[Alobar]

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This isn't strictly short handed, but comes up much more often short handed, so I'm posting here.

I've noticed a good number of players, even tight players, visciously defend their blinds to the point of insta-calling (or raising) after the flop. This is great with a good hand, but makes hands like Q9o difficult to navigate on the later streets when you miss.

However, these same folks will fold the flop fairly readily if you just complete in the SB then auto-bet the flop. They seem to give you credit for hitting something.

My targets for this are low PFR types, things like 40/5/1.0, 35/4/1.6, etc.

Thoughts? Do others use this delayed steal pattern?

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I suspect this has a lot to do with sample size and the tendancy to notice patterns. The same people who always defend their blind and then raise the flop, are either so aggresive they will still do that even if you just complete, and then bet. Or they are raising the flop in the steal situation beacuse they think they have something, in which case, these people still dont know where the fold button is and just call your complete/donk.

I think the majority of the time, if they fold to your donk, its with a hand that missed the flop, and either would have folded to your steal, or folded the flop when you led out after the steal.