Suited in small blind

[Guthrie]

SSHE says to complete the small blind with any two suited cards, even in tight games. This always seemed wrong to me, but I've been doing it, and after checking a few thousand hands I'm losing nearly every single hand of the junk suited cards in the small blind. I can't believe this will average out over a few thousand more hands and make these plays even marginally profitable. What am I missing?

[SoftcoreRevolt]

It says to do this in tight games? I'm pretty sure the preflop guidelines only say to do this in loose games. But I haven't read those charts in awhile (and I only memorized the loose chart, since when I was playing by the charts I was on Sportingbet.)

For one thing it is important to move beyond the guidelines and begin figuring out why you should play certain hands in certain places. In a loose passive game, especially one where the later streets are multi way, I'll play any two suited. In slightly less loose games I play the Negreanu Suited Connectors and Js-Ks (with the other suited cards you'd play sooner being obvious inclusions.)

[thirddan]

you should also factor in the proportion of the small blind size to the big blind...

you should be more willling to play suited crap at 2/4 then at 3/6 because at 2/4 the sm is half a big blind and at 3/6 it is only 1/3...

with a smaller small blind you should tighten up and for the most part muck hands like T4s and 92s (which you should probably play at 2/4)...

[cursha]

3/6 is only a 1/3 ?

where did you go to school ?

16 years ago when I began my online professional poker player career, my school had taught me that three sixths were the same as two forths, which there the same as a half...

Have I been playing the odds wrong all these years ?

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
3/6 is only a 1/3 ?

where did you go to school ?

16 years ago when I began my online professional poker player career, my school had taught me that three sixths were the same as two forths, which there the same as a half...

Have I been playing the odds wrong all these years ?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is either an incredibly brilliant, incredibly humourous reply or you are extremely terrible poker.

[thirddan]

i will give you the benefit of the doubt on this one...however, i will take it slowly for you...

first, a 2/4 game...
small blind = 1
big blind = 2
small blind : big blind
1 : 2

now, a 3/6 game
small blind = 1
big blind = 3
small blind : big blind
1 : 3

henceandthusforthsly
play tighter from the small blind in a 3/6 game...

i shall now return to my art college work... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[diebitter]

[ QUOTE ]
3/6 is only a 1/3 ?

where did you go to school ?



[/ QUOTE ]

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW

Made me LOL at work - curses!

[DCIAce]

He's right, Ed Miller says any two suited from SB in tight games. I think this only applies to games with 1/2 or 2/3 blind structures, though.. seems awfully loose to pay more than half an SB with 72s out of position.

Personally, I'm up 0.06BB/hand* with suited cards that aren't connectors, aces, or 2xbroadways out of the SB, with a VPIP of 47%.

*Note: this is after the SB is subtracted, it's still in the red, but 6bb/100 better than just folding every time.

[Guthrie]

I think the blind structure is the culprit. My loss rate (for all suited in the SB) is 50% higher in .25/.50 (.10/.25) than .50/1 (.25/.50). Admittedly this is over a very small sample size, and some of the loss is no doubt due to bad post-flop play, but I do think I will back off the junk suited in .25/.50 and pay very close attention in .50/1.

[EStreet20]

In the blinds your focus statistically has to be "losing less" as I don't know anyone who is out of the red in the SB. In full ring I'll play any two suited in a limped pot in games with a 1/2 big blind structure but I'm more selective in 3/6 and 5/10 where the SB is less than half the big blind unless it's a 5 or 6 handed limped pot (rare online). However speculating in a multiway pot is better than simply giving up half a small bet.

Also, if you play Shorthanded, you may want to search for the post (I forget the title and poster so I can't do it myself) where the players discuss ALWAYS completeing from the small blind with any two cards in 10/20 6 max (no lie, even 72o) They make a great argument about the fact that in a shorthanded game it's always better to take a shot from the Small blind than to give up half a small bet by default. Of course I'm pretty sure they're all extremely solid postflop players.


Good luck,
Matt