How often do you fold your SB?

#1 6th January 2010, 2:07 PM

I'm just curious how often people fold in the small blind with junk hands. I fold a lot when I have hands like K2, J5, Q7, etc.

I also have the problem of building a stack during tournaments, especially MTT. I'm used to having a below average stack on STT but can usually build it in the later stages and cash.

I'm just wondering if anyone has thoughts on this. I'm a pretty tight player anyway, but I'm wondering if I'm folding TOO much in the SB.

#2 6th January 2010, 3:45 PM

I'll fold from the SB a bunch, if Im not given a steal opportunity, but if their are a whole bunch of limpers and the guy to your left normally doesn't raise then it may be worth seeing the flop. The pot is big and it doesnt cost you much to enter.

#3 6th January 2010, 3:47 PM

Rarely in the early stages when the blinds are small. I'm willing to use quite a few chips to try to catch a big hand. It seems to works well if you are very disciplined about the quality of your hand as the blinds increase depending on the size of your stack.

#4 6th January 2010, 4:10 PM

"It depends" is the only good answer here. What does it depend on?

-The type of player in the BB.
-Your hand.
-Tournament or Cash game.
-Size of the blinds in relation to our stack.
-Other factors (opponent's stack size, position in the tournament, number of limpers, ect.)

#5 6th January 2010, 8:34 PM

In typical early level MTT/SNG play.... answer > ALOT. ~85%

#6 6th January 2010, 9:17 PM

I fold my SB when I have bad cards of course but more times late in a tourney and when I play with my buddies I'm the only one that ever folds SB's, everyone just calls like if they have to call to the BB.

#7 6th January 2010, 9:23 PM

Not folding the sb regularly is a major leak. Never intentionally play out of position.

#8 6th January 2010, 9:49 PM

alot unless it's a strong hand

#9 6th January 2010, 9:49 PM

Early on I like to play in that position. In the later rounds then chip manangement out ways playing weak starting hands out of posotion.

#10 7th January 2010, 2:57 AM

For online (micro tournaments <$5), I tend to fall within the 80-20 Rule (Pareto Principle) parameters...fold ~80% & play ~20% + following the general guidelines set forth by c9h13no3 earlier.

For live (Limit $3/$6 & $4/$8 cash games), it's probably closer to ~65% fold & ~35% play since I'm not apt to lose an entire chip stack if the BB wakes up with a hand.

#11 7th January 2010, 3:00 AM

Depending on the cards is number one priority. Overall I'll fold SB about 50% of the time.

#12 7th January 2010, 3:24 AM

I play cash and most of the time.

#13 7th January 2010, 3:27 AM

The small blind is just a major trouble spot... Try folding everything except top 10 hands and limping when you get them. Any raise will put action onto the other players with you out of position.

So if you are going to play in the SB be weary and ready to fold.

#14 7th January 2010, 3:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c9h13no3

"It depends" is the only good answer here. What does it depend on?

-The type of player in the BB.
-Your hand.
-Tournament or Cash game.
-Size of the blinds in relation to our stack.
-Other factors (opponent's stack size, position in the tournament, number of limpers, ect.)

^^^^THIS^^^^

1st thing is that if you're asking the question "I'm wondering if I'm folding TOO much in the SB.", then you most likely are.

2nd thing is that everything is "situational" in poker. What's the situation?

Is the BB a tight or a loose player? How often does he/she play back in the BB after it was folded around to the SB & a raise? How much does he/she have left in his stack or how much do you have & will he/she call knowing you don't have much left to commit? Etc., etc., etc...

Knowing these situations while you're in the SB & how often they are relevant will help you.

#15 7th January 2010, 3:40 AM

For me it depends on how many players are in the pot. If there is a crapload i'm gonna try to see and hit a flop. If it is just me and the BB I might raise sometimes and fold others to keep them guessing.

#16 7th January 2010, 4:02 AM

The SB is by far my least profitable position at the table. It's probably the same for you. Your best bet would be to fold lots and lots from the SB and try to minimize your losses, rather than opening up your range and trying to build a positive profit from the worst possible position, because you very likely won't (no offense or anything, I just bet < 1% of all players show profit from the SB).

#17 7th January 2010, 4:29 AM

i fold from the SB ALOT..especially cash tables...folding your SB and BB is annoying cuz u already have some money invested in the pot and it can be cheap to call...but your OOP which is never a good thing..sometimes rather than fold your SB just 3 bet and see if you can take down the pot right there..than you dont gotta worry about bein OOP...however if you get repopped or the other guys calls your 3 bet..you better hope u hit the flop good

#18 7th January 2010, 5:55 AM

I haven't played a small blind since 1982.

I fold aces in the small blind...

#19 7th January 2010, 6:01 AM

It does depend on the BB player, also the button player. If the button raises, you should have a good hand to raise or call. I get AA in the BB a lot more than any other position for some reason. Which is a good thing. When you play back at the SB, he won't believe you.
I usually wait til the blinds are bigger. The BB will think you are a tight player, you can most likely get away with stealing a few times before he catches on. I try not to pay for bad position too often. I will have something to play.

#20 7th January 2010, 12:24 PM

Awesome responses, everyone. The main reason I ask is because I feel like I may be folding my SB too much and it keeps me from getting a stack but on the other hand I rarely seem to hit in these spots so I guess it works out.

#21 7th January 2010, 7:25 PM

I will often fold Sb b4, but after i seen many tables both online and live tournaments and videos, i have seen they doesnt folding their sb and it is low cost to see the flop if no one is raised so these days i am not folding sb often!

#22 8th January 2010, 4:36 AM

Normally I will fold in the SB quite a bit

#23 8th January 2010, 6:35 AM

I think SB is either fold or a strong raise. In SnG play, SB during bubble or ITM play is either fold or shove (everyone folds to you or you have premium or you have a read that the BB is tight/weak).

#24 8th January 2010, 6:55 AM

according to pt3 about 85% of the time

#25 8th January 2010, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double-A

I haven't played a small blind since 1982.

I fold aces in the small blind...

Nice!!! how is that working for you? I have thought about doing the same thing.

#26 9th January 2010, 1:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreams of Tragedy

Nice!!! how is that working for you? I have thought about doing the same thing.

That was a bit of an exaggeration, lol.

I do remember one RGP poster who recommended, half jokingly, that one should open shove aces and kings from the SB while folding everything else. I wonder if that works?

#27 9th January 2010, 1:31 AM

It's a great spot to steal from, on pokerstars i'm in the plus side on blinds won.
I can say that it only works when you can't steal from the button...

#28 9th January 2010, 3:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgomez89

according to pt3 about 85% of the time

really?... I just looked mine up.... 85.5%

#29 9th January 2010, 3:49 AM

Unless I have decent cards I will fold the small blinds most of the time.

#30 9th January 2010, 8:17 AM

It still cost's you money to play if your the small blind, analyze the situation and determine if it's worth paying to see the flop.

#31 10th January 2010, 12:54 AM

If I am paying online and no one raises I almost always call. When the blinds get up 250/500 then I would fold unless it is just me and the big blind. Sitting at a table not online I fold small blind alot.

#32 10th January 2010, 4:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poker Orifice

really?... I just looked mine up.... 85.5%

we're brothers

#33 11th January 2010, 1:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oskool

It still cost's you money to play if your the small blind, analyze the situation and determine if it's worth paying to see the flop.

It costs you even more when you catch part of a flop with average cards from the small blind and spend the rest of the hand playing out of position.

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