Completeing the small blind, a big leak?

[cuncho]

I usually play micro-limits and small buy tounaments. I almost always complete the small blind unless it has been raised and I have garbage. My thinking has been that since I already have money in the pot why not risking a little more to see the flop. Now I have not tracked my play to see just how big a leak this is but I am sure that some of you have the stats on this. It seems that I see big hands on occasion from the blinds with hands that hardly anyone would stay with. Am I just fooling myself thinking this is proper play?

[uw_madtown]

Yes.

Completing is okay with any two suited, any two broadway (A-T). I'll sometimes complete with offsuit connectors 87-T9 if there have been enough limpers to give me good odds.

Hands you complete with should tighten up more and more as you move up in limits.

[PokerGoblin]

It is an interesting subject. I have given it much thought, and although limping in for a discount is logical from a standpoint of pot odds, you have to have a much stronger than average flop if you are going to have a chance to win.

An example of this occured recently, I was on the SB w/ k-4 suited and it came around to me unraised, so I limped with 6 others in the pot, getting 6.5 to 1 for the completion. The flop was king high and gave me a flush draw. I never improved and I lost to a king w/ a better kicker. The point is, unless you flop strong, be prepared to check/fold if someone bets.

Another thing to consider is your position. If you limp you will always be first to act. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you flop a monster, you can check-raise and hopefully win a big pot assuming it holds up. However if the flop is marginal you will probably have to make a decision for one or two bets by the time it gets back to you.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a leak in your game, seeing a flop w/ 6-4 suited is kinda fun once in a while, as long as you don't get carried away w/ it. Use discretion on what you do post-flop, and you should be alright.

Hope that helps.

PG

[Masquerade]

I complete with any Ace as well, provided there are a few callers.

[MEbenhoe]

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I wouldn't go so far as to call it a leak in your game, seeing a flop w/ 6-4 suited is kinda fun once in a while, as long as you don't get carried away w/ it. Use discretion on what you do post-flop, and you should be alright.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is a very bad example. In a multiway pot it is definitely correct to complete the SB with a hand like 64s. I'd even limp on the button with this hand if there are a lot of limpers in before me.

[PokerGoblin]

good point, I was just saying it's a hand I muck in almost any circumstance.

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
I usually play micro-limits and small buy tounaments. I almost always complete the small blind unless it has been raised and I have garbage. My thinking has been that since I already have money in the pot why not risking a little more to see the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]
That you have money in the pot isn't the reason you should lower your standards. Loosen up because you are getting a discount to see the flop. If someone has raised, you are not getting much of a discount, so you should not call raises much more (if at all) from the small blind than you would from the button.

Even with the discount, you don't have the odds to play complete garbage from the small blind unless it is 2/3 the size of the big blind. You are out of position, so it is harder for you to get paid off when you have the best hand. See the PokerRoom EV pages. Many hands lose 0.25 big bets or more from the small blind, including A6o, K9o, Q9o, Q3s, J8o, J5s, T8o, T5s, 96o, 94s, 86o, 83s, 76o, 73s, 65o, 62s, 54o, 43o, 43s, 32o, and almost everything with lower kickers. Oddly, T3s and 32s don't lose 0.25 BB. You only lose 0.25 BB if you simply don't complete the small blind, so overall, the PokerRoom players who had these hands in the small blind at a 10-handed table would have been better off folding.

You may be able to complete the small blind more against poor opponents. I'm inclined to complete the small blind less in tournaments and no-limit play because position is more important, and it costs more to hit 2-pair against a set. When the stacks are deep, some players pay off too much if you hit a monster, which argues for completing the small blind with more hands.