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pcj505 · Pair Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 43

When you are a selective player preflop in the BB, how do you counteract others in late position (usually when no one else has opened) who always raise the blind in an attempt to steal the blinds? Or do you just let them take your blinds until you have a hand that you know you can challenge them with and then go at them aggressively? That's the way I have usually been handling it, but it gets very frustrating at times when I am not getting the cards.

frequenicity · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:51 pm Post subject:

Best way to counteract this is usually with a reraise. Sometimes a call and then a bet on the flop regardless...but that is a bit more dangerous. However, you will need to let your blinds go the majority of the time, or else your play will become as predictable as theirs. If you have the feeling that they are just going for a steal, lower your minimum starting hand requirements for at least that situation.

Gypsydc · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:02 pm Post subject:

Blind stealing can get a little old...and as Freq said, there are just times when you have to let them go, but if it's happening a lot and you've folded a time or 2, often the reraise will cause the player to fold, if not, you can always lead out betting after the flop...there is a little ebb and flop that occurs in this situation, so you just have to get into that groove and play strong, but also play smart.

If you just aren't getting a thing to warrant defending with, then do some of your own stealing, or re-stealing from others. I like to do this, but often stealing from the button position can be obvious so maybe the cutoff or even one to the right of that will work well.

mathman1115 · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject:

I agree with the others. If your blinds seem like they are being stolen, let them steal if you don't have it. Then steal your own blinds against others. I really like stealing one before the button, or even one before that at a tight table. Even if you get a caller or two you still take control of the hand, and most will fold if an A flops.
Sometimes when i first sit at a table the first time someone raises my blind i reraise to send a message. Usually after that i can put my opponent on a hand if they try it after that, then play accordingly.
Really when it comes down to it, at least in NL, you wont' make your money catching someone stealing blinds, thats just not where its at.

Zophar · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:28 pm Post subject:

I think alot depends on how the table has been playing to get a read on how players respond to certain pressures, play back at them, etc. The above have made some worthwhile comments on play selection. Another that I occaisonally use is(depends whether other people are still in the hand or not) to just smooth call the raise and then checkraise the flop. Have had good success with it when aware of their betting patterns.

FatStacks06 · Royal Flush Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 736

In the early stages if someone wants to steal your blind I would just go ahead and let them, its not worth losing such a small bet. But later on in the tournament you have to be ready to defend when the blinds get higher or when there are antes involved. Smooth calling can be a way to send a message that you aren't afraid to call a raise, but a substantial reraise is in order for repeat offenders... about 4X their bet is good enough, followed by a continuation bet on the flop. It also lets the rest of the table know that you won't be pushed around and don't need AA to defend your blind (although it doesn't hurt). But to win a tournament you have to do some stealing of your own, take note of who plays weak in the blinds and pick on them.

GripHoldOn · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:19 pm Post subject:

Antonio Esfandiari doesn't believe that there is any reason at all to "defend your blind." He says that he will make a re-raise from ANY position whether it be the button, SB, BB, if he feels he can move his opponent off of his hand. I think that his advice carries some weight, but I would alter it slightly. When deciding whether to call a raise while on a blind, take into account just the better pot odds you are getting because of the fact that you already have paid for part of the price. However, I will make slightly more re-raises from the blinds if I am at a table of decent players in a tournament, because I want all of them to know that my blinds aren't free candy. Even if I get called or re-raised all-in, I'll still have sent a message, and consequently, players will know that they have to be prepared to come with their whole stack if they want my blinds cheap.

GxHxOxSxT · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:48 pm Post subject:

You have to remember that you have a negative expectation in the blinds (since you are forced to bet regardless of your cards) so one of your goals has to be to limit your losses while in the blinds. That being said, leaving your blinds just sit there as "free candy" won't work either. Push back hard when you have cards and once in every couple of steal attempts, bluff right back at them and see what happens. Even if you do not defend your blind every single time, players will become very wary if they know that you will fight back from time to time.

Ghost

pcj505 · Pair Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 43

Thanks for all of the advice. I've been trying a lot of the advice in both tournaments and cash games, and it seems to be effective. Basically, I still let most of the blinds go if I have crap cards, but if I think someone is trying to steal my blinds, I am lowering my starting requirements and re-raising if I have something decent. Even if I don't win the hand, people tend to back off a little in the future when I'm in the big blind. I'm also trying to steal blinds myself on occasion.

AllInDrawinDead · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:27 pm Post subject:

In a NL ring game where you have 100X the BB, defending is not that important. In a tourney when the blinds are escalating it becomes important to defend with marginal hands.

Moshiach · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:12 am Post subject:

Can't remember fully, but Howard Lederer said you want to try to win 60% of the time in the blinds. Can't remember about tournament or ring game differences or the rest of the stuff he said with it.

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