A strategy to properly defend your Big Blind

Hey guys, I have been busy this afternoon plugging a few leaks (stopped calling in the SB with non-PPs for the time being) and tidying up my strategy. I got to thinking...

I fold to blind steals too often!

I play 10NL 6max at about 19/17 and my fold to blind steal is 91% over a large sample. This I feel is too high and I would sooner the figure be below 80 as I feel I may be an easy target to the savvy reg to my right (not that I choose to have these here as I'd rather they were opposite but whatever)

I have recently stopped 3betting light from OOP without solid reads as the average fold to resteals at my stakes is like 47%... one MAJOR leak plugged!

It would appear that my fold to steal % is about the same for my SB as for my big blind. I think the main leak for me is giving up my BB too easily and though my SB fold % is little high, I think it could be prudent to take extra care with only 0.5bb invested and at the worst position at the table.

I would like to concentrate my efforts to bring my fold BB to steal % down to a more sensible <70%.

This would even out my average fold to steal and brind it comfortable below 80% and I'd be less of an obvious target when I do find myself to the left of a thinking player

Defending the BB properly from a LP steal


Lets say for the sake of argument that villian is stealing 25% (an average)
If villian is stealing and his bet size averages 35c (from the cut-off or button), assuming the SB always folds (he does 90% of the time)
Villian needs us to fold more than 80% of the time to instantly profit from us. We need to defend more than 20% of the time in this situation to prevent him profiting... and us losing longterm. Lets play a 22% range to be sure.
What proportion and which kind of hands would you guys suggest we call OOP with in the BB and which to 3bet with in this spot?

The above example would be for the average blind steal situation at 10NL but of course there are times when villians might choose to minraise the button. In this situation I'd need to defend a whopping 42% of times to break even and perhaps need to to not fold 45% of times to profit!

Could we assume that a villian attempting a minraise steal is probably playing ATCs?

I have read some strategy suggesting that we should be defending a 50% range here and 3betting 50% of that range or 25% of the time!

I just wanted to get all this down while it was fresh in my mind as I am struggling to get my head around it.

Hoping this could be the makings of a kickass blind defence strategy... once the grey cells get to grips!

Thoughts?

Frank.

D Frank if you try to bring your FBB to steal % down to <70% thats going to be a huge leak imo.You would be playing way to many hands oop,with a weak range.

Thanks for you reply man. I am well aware of the power of position but IMO you can use careful play to deny villian this advantage.

Wouldn't it be a huge leak to allow villian to steal with such a wide range and us getting such great odds? Plus, if we pretty much always check whether we hit or not, we can effectively reclaim the button for the flop and the turn (we are gonna call one street here often anyway)

We only have one difficult decision to make and thats on the river. By then however we should have prenty of info no?

I just don't believe that folding too often in the blinds can ever be a leak at the micro's. I am concerned that your math behind 'not letting the stealer instantly profit from his steal' is actually going to put you in a position where he is profiting more on later streets.

I also don't think your steal % is anywhere near average. 25% seems really low and I am going to be folding a lot to such a tight range? (You actually want to play 20% of your range against 25% of villain range OOP)

Flat the raise with some hands not many aj,aq,99,10 10 sometimes for example.You really need to 3bet or fold most hands OOP.Go through your data base and see how much you have won flating a preflop raise in the blinds.

I'm in the "let them steal from you and don't worry too much about it" camp.

BLind defense is an MTT thing really.

If they call as wide as 50% then widen your 3-bet value range OOP and never ever 3-bet bluff. Call PP's but be prepared to play without hitting your set. Sometimes flat something like AJ but I can be 3betting them against a specific opponent that flats 50% after stealing.

Nice Thread, But your brain is going to explode if you keep it up.

If your cards are playable, check him, let him think you have nothing, then get him to bet himself into trouble. Then, the next time it happens, you have the opportunity to 3-bet him and watch him fold.

Patrick Antonius is good defender of his bb!)3 bet is work vn!

I agree 3 betting at the right time but not every time. I agree with BIGJAMO your brain will explode if you try to defend your BB 50% of the time!