Blind v Blind near the Bubble

[Copernicus]

$200 buy-in MTT. Top 36 paid, 40 left. BB just moved to the table so no reads. Your in the SB with an average stack of about 11k. BB has 15k. Blinds 400/800

What range of hands do you complete?
What range of hands do you make a standard (or larger) raise?
What range of hands do you push?

[Copernicus]

bump.

More specifically, since no one liked this question, what do you do with JTo, and why?

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bump.

More specifically, since no one liked this question, what do you do with JTo, and why?

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call. not looking to get frisky. Hes new to the table too, so he may not come out firing either. If you raise, (assuming not all in) he could come over the top and that would be setting a bad precedent for the next couple orbits.

I've been thinking about blind battles in low M situations recently, and I think it comes down to textbook TPFAP: don't raise if you're going to hate a re-raise. So I raise my worst hands here if I think I can steal, and I raise any hand I'm willing to call a push with (this includes any pair and A9+). Hands where I think I'm ahead (weak A's, weak K's) and hands that play well post-flop (JT, suited cards, etc.) I limp, and, depending on the strength of the hand, may call a small raise. This also gives you the option of putting in the last bet by limp-re-raising all-in if you think BB is stealing.

After the flop, I play very aggressively, because it is so hard for BB to have a strong hand. My goal is to be the one putting in the last bet (all-in), unless I am trapping with a big hand. So I will check-raise all-in if I pick up a draw, or sometimes just with two overs if I think BB is weak. If he checks behind, then I'm happy to see a free card. But unless I hit, I don't bet the turn, because I don't want to get blown off my draw by a push. Usually the pot is small enough that I can afford to check-call; it's a little riskier to check-raise all-in on a draw with only one card to come, and less credible, since you passed up two opportunities to bet already.

If I raised pre-flop, I'll push most times I make a pair or a draw, and sometimes just with overs.

With a structure where you have to go deep into the money to make decent cash, I play more aggressively.

But I'm not generally very aggressive from the SB, as position is way too important and the BB is far more likely to play back at you.

I've previously never open-completed from the SB (habit left over from playing limit 6max).

I've always generally raised 3x BB with any pair, any suited Ace, any two face cards. Unless I've been stealing a lot lately, in which case I tighten up tremendously.

Throw another bet the same size at any Flop, then reassess from there.

But I can see virtue in completing with any playable hand and never raising also. Makes it impossible to put you on a hand, and gets to see a few more flops cheaply. I've never done this, but may try it out.

[Copernicus]

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I've been thinking about blind battles in low M situations recently, and I think it comes down to textbook TPFAP: don't raise if you're going to hate a re-raise. So I raise my worst hands here if I think I can steal, and I raise any hand I'm willing to call a push with (this includes any pair and A9+). Hands where I think I'm ahead (weak A's, weak K's) and hands that play well post-flop (JT, suited cards, etc.) I limp, and, depending on the strength of the hand, may call a small raise. This also gives you the option of putting in the last bet by limp-re-raising all-in if you think BB is stealing.



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I agree with this, though it isnt really the classic TPFAP situation that you cite. Since you aren't closing out the action on the hand, you are still subject to the raise that you hate. In fact it could be argued that just completing here invites the raise that you hate since it shows weakness.

I'd be interested in other opinions..I got blasted in another forum for advocating a limp here, and given that we have no information at all on the BB, I can see other approaches, but dont think limping deserves the bashing it got.

[La Brujita]

Damn my standard play here is limp as well. It can't be a terrible play can it?

I tend to limp alot out of the small blind and just let myself play poker with so so hands without creating big pots out of position.

I think raising is fine as well but I can't think limping is horrible.

[kuro]

Blind vs. Blind is completely about what range villain will call/push into you with and how your hand fairs against that range. So playing against an unknown is difficult.

Villain has a random hand so I typically raise 3xbb with pretty much any hand the first time it's folded to me in the big blind and then I see how villain reacts. If villain pushes into me then I give him credit for a range of like 77+,AT-AK and make a decision based on how my hand fairs against that range. If he smooth calls then I play poker with him based on the flop and his aggression.

If my stack is a little smaller than yours say 8xbb then I'm just open pushing when it's folded to me in the sb with all but the worst hands. If I have a stack of say 10-15xbb and I have AK-AJ/66-TT then I probably just open push when folded to in the small blind because those hands are tough to play out of position post flop and I'm going to call a push anyway because the odds the pot is going to be laying me.

As you get a better idea of what range villain is going to defend his blinds with based on his play then you adjust the range that you are opening with and as you get a better feel for what range villain resteals with you adjust the range that you open push into him given your stack sizes.

Open completing from the sb with these stack sizes is generally pretty bad because you can end up stacking yourself so easily when you could have just picked up the blinds preflop with a raise to start with.