Poker Table – The Blinds

For hold'em players the blinds are as unavoidable as death, taxes, and bad beats - just a consequence of life at the poker table. How you play the blinds, however, will have a large bearing on your success at the game.

When the Pot Has Not Been Raised

If you're in the big blind in an unraised pot, consider yourself fortunate. You've gotten to see the flop for free, and might just flop a huge hand with two cards you otherwise might never have played. When you're in the small blind, you can get to see the flop for half a bet - or in games structured like most $15 - $30 games the blinds are $15 and $10 - you can see the flop for one-third of a bet. In the very popular $2-$5 no-limit games, the blind structure differs in that the small blind is less than half the big blind. Because it's only 40 percent of the big blind, a more cautious approach is required than would be the case if you had 67 percent of a full blind already invested and only have to invest a tiny bit more to see the flop and hope for the best.

Seeing the flop at a bargain-basement price somewhat compensates for having to act first on each succeeding round of betting. In a game where the small blind is one-half the big blind, you can see the flop in unraised pots with hands like 7-6 offsuit. While you're going to be disappointed with the flop the vast majority of the time, when you flop a big hand (two pair or better) you stand a good chance of winning a nice pot with it.

Even when you are able to see the flop for free, you're going to have to surrender your hand after the flop most of the time.

Holding A Big Hand In the Blind

Every so often you'll be dealt a pair of aces, kings or queens, or A-K in the blind. There are some players who automatically raise with these hands, regardless of any previous action. Players who routinely do this give their opponents too much information. By raising from the blind, you are announcing to the table that you have an exceptional hand. Not just a good hand, a great one.

Suppose you called from late position with a hand like 9-8 suited, and are raised by the big blind. You'll take the flop planning to continue only if it is very favorable to you and unfavorable to your opponent. Suppose the flop comes 9-8-4. You've got two pair, and your opponent in the blind - whose raise was a ringing exclamation that he's likely to be holding a very big pair - is forced to act first on each betting round.

With a big pair, he's not afraid of a board like that, and will probably bet. You can call him on the flop and raise the turn if a safe card falls. Tied to a big pair, most players in low- to mid-limit games are not going to release aces or kings when they're raised. It will be a crying call, but they'll call the turn, check the river, and call you again, even when almost certain they're beaten.

Most low- to mid-limit players will not release a big pair unless the board overtly threatens a straight or flush, and there is a bet and a raise in front of them. Take advantage of this tendency by checkraising your opponent from the blind when you know he plans to bet a hand you can beat.

But if your opponent simply checks a big hand in the blind, you will not have any idea about his holdings. Since he got a free play in the blind, he could have anything. A 7-2 offsuit is as likely as A-K, and a meager pair of deuces is as probable as aces. In fact, if he's holding a big pair, and fortunate enough to flop a set, he can check the turn with hopes that one of his opponents will bet - allowing him to checkraise with the certainty that he holds the best hand.

Even when the flop is very unfavorable, because you didn't raise with your big pair in the blind, you should find it easier to release your hand. Suppose you're holding a pair of black aces in the big blind and the flop contains three hearts. You'll probably check and call on the flop, and check again on the turn. If there's a bet and raise, those aces are more easily abandoned when you don't commit yourself to them by raising from the blind.

Marginal Hands In the Blind

Most of the time you'll be dealt marginal hands in the blind. If you're in the big blind, and there is no raise in front of you, simply check when it's your turn to act and hope the flop is favorable. If there is a raise, you're confronted with whether to call or toss your hand away.

Most players in low- to mid-limit games defend their blinds too often. You simply can't call a raise with a hand like 8-5, even if that raise represents only half a bet to you. On the other hand, if you're holding a hand like K-2 suited, and there are 4 or 5 callers before it is raised, you should call. Of course, unless you flop two pair, trips or a four flush or better, you will probably have to release your hand if one of your opponents bets into the flop. In essence, what you're doing is calling because you're getting high implied odds, and you have the kind of cards which can improve to a big hand. If you happen to hit your hand, your opponents probably won't suspect its strength until too late.

When you're in the small blind, you need an even stronger hand to call a raise, since it will cost you more than half a bet. In most games it will cost you a bet and a half to call a raise from the small blind. In games structured like the $15 - $30 the cost is a bet and a third.

Considerations In the Small Blind

In the small blind you have another consideration: whether to call for that fraction of a bet when the pot is not raised. In small- and mid-limit games, most players will call in the small blind with almost any hand. Even though it costs only a half bet to call from the small blind when the pot hasn't been raised, you still shouldn't call with just any hand. Unless you have a really good hand - the kind which plays well from early position - you need to limit your calls to those hands which offer potential for improvement. You should also avoid playing hands which can improve to second best.

While hands like 7-2 and 9-3 are basically unplayable even when they cost only half a bet, hands like 7-6 suited - which can improve to a flush or straight with a favorable flop - should be played from the small blind in unraised pots. This is particularly true when it is a multiway pot, since this kind of hand - with its flush and straight potential - plays better against a large field.

If you're playing in a game where the small blind is two-thirds of the big blind, you can play just about any hand from the small blind in an unraised pot. Because the cost is only one-third of a bet, you can take the long odds with a 9-3, and hope to flop something like K-9-3. Just be prepared to throw most of your hands away on the flop. If you flop one pair, it probably won't be the top pair, your kicker is weak, and if you aren't able to get away from hands like these, you'll throw off a lot of money calling down bigger hands that are overwhelming favorites.

Raising In the Small Blind

If you're dealt a big pair, or A-K in the small blind, and there are not many callers, a raise might prevent the big blind from playing, unless he also has a very good hand. Any rational player respects a raise from the small blind.

Since big pairs play better against a small field of opponents, your raise should limit your opposition and get more money in the pot. When you're in the blind, you're usually better off playing against a small field, since you have the added disadvantage of acting first on each succeeding betting round.

If you're in the small blind and only one opponent called from late position, you can occasionally raise regardless of what you're holding. If any big cards flop, your bet stands a good chance of eliminating your opponent. Since your opponent only called from late position, it's difficult to credit him with big cards. More than likely he's holding something like 8-7. Heads up, and facing a flop with overcards, he's likely to fold in the face of a bet.

This is not a tactic you can use routinely, however, since anyone who is observant will simply take note of your behavior and soon begin reraising you.

Summary

Most of the time you're in the blind and encounter a raise you're going to throw your hand away.
Only play your better hands for half a bet, but play most of your hands when the cost is only one-third of a bet.
Most of the time the flop will be unfavorable and you'll wind up tossing your hand away, once someone bets.
If the flop is favorable, you still have the disadvantage of acting first on each succeeding round of betting.
The best and most succinct advice anyone can offer about playing in the blind is to play very few hands - and play those cautiously.