How do you get through...

[jackdaniels]

I too feel that one of my leaks is blind defense. I rarely re-raise from the blinds without somewhat of a hand (at least Ax or 2 broadway). My re-raise is normaly the size of the pot. Is there a better way to defend your blinds? Assuming no reads on aggressor (except for position likely being the reason for raise) - do you defend with any 2 cards? How much should you raise? What do you do with a call - do you auto-bet any flop or check out of position? Any ideas would surely help.

[fnord_too]

I don't resteal too often, but I steal a fair amount. I would not advocate playing back at someone just because he raised from a steal position, but if you know the raiser to be a bully, you really can try to resteal with any two occasionally. One major consideration is stack size. Don't raise less than all in if raising pot commits you, and don't resteal with a push if doubling you up will not hurt the stealer significantly.

I probably don't resteal enough, but against aggressive opponents you need to some or you will just be eaten alive. There is an article about stealing in general in the Febuary magazine that is pretty good. Also, eMark has a good, oft referenced post on the subject, but I am too lazy to find it and link it.

[Sam T.]

My new favorite move (courtesy of EMarkM) to counter stealing is to flat call the stealer's raise and fire out at any flop. As he says, it can feel just a tad uncomfortable when you've got 83o and the board is QJ7, but if the stealer misses the flop (which is usually the case), it can be pretty tough for him to call your bet.

[jackdaniels]

Thanks.

I've read the eMarkM posts and they are classics - but I don't remember discussion on "re-stealing" from the blinds (although it has been a while since I read it). It was primarily because of his posts that I became happier to give up my blinds (well, happier is prolly the wrong term - lets just call it content), as I knew my turn to steal would come up soon enough. I do face some "play back" from the blinds, especially once we get to 3 handed (SNG's - $20 which is what I play mostly) - and it seems like people are just happy to be in the money and are willing to gamble in order to double up and make a run at 1st... Since I don't have that much experience in blind defense, it hurts my position raises as well - as I may lay down A7 off thinking that I am either a small favourite or huge dog. Again, is this simply the cost of blind stealing (where you have to lay down to a re-raise from the blinds) or does blind defence "more often than not" happen with any 2 cards and can be called down with Ax? (assume no one is pot commited yet, but will be with any post flop bet).

[jackdaniels]

Now that you mention it, I do remember this play! OK, I guess I will have to re-read those posts and this time commit to memory. That would defiently give me an edge in blind defense. Does sound a lot like a Stop N'Go - especially late in a tourney where any flop bet can be pot commiting. You really have to hope PFR didn't catch anything on that flop!

[fnord_too]

[ QUOTE ]
My new favorite move (courtesy of EMarkM) to counter stealing is to flat call the stealer's raise and fire out at any flop. As he says, it can feel just a tad uncomfortable when you've got 83o and the board is QJ7, but if the stealer misses the flop (which is usually the case), it can be pretty tough for him to call your bet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to like that until Sossman pointed out how weak that looks to a strong player (if you had a big hand why didn't you check raise?) Still good against a lot of players, but not against those damn tricky aggressive types.

[Potowame]

[ QUOTE ]


you won't have enough chips to make doubling up matter when you finally get involved in a hand. (And you have no chance of surviving a bad beat).




[/ QUOTE ]

oh how true this is. I am tired of getting busted out of trnys with 6bb pushing KK, and Loose big stack calling me with Ax.

[Absolution]

I have the same troubles in low-stakes multis. I just don't see how they are profitable, but I'm still working on it. During the first few levels you have the maniacs and LAGs. I actually don't play extremely tight here because I want to be in with these guys and their weak hands. It's so dead easy to get their entire stack when you hit something. The blinds are small here so you can just wait around for a strong hand to play. Getting a good stack early doesn't help that much, but it usually isn't too difficult except for the occasional bad beat (you will have a lot of all-in). I think most of us play reasonable well here.

After the first break most of the real LAGs are gone, but the rest are bullying with ridiculous stacks. The rest of the players have generally gone on to this weird loose-passive mode. They want to see every flop and then they call down with pretty much anything even glancing the board (doesn't even matter if you raised preflop). It sounds like it should be good for you. But, between the calling stations and the "you can't bully me with your reraise" types, you are left with making a hand - i.e. you're at the mercy of the cards. I think that's why most of us tighten up. Every time we try and wander out there with some plays we get called down with J6o making top pair. The result is a soon-to-be short stack due to 10 minute rounds and failed steals/semi-bluffs.

Personally, I don't tighten up that much. I think my preflop play is fine, but that's the easy part. It's post flop that I'm working on. I'm going back to the math because it's one of the few weapons that always works at these levels. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Understandably the variance is incredibly high with 2000+ LAG/LP in a tournament, but I know there are plenty of places to work on my game.

[Absolution]

Ah, so you're the guy who's calling my reraise and hitting two pair on the river. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[johnsmith]

alright 2nd time posting here, last time got flamed in the SSHE section for what was apparently a stupid question that i thought was completely legitimate.

Anyway, I have similar problems that I was going to just post a new topic on but this seems to fit close. I play pretty solid poker, very tight but still aggressive. I do fairly well in any tournament under one condition that I obtain a comftorable amount of chips in the early and middle stages of the tournament.

When I have done best in tournaments is when I have played extremely tight but in doing this I don't always obtain a comftorable stack and end up getting blinded out or throwing in on desperation because I am short stacked. I haven't read HOH yet(it's on the way) but have read other tourney books. His seems to get the most acclaim.

Any advice on building a stack CONSISTENTLY in tournaments. I know it can be done because I see people do it every single tourney they play in. I only do well when I catch some nice hands early and get a fair amount of chips and I have been thinking about this alot in the past week.

Should I be betting more with marginal hands? In TPFAP he advises it but alot of those samples are for limit. Same types of hands raising in NL?

Is stealing early really that important with the blinds that low? Seems like you just get yourself into a trap doing that. Later stages I steal quite often but that still doesn't help me CONSISTENTLY buld a stack in the early and middle stages.

Posted this here because it seems to fit with this post nicely.