Defending my BB

Quinner

I hear and read all the time that one should be a very liberal blind defender, never let someone steal your blinds easily yadda yadda.

Now while I try to do this as much as possible, I find myself calling sometimes with some pretty marginal hands. This seems rather -EV no doubt, calling with weak hands OOP. I guess my question is, what are some general guidelines to follow in tournament poker when it comes to defending my BB from pesky button raiser's? Should I be folding more often? Or taking the risk with the bad hands?

Should my range of hands differ with the size of my stack in these situations?? What about if its late vs. early in a tournament, am I giving up more in this spot or defending more?

How aggressive should I be? I typically hate it when I'm trying to steal blinds and someone either shoves or comes over the top of me, so should I bet re-raising alot more here with decent hands?? Thanks for any advice.

blackmagicz

I think the whole "defending your blind" thing is taken out of context in most instances. It is important to figure out your "M" in a tourney before you start adjusting your play to defend your blinds.

You really have to be paying attention to your table and the player doing the "stealing." Most times early on players are not smart enough to fold if you try to re-raise a "stealer" so you end up putting chips in the pot like you said in a -ev situation.

In most instances I may play back with Ax if our stack sizes are similar and I will try to put the villian to the test, especially if I haven't been that active as of late.

Other times I will just let people take my blinds and pick them up in the next orbit from the cut-off or hijack position depending on the table texture. Most people now realize many button raises are steals so they will automatically 3-bet you from the blinds especially late. I have moved my steals to the cut-off and hijack position so they look more credible.

For the most part you give up chips early as long as you can extract maximum value from your bigger hands. If you are able to decipher what each bet means by players you will be more profitable stealing pots in position on the flop and the turn, rather than playing against a button or late position raise OOP. That sort of play will then balance the steals from your blinds. Then when you pick up a hand in the blind you will be able to grab the stealer.

Hope that helps a bit.

PokerKai

Quinner;180545 wroteI hear and read all the time that one should be a very liberal blind defender, never let someone steal your blinds easily yadda yadda.

I dont know about being very liberal with blind defense. My philosophy with blind defense is very similar to hand selection in general. Be selective, play good hands, and play them very tough when you do. I dont fear the guys that defend everything, they are easy to deal with because their quality of hand is always going to be behind mine...thats a very empowering thought knowing your starting the hand already ahead. The guys that bother me are the ones that when they decide to get involved defending, I know they are more then willing to felt what they have given the right oppurtunities...and sometimes...even when I dont give them the right oppurtunities.

Quinner;180545 wrote Should my range of hands differ with the size of my stack in these situations?? What about if its late vs. early in a tournament, am I giving up more in this spot or defending more?

Well ya...of course. Obviously you should be defending more against habitual stealers and defending less against nits. Obviously stack sizes matter...you dont want to play against a very good player OOP DEEP.

Quinner;180545 wrote How aggressive should I be? I typically hate it when I'm trying to steal blinds and someone either shoves or comes over the top of me, so should I bet re-raising alot more here with decent hands??

Thats good that you notice what makes you uncomfortable...and the fact that you realize agressive defenders trouble you should be an obvious signal that that is the way to go.

Xytras

Quinner;180545 wroteI hear and read all the time that one should be a very liberal blind defender, never let someone steal your blinds easily yadda yadda.

Now while I try to do this as much as possible, I find myself calling sometimes with some pretty marginal hands. This seems rather -EV no doubt, calling with weak hands OOP. I guess my question is, what are some general guidelines to follow in tournament poker when it comes to defending my BB from pesky button raiser's? Should I be folding more often? Or taking the risk with the bad hands?

Should my range of hands differ with the size of my stack in these situations?? What about if its late vs. early in a tournament, am I giving up more in this spot or defending more?

How aggressive should I be? I typically hate it when I'm trying to steal blinds and someone either shoves or comes over the top of me, so should I bet re-raising alot more here with decent hands?? Thanks for any advice.

If we are talking about no limit tourneys then its not about cards, it's about sending a message to a button/cut off bully that you won't be pushed around. The worst move you can do is just to call. Put him to the test by reraising with anything playable and that includes all small pairs and unsuited connectors even with one gap down to 75 or 64.And always make continuation bet of1/2 of a pot on a flop regardless if you hit it or not. After a couple times of this play, I promis you he will stop doing this unless his hand warrants it. But keep in mind this play is a bluff by nature so dump it if meet any resistance on a flop. But thats OK, you allready sent a massage.