A common defense situation: Holding bullyish ghost cards

[Buckmulligan]

Let's say we have an extremely marginal hand in the BB; something like T9. We'll say that either the button open raises or the SB open raises, either way we'll assume calling his raise puts us heads up. We'll also assume that villain is aggressive enough to understand the concept of blind stealing.

Flop comes: AJ4, KQ7, or AQ8.
We check raise.

I think this is extremely useful. Essentially, in a defense situation we have added bluffing equity because we benefit from scary boards when villain misses (and he's betting that flop whether he hits or not. In otherwords, we can pay an extra BB on the flop to purchase the pot on scary boards whenever the stealer misses.

[bozlax]

Another re-steal line is to call preflop, check-call the flop and check-raise the turn. This is very effective against weak-tighties, but it can backfire when the thief actually has a hand because you're pretty much obligated to put one more in on the river if your c/r is called on the turn.

[Vex]

[ QUOTE ]
Let's say we have an extremely marginal hand in the BB; something like T9. We'll say that either the button open raises or the SB open raises, either way we'll assume calling his raise puts us heads up. We'll also assume that villain is aggressive enough to understand the concept of blind stealing.

Flop comes: AJ4, KQ7, or AQ8.
We check raise.

I think this is extremely useful. Essentially, in a defense situation we have added bluffing equity because we benefit from scary boards when villain misses (and he's betting that flop whether he hits or not. In otherwords, we can pay an extra BB on the flop to purchase the pot on scary boards whenever the stealer misses.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like Fancy Play Syndrome to me. Here are some counterpoints:

1> You can't checkraise the SB if you're the BB.

2> SB tends to "steal" with better quality cards than the button, because of postflop position.

3> I think that using this technique, you'd be three-bet or shown down a legit hand often enough by the button that all this play would do is make you look a little maniacal.

4> To pull off a bluff, you have to be convincing. That means that you have to be legit often enough to put doubt in the minds of the bluffee. Plus, the bluff has to look like a move you would normally make. In normal blind steal/blind defense situations, what hand would the BB have that it would make sense calling preflop, then checkraising a two high-card flop with?

Overall, I think you're just drawing attention to yourself here without accomplishing much.

[VoraciousReader]

I haven't done this at full ring, but I have used it quite successfully at 6max recently. I like it alot.

If I think the player to my right is on a steal (and I'm defending), I like a mix of:

1) Smooth call the raise and check-raise (or just raise) any promising flop.
2) 3-bet preflop and (if not capped) bet the flop.

I also have started (got this idea from another thread, I'd give credit, but I don't remember who...) occasionally just completing first in from the small blind instead of raising, and then betting any flop, especially if I have a player behind me that seems to be aware. I find that very effective as well.

One thing I've noticed about playing 6max is that it has broken me of the habit of just meekly giving up my blinds all the time and instilled a bit more of a fighting spirit.

[Buckmulligan]

To point one: you're right I meant raise
To point two: that's horseshit
To point three: It's an easy muck to a three bet and few hands without a piece of the board from a legit player is calling the raise.
To point 4: the board protects the pot and thus makes the bluff pretty convincing, IMO.

these points address vex.