How different is a small blind call from a Button call?

Doc7 · #1 08-10-2005, 02:11 AM

This may be discussed in SSHE, I'm still reading the preflop section, but...It seems like the Big Blind is always 2.5 times the small blind. Like .02 to .05, or .10 to .25. This seems like a pretty hefty amount, so does that mean that the amount of money already in the pot is almost insignificant compared to completing the full blind? Should we be that much looser from the SB as from the button (or even tighter because of horrible post-flop position)?

bottomset · #2 08-10-2005, 02:26 AM

um there are 4 main structures

1chip/2chip games .5/1, 1/2, 20/40 this is the most common one
1chip/3chip game 3/6 worst one by far
2chips/5chips games .25/.50, .05/.1, 5/10
2chips/3chips games 15/30 and I believe 30/60

each has its own slight adjustments, but the less money you have to put in to limp, the broader range of limping, and calling of raises

2/3 > 1/2 > 2/5 > 1/3 in relative looseness towards playing hands

invictus33 · #3 08-10-2005, 05:10 AM

You can play fairly loose from the SB because of the odds you're getting. I wouldn't be playing the really questionable stuff mainly because of the bad position afterwards. But think about it like this: if it's limped around with say 3 people to you then it's 3/0.5 (6 to 1 odds) to call. This makes a lot larger range of cards that you can profitably call.

Eeegah · #4 08-10-2005, 05:27 AM

As bottomset alluded to, it depends on the ratio of small blind to big blind. What I generally would think of playing is:

1/3 (eg small blind $1, big blind $3): Only what you'd play on the button.
1/2 (eg small blind $1, big blind $2): Anything you'd play on the button, and any two suited. Maybe even offsuit connectors depending on your mood.
2/3 (eg small blind $2, big blind $3): Any two.

Let's taking the last case as an example, and suppose there's 3 limpers before us. We're being asked to put in 1/3SB extra to see the flop and potentially win 5 bets: that's 15 to 1 odds. In other words, we only need to have a 6.67% chance of winning to make this call worthwhile. Suppose we're dealt 72o. There's a 2% chance of flopping two pair using both our cards, 1.35% chance of flopping trips, 1.8% chance of making a flush by the river, and some percentage of making a weak one-card straight that I can't find right now. Add them up and factor in the small chance that even flopping a pair of 7s could be best and we make that 6.67% equity easily. Since 72o's about as bad a hand as you can get, it follows that anything is worth playing for just a third of a bet. Of course this assumes you know enough to get the hell out of the pot if we don't hit [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

ThaHero · #5 08-10-2005, 05:28 AM

You are correct. It is discussed breifly in the Preflop section. After you get past the chart, you'll come to the section Notes on Recommendations. I've read that section countless times lol. In general it says you should play looser in blind structures that are 1/2 the bb. In games that are like 2/5 the bb you should play tighter.