Card Dead in the blinds, How wide to defend?

I've been feeling OVERLY tight when in the blinds about 75-80% of the time, when the blinds start to be meaningful, roughly 1-2 hours into a tournament.

It feels like I fold too much and I dislike that feeling that I might be being exploited by late position opens. But with junk cards J/3, 7/2, K/2, 9/4, Q/3, and two raises in front of me - the only logical move in my mind is a fold.

Over the past week I've attempted to adjust to this feeling by continuing more often, but this has felt like I'm just donating chip because being opp with junk cards is very difficult. Its really fit or fold, and more often than not - fold on the flop. So - that hasn't worked out too well.
Of the junk cards I've decided to continue with I'd estimate only a single digit percentage has resulted in a winning hand, and half of those have been bluff flop bets.

I'm still managing to min-cash consistently - which is something I'm dedicated to improve on, and this might be an area that can help.

I know this question is situational based on opponent tendencies, and the stage of a tournament so for the sake of clarity assume the opponents are unknowns and the event has ran long enough where the blinds are meaningful.

With the two stipulations mentioned above;
How wide do you normally defend your blinds with two raises in front of you?

How wide do you defend with only one 4-5x raise from CO/BTN?


Thanks in advance for all suggestions and opinions.

Hello, good question, and a good thread altogether!

I am defending the BB super wide against late positions, especially if SB opened and everyone folded to him. At the same time, I am not defending wide when seeing bet and a raise, and I don't defend when facing several limpers and an isolation big bet from LP.

As for the range, I like to def with most of my JXs hands, also suited one gappers and connectors.
I think I would fold T5s, T6s, but I'd see a flop with T7s, while I would fold T7o all day long, and would only see the flop with JTo/T9o.

At the same time, I don't likely defend with weak AXo hands like A5o- because:
1. My opponent, if he has an A he has a better one
2. If my opponent doesn't have an A, I will still need to hit one on the flop to be able to continue and see the turn

Regardless of whether you know the players you face or not, you must create an image of yourself that shows strength on the table.
When you manage to transmit that image it will be easier for you to defend your blinds.
For example, you could participate in 30% of hands played preflop (regardless of whether your hand is good or trash) at a certain level of blindness and at that level show aggressiveness, as many times as possible.
That is, you must plan a certain percentage of aggressiveness in a tournament. Taking advantage of the opportunities that arise to deceive your rivals.
If you decide to use this scheme, practice first with players who have fewer chips than yours. This will make it easier for you to put pressure on your rivals.
Greetings.

There is more to it than defending your blind. Just defending is a losing propitiation. When you defend you wan to select hand that have a chance to make better hands then not. While defending say with Q2 and J3 you may flop a good top pair your kicker is junk. You may win a small pot but if the bet twice on say a J86 flop are you happy with your top pair and 3 kicker. Just pick logical hands when you defend. Also remember when you defend you are OOP for the rest of the hands. Just remember if you defend you should also have a plan.

Thanks guys!

Thanks for the input.

Bozovicdj said:

Hello, good question, and a good thread altogether!
I am defending the BB super wide against late positions, especially if SB opened and everyone folded to him.
At the same time, I am not defending wide when seeing bet and a raise, and I don't defend when facing several limpers and an isolation big bet from LP.
As for the range, I like to def with most of my JXs hands, also suited one gappers and connectors.
I think I would fold T5s, T6s, but I'd see a flop with T7s, while I would fold T7o all day long, and would only see the flop with JTo/T9o.

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Alright great. Seems I'm on the same page as you are with relation to blind defense ranges.
I think possibly it's just the funk I've been getting dealt when in the blinds. Makes late stage events difficult if not sporting a top 10-20 chip stack.
This weekend has gone slightly better with blind defense.

gustav197poker said:

Regardless of whether you know the players you face or not, you must create an image of yourself that shows strength on the table.
When you manage to transmit that image it will be easier for you to defend your blinds.
For example, you could participate in 30% of hands played preflop (regardless of whether your hand is good or trash) at a certain level of blindness and at that level show aggressiveness, as many times as possible.
That is, you must plan a certain percentage of aggressiveness in a tournament. Taking advantage of the opportunities that arise to deceive your rivals.
If you decide to use this scheme, practice first with players who have fewer chips than yours. This will make it easier for you to put pressure on your rivals.
Greetings.

Click to expand...

I hear what your saying, however with the cards I mentioned above - ANYONE who misses the flop with J/3off, Q/4off, 7/2, K/2, is going to have less than 30% wins from the blinds. And if a player you, me or anyone is sitting in 20th with 75 left in the event and blinds are 10% of your stack or greater, making a stand for table image - is kind of ludicrous in my opinion. That's just donating chips in reality, regardless of table image.
And lets say you defend with J/3 off suit from BB from a CO open, and you hit top pair on the flop but there is a K and a ten, and CO 4x bets into you. You now have 9bb left - gonna ship it or call and pray?
I'd rather just fold and wait for a better opportunity - honestly. I have 10 more orbits to let opponents see how well I play rather than how loosely I defend the blinds.

This weekend blind defense went slightly better. For some reason I got a lot of check backs after being bet into, a nice 3x pot bet worked very well - regardless of the cards I held.

Luvepoker said:

There is more to it than defending your blind. Just defending is a losing propitiation. When you defend you wan to select hand that have a chance to make better hands then not. While defending say with Q2 and J3 you may flop a good top pair your kicker is junk. You may win a small pot but if the bet twice on say a J86 flop are you happy with your top pair and 3 kicker. Just pick logical hands when you defend. Also remember when you defend you are OOP for the rest of the hands. Just remember if you defend you should also have a plan.

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Thanks Luve - yes I was struggling with those types of hands exactly. Seemed they were all I was getting for a good long stretch. I had a couple get through - total air flop bluff bets, but seemed to get a lot better hands all around, and in the blinds this weekend, so defending in those spots was a lot better ride.

theANMATOR said:

I'd rather just fold and wait for a better opportunity - honestly. I have 10 more orbits to let opponents see how well I play rather than how loosely I defend the blinds.

This weekend blind defense went slightly better. For some reason I got a lot of check backs after being bet into, a nice 3x pot bet worked very well - regardless of the cards I held.

Click to expand...

Wanted to clarify - I'd rather just fold preflop and wait for better spots.
And

A 3x bb bet - not 3x pot bet - lol - that'd surely get a fold!