Big Blind defense
Run It Once Poker,
Hold'em No Limit - €0.02/€0.04 - 4 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat
UTG: €7.27 (182 bb)
BU: €4.34 (109 bb)
SB: €2.58 (65 bb)
BB (Hero): €5.02 (126 bb)
Pre-Flop: (€0.06) Hero is BB with K
♣ 8
♣
1 fold,
BTN raises to €0.10,
1 fold,
Hero calls €0.06
Flop: (€0.22) 4
♦ 9
♣ K
♥ (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks
Turn: (€0.22) 3
♣ (2 players)
Hero bets €0.16,
BTN raises to €0.44,
Hero raises to €1.26, BTN calls €0.82
River: (€2.74) 9
♥ (2 players)
Hero bets €0.97,
BU folds
No info on the villain. What turn raising range would you assign to villain?
How would you play this hand?
Hi there quant1986, how do you do? Thank you for sharing your hand with the CardsChat community! Very nice one!
Well, first thing I would like to say is that I don't love calling from the BB versus BTN in a situation where I have a 2.5x preflop raise. I don't hate calling either, I just don't do it very often. I would be calling K8s at the micros to defend the big blind something like 20% of times. The rest of times I would be 3betting or folding. (80% of times).
Once we decide to defend the Big Blind versus Button opener, we gotta be aware that ranges here are very dynamic most of times: Button will have strong hands such as AK, KQ, KJ, AA, KK, QQ, etc but Button will also have a bunch of weaker hands such as all the Aces suited, all the Kings suited, J8, J9, JT, 98, 76, etc.
In spite of the Big Blind/Hero also have a dynamic range, it will never have the strongest portion of the range. Big Blind will never have AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, AA, KK, QQ and JJ in its range, because Big Blind would be 3betting preflop more often than calling.
The Range that calls from the Big Blind in a situation like this is usually wide as the button range, so, IMO this is a breakeven spot, where the BTN has a slight advantage upon the BB.
The way it was played was fine. When both Hero and Villain check flop, it seems that nobody has a very strong value hand. When you check-raise turn and Villain calls it should have something in its range. Maybe even a better king such as KT.
When the river brings a double pair and you bet again, Villain folds. I believe Villain would have nothing here most of times, because it is a very dry board.
Many players would never fold KT, KJ, KQ in a situation like this, because you didn't raise preflop, so you don't have AK, KQ in your range. The great majority of the population would never fold any 9x here and the boats NEVER!
At the micro-stakes, nobody with a pocket 4's or 3's in a situation like this would fold. No two pair, so it is more likely that in the turn Villain had a flush draw and decided to bluff it. When it misses the flush draw in the river it simply gave up. I hope it helps you!
Regards;
Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa
