Completing in the Small Blind

[DeeJ]

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, so a link would be helpful if it has.

I was reading a comment - where I read it is probably crucial but I can't recall at the moment - and it said one of the most common leaks was failing to raise/fold in the small blind, but instead completing too often (in an unraised pot).

I often complete in the small blind as I get tremendous odds (especially at 15/30 when SB is 10), but the downside is you lose EV as BB has a free run whereas a raise will take BB out (some proportion of the time). Is this something people care about? Maybe it matters most if there's one or two limpers? Is this just a simple matter of preflop maths?

[DMBFan23]

surely they meant heads up?

[TStoneMBD]

there are serious implications that need consideration before you decide to take the raise or fold SB rule when everyone folds to you there. many people feel that you should never open complete in the SB but they are dead wrong.

if the BB folds preflop too often then clearly raising has merits. if he plays fit or fold postflop too much and your folding equity is substantial than raising is profitable. however, if he calls alot of flops and you incorrectly checkfold alot of turns, then always raising is wrong. likewise, if the BB plays perfect poker than you need to be opencompleting more often as inflating the pot out of position against a perfect player will only be doing him a favor.

[stigmata]

There is a lot of psychological meta-game considerations in blind V. blind play that takes things beyond the mathematical.

One example would be the "Macho LAG" who takes it personal when you keep raising his blind. In these instances, I find it can sometimes be easier to take down the blinds without a fight if I simply complete, and then bet out the flop.