War of Blinds in tournaments

[Vorem]

With which cards do you defend the big blind from the small blind? What hands do you do 3-bet, with which hands - Call, and with which - Fold?


I asked the same question in the CASH topic. I want to know the differences in blinds defense in Tournaments and Cash.


At the moment it seems to me that in Tournament poker, the blinds defense is much more aggressive than in Cash games.

 

[maykmar]

the defending when you have top pair, or a good combination, even when your opponent has few chips and play defensively, always!

 

[Vodnik2017]

In tournaments it is important to consider the stage. Sometimes it's better to throw off a good card to get into the ITM or the final table

 

[PHX]

You play the player more than your cards you got position. Heads up is a feel game got to trust your reads and instincts. Against really good headsup players it could sometimes just be a game of chicken who blinks first i.e. fold.

Against tight players raise/3bet almost always I go big most times like 3.5+ times. Your range should be two cards from the 52 in the deck.

Against agressive/solid players a little more cautious play but you can still play relatively light. 3Bet good hands 88+ AJ+, flat anything half decent that you are comfortable playing like suited/unsuited connectors and one gappers all Aces, K8+ all suited Ks and Qs, fold abosolute rags.

 

[Bozovicdj]

defending blinds in cash games doesn't have too much point since you almost always have stack of around 100BB, and it is just not worth it to spend 3BB(call) for the sake of that one you gave which is just 1% of your stack.

On the other hand, in tournaments blinds are constantly getting higher and are worth more considering your stack. Also, there are ante, that are often worth round 1BB total making the pot 2.5BB worth to begin with.

In tournaments, I like just calling with AT, AJ, some suited connectors 78+ or suited one gappers. 3 bet range with hands that I usually 3-bet from other positions, for me thats TT+, rest are normally folds.

All of this is just a basis, since, depending on your opponents, you can widen or narrow the range you call/raise/fold with.

 

[makisaa]

Depends from the sequence of the cards and from my intuition!!

 

[ucdengboss]

Many things to consider here.

1. Are you talking about being in the BB and defending against the SB only?
2. Are you asking about being in the BB and defending against a button raise?
3. Are you asking about being in the BB and defending against a raise from another position?

OR more general #2 and #3 from the SB and BB both?

Then you also need to consider the following:

4. Are there antes in play at this stage?
5. What stage of tourney are you in? Early? Mid? Bubble? ITM? Final table bubble? At the Final Table? The answer to this will dictate if there are serious ICM considerations or not.
6. What size is your stack?
7. What is the size of the stack of the raised?

Example:

Early stage, I am in the BB, no ante. Open raise comes from the button and we each have about 50BBs. I hold AJo. I 3-bet here. I want to take the pot down now because I will be out of position on all further streets. I also have value as a raise from the button could be from a very wide range and I am ahead of the range with AJ.

Same hand AJ in the BB but the tournament is nearing the bubble, there are antes and we only need 2 more to make the top 50 and get into the cash (6 tables going). We have 14BBs and the raise comes from a mid position and he has 20BBs. I fold here. The villain can fold into the $ with 20BBs but is electing to raise and get mixed up with the SB, BB, and maybe 2 others. Our 3 bet would be all in for tourney life and I don't think we are that great against his range with the ICM considerations. Raise wide and call tight.

These are just a bit of my thoughts that I may go through in a tourney hand from the blind.

 

[DougPkrMonsta]

Tournaments are different because antes will often price in the big blind to call small raises.

When you are closing the action getting 3 to 1 (or better) pot odds you can and should be defending very wide.

Also you will never shove all-in over one late position raise in a cash game but this is standard in tournaments with shallow stacks (especially against aggressive opponents).

Lots of good information out there on preflop strategy for short stacks.

Learning from watching better players (on Twitch or videos on training sites), posting hands here, and gaining experience from playing and seeing what works will help the most.

Good luck to you!

 

[SteaknEggz]

depends more on the other players tendencies than anything else. if the guy is a nit then i get out the way but if hes tight agressive then i have to think about a call.

 

[Ivan Zaruba]

It is important not only what cards to enter the game, but those against which rival. If the opponent is very tight, then you can raise and without a good hand, because he will drop doubtful card. However, if he first makes a bet or re-reise, then it's better to throw it away.