Hands not to play in small blind!!!

Hi all.

I`m talking about where the table has checked or folded to you so u only have to put in 1/2 the bb to call.

Three scenarios -

1. All of the table has limped in.
2. 4 limpers
3. 1 limper

What is your minimum starting requirements?

Absolutely anything, all the way down to 72os

I always say you need a hand to fight with while acting 1st.. so I always think you need strong hands to make a call in the SB.. I hardly even play K,10 from the SB never mind anything else that is weaker.

Three scenarios -

1. All of the table has limped in. If I think the BB will just call I will play anything, I am getting about 8-1, 9-1 on my money.
2. 4 limpers - 6-1 on my money, will play a lot of hands again if BB is unlikely to raise.
3. 1 limper - Premium hands but I would raise not call.

I play with the fishes though so it is more likely BB would call or make small raise unlike higher stakes where someone would probably punish the limpers with a big raise.

1. You have pot odds to limp in no matter what cards you have unless it's a good hand, then you raise.

2. Not as many pot odds as the first scenario, but good pot odds still.

3. Terrible pot odds at this point. But, your odds of winning are significantly greater since there are less players in the hand at this point. If you have a crap hand, it's quite possible your cards are live.

1) literally anything
2) any 2 paint, suited connectors, connectors, any pair
3) I dont like limping here without a group 1 or 2 hand, but I also dont mind suited connectors

Limping in the small blind can be very costly. Small sample from $50 NL shorthanded.

Attached Images

sb.JPG (41.2 KB, 79 views)

Where did u get this software m8?

Ronaldadio

That would be pokertracker. There is a link somewhere on the site. You get a free trial of 1,000 hands. But overall well worth buying.

I`ve got it but have not started to use it yet, looks complicated!!!

Looks can be deceiving
It looks like just a bunch of random numbers and infinite modifications to use, but it's really simple when you find out how to use it.

I have none. Every hand, every time.

Even with 1 limper, from the small blind you're getting 5 to 1 on your money (unless BB likes to raise a lot). This is sufficient for a call with any half-decent hand, unless you're really short of chips. The limper probably doesn't have a great hand or he would have raised, and the BB has random cards. In cash games if the blind structure is something like 0.15/0.25, it's even more worthwhile.

Main problem is, you're out of position. This does however set you up for a check-raise, and lets you be first to the bluff, which will be more important with only 3 of you in the pot.

true. but you have a negative expectation from both blinds regardless.

For these scenarios.

A -- I'll limp with any two cards, but about 30% of the time I'd put in a raise of about half the pot (depending on what the blinds are at this stage).

B -- Essentially the same as A.

C -- I'm going to raise it about 60% of the time, if the big blind goes over the top, I'll fold, but if he doesn't I will almost always follow this up with a continuation bet post-flop.

again, just my .02

According to PT In 2800 hands from the SB, at all levels I VP$IP (bet) 80% of the time. That's playing virtually every hand that wasn't raised along with a sprinkling of real contenders. When taking the forced bet into account (which you shouldn't) I'm down $108.84. Without the forced bet(the correct way to look at it) I am up 124.46$ from that position. In PT speak I lose .13 Big Bets or Big Blinds/hand. Big deal, I mean losing is losing right? Wrong. If I never bet and always folded I would lose .5 BB/hand. So by taking the favorable pot odds, and not getting carried away after the flop, I have lost $108.84 instead of $233.30.
I can only conclude that without the forced 1/2 bet, the SB is the most profitable position at the table 2nd only to the BB and virtually even with the button.