Cold Calling from the Blinds

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JJW87

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Hello Everyone,

Been doing a lot of studying lately and trying to improve my game, and have found one of my major leaks to be playing from the blinds.

I know it is difficult for anyone to play when in the blinds as most of the time you are OOP and all the time if you are in the SB.

I used to just fold or 3-bet from the blinds and call small-medium pocket pairs with the intention of set-mining or getting to a cheap showdown depending on flop.

I have been playing around a bit with a hand range calculator and have come up with this range to play from the blinds. I know this will differ from villain to villain but just say it is against your typical 21/18 TAG.

Hero in SB or BB facing UTG or MP open - Call 22-TT, KQs, AJs-AQs. 3-bet for value AKs, AK, JJ+.

Hero in SB facing CO or BTN open - Call 22-99, KQ, AJ, ATs, KJs, QJs, KTs, QTs, JTs. 3-bet for value AQs, AQ, AJs, AKs, AK, KQs, TT+.

Hero in SB facing CO or BTN open - Call 22-99, KQ, AJ, ATs, KJs, QJs, KTs, QTs, JTs. 3-bet for value AQs, AQ, AJs, AKs, AK, KQs, TT+.

(Also include some 3-bet bluffs/squeezes from the BB if SB calls and also Villains have high fold to 3-bet % hands like A2s-A5s, K6s-K9s, Q6s-Q9s)

Not to sure on the 3-bet bluff range but my choices where made because they are any easy fold to a 4-bet, they have blockers to hands like, AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ, KQ and with them being suited they have potential to flop some decent equity with a flush draw or flush draw and a pair, 2 pair. Also they are not hands that play well OOP.

Anyway, any advice or criticism is welcome. Look forward to your replies :)
 
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Weisssound

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Ranges are good - but I'd re-examine KQs against UTG raiser. I think you need to move that into two categories: fold 50%, 3-bet 50%.

Here's why:

UTG standard raise, ATs, KQs, AJ+, 99+

Let's say you miss. Obviously you can't really continue if your villain C-bets. He's ahead with Ace high, and unless he has AJ/AT your outs are dirty.

Now let's say you hit. Say the flop is Q high. Now what do you do? If you check, your villain c-bets with probably all of his range. Everything for value, everything else for balance or information. Which means you're putting money into the pot except you don't have any more information on your villain, but your villain has more information on you, and position on the turn.

Ok, so what if you donk bet? Well, now the villain has a ton of info. You're almost assuredly folding worse and getting called or raised by better. Or feeding your villain a fairly easy bluff. Because if they raise you're going to have to make a marginal decision and the correct play will usually be to fold.

If you 3-bet (half the time) you get more information, you get the betting lead, you throw your opponent off, you widen your 3-bet range.
 
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JJW87

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That makes sense but how would you define when to fold and to 3-bet ?

Against a nit raising from UTG it's clearly a fold as there range will be very tight and they will rarely be folding to 3-bets.

I guess it would be against a little looser players but problem is the looser players usually have a lower fold to 3-bet % and like taking flops in position.

Then I just find myself in a bloated pot OOP and do not really know what to do when I miss the flop. If an Ace comes do I bet out trying to represent the Ace, do I check and hope for a free card, do I check call if villain bets hoping he slows down on the turn.

I mean I know this is all villain dependent like how often he folds to c-bets in 3-bet pots, how often he folds when I barrel the turn and what type of hands I think he will be calling 3-bets with, how often often he goes to showdown and can I get him off second or third pair.

To be honest I am just not too confident playing OOP and don't really like to bloat the pot if I can help it without a premium hand in the blind, unless say I am in the BB facing a BTN open and a SB call I do not mind squeezing there with hands I mentioned above say (A2s-A5s, Q6s-Q9s, K6s-K9s) but that is only because I know that the other two players ranges are usually weak here.

Also you posted in my other thread about choosing to fold on the BTN with 44 vs an UTG open and MP call. If this was the same situation and UTG opened, MP called and you where in the blinds with 44 what would you choose to do then ?

I have a habit of calling all my PP in the blinds facing a raise from any position but 9 times out of 10 end up folding when I don't make a set and am looking at 3 over cards. Do you think that is a big leak also ?
 
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Weisssound

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Against a nit raising from UTG it's clearly a fold as there range will be very tight and they will rarely be folding to 3-bets.

Well, yes and no. Depends on how nitty. And it depends on your internal timing for the table.

I guess it would be against a little looser players but problem is the looser players usually have a lower fold to 3-bet % and like taking flops in position.

Yup, and 2/3rds of the time they miss. And 1/3 of time when they do hit, you hit better. Right now my 3-bet range against the guy on my left is Jack high or better. Because he's calling with 9 7. I've made $60 off him so far. Remember King high is going to be good on a lot of flops, so you are c-betting for value :). Yes, bet an ace high board against a loose player. But keep your sense of timing - don't "have the ace EVERY time", just most of the time.

Also you posted in my other thread about choosing to fold on the BTN with 44 vs an UTG open and MP call. If this was the same situation and UTG opened, MP called and you where in the blinds with 44 what would you choose to do then ?

Insta-fold in most spots. Remember, set mining is only good if we can actually get the implied odds of 8x the cost of entry. That's tough to do. Being out of position makes that even tougher.

I have a habit of calling all my PP in the blinds facing a raise from any position but 9 times out of 10 end up folding when I don't make a set and am looking at 3 over cards. Do you think that is a big leak also ?

This is definitely a leak. Against one opponent, PP are best a slight majority of the time. You might be giving your villains too much cred. If your plan is to check-fold to over cards DON'T PLAY 44. Every card is an over card. A big part of advancing your play is figuring out how to navigate tricky spots, and have a low pair OOP is one of them. Either make a quest of figuring out when you're good, or don't get involved. Cause call-fold is definitely -EV.
 
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