Playing from the Blinds #2
If you are in the big blind in an unraised pot, you get a free look at the flop. In the small blind you can get the free look for 1/2 a bet. So the key to blind play is the raised pot. You should have a clear idea of what hands you will and will not play in a raised pot. You should also be able to adjust those starting hands based on which players are making the raise in front of you. When Mr. SuperTIght raises that is a different scenario than when Ms. Aggressive opens the betting.
However, having a general set of guidelines is key, here is one set.
From the blinds call a raise with the following hands if the raiser raises from late position.
Small Blind (SB): AJs+, AQo+, 88+
Big Blind (BB): ATs+, AJo+, 55+
If the raiser is opening with a pre-flop raise from early or middle position, you should often play very tight because they should be playing better hands and the earlier their position the better the hand.
So tighten up your guidelines to:
Small Blind (SB): AQs+, AKo, 77+
Big Blind (BB): AQs+, AKo, 22+
Finally, remember these represent just one potential set of guidelines and must be adjusted based on your read on the raiser.
Get into the conversation and check out the Online Poker Forum posts on Defending Your Blind.
-this is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #167
