Blind Defense: Do You Even Bother?

[Unarmed]

Assume a typical 4 handed game and equal stacks, SB is stealing (2x or 3x BB) from you every orbit when UTG and Button have folded. Do you just let the blinds go or hit him back on occasion? If so is the standard play a push or 3x BB reraise? I would think the latter as if SB is truly on a steal most times he's dropping to a decent enough raise.

If I think of it from his perspective, if its folded to ME in the SB I'm generally raising any 2 and folding to a decent size reraise unless stack sizes demand a call. I really don't even like calling a min re-reraise when I'm caught on a steal...

So I'm curious how good players (read, not me) approach the situation. Here's a couple good posts: (more please [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img])

From an eMarkM post:

Blind defense - Another place to get aggressive in the late going is blind defense. You're seeing it suggested here that you steal with a lot of nothing. Well, others are doing it to you when you're in the blinds, so you have to make them back off. If you're just passively giving up your blinds, or calling and folding on the flop often, then you're just asking for misery. Sometimes you have to play back at the stealer by moving in on them. Sometimes you should do it with some marginal hands, too. Going all-in with 76s is not something you want to do very often, but you have to send a message that you're not to be F-ed with. If you do make a "backoff" stand with a moderate hand like this, try to do it with a hand where if you're called, at least your hand is live. So I'd probably rather have 76s than K7o.

Another blind defense tactic is the stop-n-go. Call the steal raisers bet and fire out a good sized bet on any flop. Again, doesn't matter what your cards are, you're just hoping the stealer missed and put him on the defensive.

From a durron post:

It takes a very specific kind of player for me to do it. This is the sort of player who open-raises a lot, but very rarely re-raises. Also it helps if I've seen them open raise, get called, and eventually show down crap. Also if the person seems to open raise his button/SB at every opportunity, or also if the person tends to fold a lot post flop.

Also there are situational reasons. Say we are on party and the stacks are 4000/1500/2000/500 BB (you)/SB/Button/CO. Button has been open-raising a lot when it was more handed and the blinds are 100/200. If you want to make it even a more clear push assume the blinds are going to go up next hand. CO folds and button raises to 500. I will probably push in with anything remotely decent here, because the Button almost certainly doesn't want to bust before the CO blinds off.

From an IrieGuy post:

When you are either the big stack, or the second biggest stack, and there is somebody pretty close to going bust on the bubble, there will be a lot of resteal opportunities. Specifically, this situation arises when the smallest stack folds from UTG or button and you and the other big stack are still yet to act. The first person in the pot at this point is correct to raise with just about any 2 cards because it is so hard for the other player to call. Also, if the first person to act here has a monster, he will be very reluctant to raise a standard amount for fear of getting no action. So, if your opponent is at all reasonable, he will fold to an all-in reraise here with anything but a huge hand.

It takes guts because you are usually running the bluff naked... but your success rate is so high that it's not very scary. Another example is playing from the big blind. An expert SNG player will never let the SB limp on the bubble. A SB limp is almost never a trap during bubble play, so you should simply never let somebody get away with it.

[alittle]

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Another example is playing from the big blind. An expert SNG player will never let the SB limp on the bubble. A SB limp is almost never a trap during bubble play, so you should simply never let somebody get away with it.

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Funny how seeing something in print really makes the light go on. I guess this is something I kinda knew, but not with this clarity.

[willie24]

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If so is the standard play a push or 3x BB reraise?

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push or fold. if you're going to push it helps to do it fast without thinking. this really does produce an added scare effect. holding it to a small reraise doesn't really gain you anything, and is often asking for trouble.

(of course i am assuming blinds are fairly big at this point.)

[Gar Pike]

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Another blind defense tactic is the stop-n-go. Call the steal raisers bet and fire out a good sized bet on any flop. Again, doesn't matter what your cards are, you're just hoping the stealer missed and put him on the defensive.


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One thing you want to watch out for here is, if you're not in a position to bet first, the PF raiser might recognize a stop 'n go and push on the flop, and then what?

Know your opponent, before you use this against the SB from the BB.

Regards,

Gar