How to handle blind vs. blind
Hi, I'm fairly new to the game and a situation pops up all the time in NLHE and I'm never sure what is the correct play.
The situation is when the entire table folds to me and I am in the small blind. How often should I be folding here? Playing out of position in this scenario is obviously not good, but giving up my small blind for free without some fight somehow seems innately wrong to me as well.
Should I be changing my range of playable hands in this situation? Or raising more hoping to steal his big blind? What are people's typical strategies in handling the blind battle and how should stack size dictate how I handle the big blind?? Thanks!!
The situation is when the entire table folds to me and I am in the small blind. How often should I be folding here? Playing out of position in this scenario is obviously not good, but giving up my small blind for free without some fight somehow seems innately wrong to me as well.
Should I be changing my range of playable hands in this situation? Or raising more hoping to steal his big blind? What are people's typical strategies in handling the blind battle and how should stack size dictate how I handle the big blind?? Thanks!!
Comments
Generally speaking though I like to raise a lot more hands so I can end the hand early since I am out of position (unless the player is weak and doesn't know how to fully utilize position). Once in a while I will also just limp with some marginal hands and fold trash hands just so it doesn't look like I am raising every single hand (this is maybe once or twice a session; it really doesn't take much).
And don't be surprised when you run into a monster.
Try giving a specific scenario...youll get better responses then asking for vague advice on a very broad topic.
Heres some rules of thumb though...
1. Assuming you already have decent hand selection, play anything out of the SB you would normally play...plus hands that are just barely out of your normal hand selection. For example, if you normally play all Aces with a ten kicker or better...add A9 and A8.
2. Try to never open limp in the SB...it just smells of weakness. Almost always open raise.
3. Pay attention to who you are dealing with on your left. Be more willing to raise a tight player and less willing to raise a loose player with the lower part of your range.
4. Be more willing to raise a player who you feel you are better then and less willing to raise someone who you feel is better then you or who is very good with the lower part of your range.
5. Be more willing to raise a player who rarely 3bets out of the BB and vice versa.
Against better players I play fewer hands. Against weaker players I play more hands.
I'd run through this checklist:
Is he a good player?
Does he user position against you?
Is he aggressive.
Have I established in his mind the idea that I can check good hands?