to do it from.

If you want the actual number for the avg player, you can probably figure it out with PT. Your time is probably better spend trying to have a read on the guy raising your blind though, than figuere ring the exact avg steal frequency.

[djoyce003]

Here is how I do it, and I have one of the better bb/h losses from the bb from one of the posts yesterday. That being said i defend way more than most, only folding 34% of my hands to a steal.

Mine is read dependent. If the guy on the button or cutoff always raises when folded to and there are definitely some of these guys out there, i'm defending with any two cards until he knocks that off. I'm threebetting with any too reasonable cards, and by reasonable I mean j 8 suited, 10 9 suited, 78 suited. After I threebet I play super agressively. I just call with any two cards unless they are truly awful, and by truly awful i mean 23 off, 72 off, 83 off, if i've got an a,q,k i'm at least calling, and likely threebetting. You threebet him enough times, and he stops. If he gets aggressive you can let it go occasionally, but if you get any piece of the flop, drive it like you stole it. If I have any two, and there are a couple of limpers, a button raise, and a sb call, i go ahead throw in the extra bet as i'm likely being charged 5 to win 45 and basically 7 2 offsuit is good enough to call with those odds.

If i'm in the BB and the SB likes to raise every time he's folded to, see above. You threebet him a time or two, and he knocks that off and either just calls or folds, which is what i'm really wanting.

[Wynton]

Obviously, I agree that reading the player is more important than mere stats. The only reason I started this thread is because someone told me that, based solely on my stats, I was not defending from the blinds enough. So I was simply trying to get a sense of what stats should be generated, while understanding what assumptions were underlying those guidelines.

My hunch is that the approrpiate percentage of time one should be defending blinds really does change from site to site, and level to level, since there are genuine differences in the aggression at each place.