In limit poker, it initially seems easier to defend the blinds because the investment odds are usually better. The button can’t raise as much, so you don’t face as much immediate pressure. The problems in analyzing limit poker defending do not end there though. It’s much harder to win the pot with a re-raise, because the amount you’re re-raising isn’t enough to knock out someone who had raised from the button; even if he was stealing, he’ll usually call and look at the flop.

Similarly, when you get a favorable flop, you can’t usually win it with one bet. You will have to risk seeing a turn card also, and make a second bet. In limit poker, the raiser can’t put as much pressure on you, but you can’t put as much pressure on him.  You’ll probably have to attack him twice, and be out of position each time.

That’s why even though the relative cheapness makes it first appear easier to defend the blinds in limit poker, before the hand is over, it winds up probably just as hard as in no-limit or pot-limit. You just face a different collection of problems.

Playing the hand out of position on the flop, turn, and (if you get that far) the river is a huge disadvantage. Each time the opportunity comes to bet, you are going to have to act first. Your opponent will have more information than you when it’s his turn to act, and that’s very bad news.

Position is all important

Suppose you call and you do hit the flop. Do you bet? If you do, your opponent still has most of the power and options. If his hand missed the flop, he might concede, and you’ll only win the money that was in the pot to start. If he hit the flop too he can raise, and now where are you? Do you call a re-raise? The problem will become even more troublesome on the turn. You bet the flop, but your opponent didn’t go away. Assuming the turn card doesn’t help you, where do you go? Do you bet again, hoping to scare your opponent off? Do you show weakness by checking? To win the hand playing out of position is just far harder than most people realize.

Worse still, when you do win, you usually win much less than you could have won if you had been the final player to act rather than the first.

Because of the position problem, most players defend their blinds far too often. They see that they already have some money invested, and are getting a ‘discount’ on their call, but fail to think the hand all the way through. They may be getting a discount, but it’s a discount on damaged goods. Efforts to show that you can’t be ‘pushed around’ in the blind can be very costly. Most players would win much more (or lose much less) if they defended their blinds less.

Because good poker advice is rarely black and white, you shouldn’t turn into an easy target every time you hold the blind. If you don’t defend at least occasionally, you can be certain that you will be attacked every time, and that will cost you more money. The occasional call, or better still, the occasional re-raise, will alert the late position players that your blind is still not free for the taking.
More tomorrow in this series of items on Blinds in Hold’em Poker.

Read my earlier postings on successful play from the Blinds here:
>> Five Golden Rules for Playing from the Blinds
>> How to avoid throwing away money on the Blinds

Kishan, like many US based players, plays poker online at BetOnline Poker. Check it out! (Chico Poker Network – Boutique-style poker – very stylish with some great play features. Players from around the world including most USA residents welcome)