Playing the Blinds: A Few Examples - Part IV

In the previous parts of this series on playing the blinds, I discussed some very marginal hands that, when played under the right circumstances, can actually add to your hourly rate. Today, I will discuss a few more big-blind hands. I will provide the type of thinking the big blind should be doing when facing a raise, and how he should translate those thoughts into making the right play.

When holding a hand like this, it is important to see who is raising, and the position the raiser is in. In a full ring game, an early-position raise by a serious player almost always means a good hand, most likely a big pair or two very high cards. Either way, you are in bad shape, with a hand that is likely to be dominated. What's more, if you call the raise and then hit part of the flop, it will be very hard to get away from your hand, and if the raiser takes his hand to the river with you, you are likely to lose quite a few bets. For instance, if an ace flops and you get action, you have no kicker, and if you flop a 9 for top pair/top kicker, you must be a great player to lay it down at any stage – even though, if your opponent goes to the river, your hand is probably no good.

So, in the situation described, with a serious player raising from early position and everyone else folding, you should simply give it up before the flop, rather than call and hope to get lucky. But even with one or two additional callers, I still think you should fold, because you are still likely to be dominated, and because A-9 offsuit simply does not perform well in a four-way pot, out of position. Treat an A-9 offsuit as I have always done: Usually fold, unless you have a very good reason not to. Note that many players will do exactly the opposite: They will usually call, unless it is pretty obvious that it would not be wise – for instance, when they face not just one, but two raises.

Quite a few people in my regular game can be considered fairly decent players. They tend to play tight/aggressive, know Sklansky's hand rankings by heart, and know pretty well how to play from the flop onward. But they don't know how to play the blinds. Time and time again, I have seen fairly good players call raises from serious players with hands like K-10 offsuit. At the same time, I have seen them fold hands like small connectors in a three- or four-way pot when it is pretty obvious everyone else in the hand is playing facecards. This lack of understanding of how to adjust to changing circumstances when you have to call "only" one more bet is one of the major leaks in the games of lots of otherwise good players.

I will occasionally defend with this type of holding (small connectors, preferably – but not necessarily – suited), but I will do it only if the situation is right. This means I will do it only if:

• the raiser is a predictable player over whom I have good control

• the raiser is more likely to be raising with high cards only, rather than with a big pair

• the callers in the middle are not particularly aggressive and/or tricky

• the callers in the middle probably hold big or semibig cards, as well, rather than a slow-played high pair or some small or middle suited connectors

• my call closes the betting; that is, I cannot face a reraise from someone yet to act.

Only if all of these factors apply to a certain degree is a call in order, and only if you know how to play this type of holding when getting some help from the board (rather than no help or a lot of help). I have won quite a few big pots with hands like 7-5 offsuit, because my opponents have a hard time figuring me for this type of holding in a raised pot – as I'm such a tight player – and because they see me folding my big blind against a raise at least six or seven times out of 10. They cannot understand that I am occasionally willing to defend with these small connected cards – which they would never play – while I will easily throw away hands they would not dream of folding (like semibig offsuit cards).

It is important not to carry these types of thoughts too far when playing small connectors, and start using my remarks as an excuse to play more hands. For instance, if you are faced with a raise, even when it's coming from a light-values raiser in late position and there are no other players in besides you and him, you should usually fold. Why? Well, because you have nothing. Even though your opponent won't necessarily have a premium hand, either, you hold only a 7 high, out of position, not knowing what you're up against, and not knowing if hitting a 7 or 5 will be enough for you to win the pot. Also, because he knows thatyou know he doesn't need to have anything in this spot, he might not give you credit for a good hand when you start playing back at him. He might easily call or even raise your bets while holding very light values himself; so, all in all, this would not be a good time to mess with this type of hand. But in this same situation (against a late-position raiser who is known to raise with light-value holdings), your A-9 may be playable; in fact, I even think a three-bet should be considered. Even though, in general, an A-9 is very marginal, in this case it is likely to be the best hand by far. Therefore, taking away the initiative from your opponent might be your best option – and it will also send him the message that your blind is not always up for grabs. Every once in a while, I make a play like this (three-bet with a less than premium holding against a late-position light-values raiser), but only if:

• the hand I hold is clearly playable in that situation, and folding would therefore be wrong

• it seems the raiser doesn't necessarily have a premium hand, either

• by representing more strength than I actually have, I will be able to take the initiative away from my opponent and might be able to pick up some pots when we both flop nothing.

I will continue these thoughts in the next issue, in the final part of this series on playing the blinds.