Defending Small Blind

[Ironman]

I have recently been doing some looking into my play during the small blind.

Two situations:

a) I seem to be completing the blind (limping) about 70% of the time and then throwing the junk away on the flop frequently.

This seems to be a negative return on my Pokertracker data.

Does anyone have a good feeling for how loose is too loose when defending your small blind.

b) When defending against a raise I throw the hand away unless I have what I would call a "good starting hand" in it's own right...A 2, A 3, four high cards working (the usual stuff).

I wonder if this is too tight.

Any thoughts on these two situations? (I'll save my BB questions for another time and another thread.)

Thanks,

Ironman Dave

[Alchemist]

[ QUOTE ]
I have recently been doing some looking into my play during the small blind.

Two situations:

a) I seem to be completing the blind (limping) about 70% of the time and then throwing the junk away on the flop frequently.

This seems to be a negative return on my Pokertracker data.

Does anyone have a good feeling for how loose is too loose when defending your small blind.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I first read Cappelletti's book a few months ago, he said something like, IIRC, that in a loose game with a bunch of limpers you have the pot odds to call with about anything. I can't help but think this isn't the best way to go. I've since tightened up my requirements for completing the SB and I fold it a lot more.

The cost of calling with a marginal hand or worse in order to hit a lucky flop is too great vs. hitting a flop that sort of hit you and is difficult to play correctly. Add to the fact you in the worst possible position post flop as well.

[ QUOTE ]

b) When defending against a raise I throw the hand away unless I have what I would call a "good starting hand" in it's own right...A 2, A 3, four high cards working (the usual stuff).

I wonder if this is too tight.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it's too tight. It's sort of the same situation as above. Do you really want to be in a hand having paid 1.5 small bets with questionable holdings? I think it's worth sacrificing the SB to not have to try and get a perfect flop and just wait for a better spot to get my money in.

Just my opinion...I'll have a look at my PTO stats tonight and see what they say.

[Alchemist]

Maybe someone can make better sense of these stats than me so I'll just throw them out.

I started playing O8 around Dec or Jan with now just under 7000 hands. I focused on my stats from the small blind and split them into two categories: games played up to 3-15 and games played from 3-16 to present. The date was chosen as a rough estimate when I started to read some O8 books. I also filtered hands that had at least 7 players. The majority of the hands are at $.50/1, the rest at $1/2 (the earlier block of hands has some at $2/4 as well).


from beginning to 3-15-2005:
408 hands in the SB

VP$IP: 71.32%
W$SD: 57.14%
BB/100: -0.16
-----------------------------------
from 3-16 to present:
320 hands in the SB

VP$IP: 60.94%
W$SD: 62.30%
BB/100: -0.17

About all I can gather is: I got more selective about my starting hands in the SB. As a result, I won $ at showdown more often but my net loss per hand was about the same. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[gergery]

I think VPIP from SB should be in the 35-55% range, depending on style