BB protection

With what hands you protecting the big blind, and if so, for what reason?

OptiKey said:

With what hands you protecting the big blind, and if so, for what reason?

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|I will defend BB with suited and unsuited connectors and most pairs below 10 and raise A10s+,1010+.
But for the most part, it all depends on bet sizes, chip stack and table dynamics.

I'm stubborn, I won't fold to a min raise just to show I can't be bumped off.

There's not really a specific list of hands that i'll play to defend the BB. It all depends on the situation. How much was the raise, which position did they raise from, is this player usually this aggressive or a passive player, how many other players in the pot. These are all questions that I go over to help determine whether it's worth it to call or just let it go.

bstest said:

I'm stubborn, I won't fold to a min raise just to show I can't be bumped off.

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No disrespect, but in poker there is a fine line between being stubborn and stupid, it all depends on the situation as it has been said before.

ell il try to defend against sb bet to steal pot-the more ppl in the hand before act has a lot to do how il play or fold bb-I don't play by any set rules when defending bb,alot of variables

I play micro stakes and defending BB on those tables is very often a bad idea if you're not ready for the battle and there is more than one player eager for the clash. This is especially tricky if there was a raise before or 2+ limps.
I'd rather look at the action before and the players who are in the game than the cards I hold.

There is a rule in the poker world, that you need to defend your big blind with the cards, that have a value of 35% with respect to the range of the enemy's hands, who raises. But again, we need to do in the case when our card has the potential to grow on the flop.

Depends on the raises and calls. If someone min raises and then get three or more callers I'm looking at the flop with any two cards

I think defending BBs wide is a major leak, specially on multiway pots, where you tend to play an inflated pot out of position (because of limpers/callers) against multiple opponents with weak holdings... And even if you hit big your hand, you'll rarely realise your equity. I just don't see defending wide being profitable on the long run. Meaning: you're very rarely going to be able to bet one pair type of hands (most likely improvement any hand can make) for value nor generate enough folds to bluff profitably often... So... I think it's more profitable to defend a range of just suited connectors, suited Axs, pocket pairs... Hands with implied odds. Or 3-bet bluff with blockers like an A or a K, to thin the field, bluff repping a monster or win the pot right away.

Yes, that means folding that offsuit A7 or offsuit KT, and defending that 97s, 75s and 33 to play for strong draws and sets.

If against me have made raise in 3BB, then I can protect it when at me Ax.

all depends on the situation, either hand have their pot odds

OptiKey said:

With what hands you protecting the big blind, and if so, for what reason?

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If the price is right, 3 or more players in the pot, then I'm calling to see a flop. I'm checking with any two if its not raised and raising the standard hands. If I have a read I may raise pre-flop but I have to be sure my opponent will fold pre-flop or after a c-bet on the flop.
I do get raised a lot in the BB once players realize I won't defend garbage. I have no issues letting my blind go to one raiser.
This did cost me once in a tournament. I looked down at 3/4 off in the BB and although I was priced in I forced myself to fold it. (garbage is garbage) Of course the flop is 44T and the turn was 4. I would have stacked one player and crippled another. I know my fold was correct but every once in 1k hands you have to take a chance.

Depends on table dynamics at the time. So number of players who are in the pot, raise amount, stack size etc