When to complete SB?

Here's another place that confuses the heck out of me. When is it right to complete the small blind with limpers?

I thought maybe suited cards or Axs for the chance to hit the flush but I think I'm losing money doing this. Obviously I know to raise it up with good cards but for only $.03 to call there has to be some hands you can complete with.

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Originally Posted by ArcadianRock

Here's another place that confuses the heck out of me. When is it right to complete the small blind with limpers?

I thought maybe suited cards or Axs for the chance to hit the flush but I think I'm losing money doing this. Obviously I know to raise it up with good cards but for only $.03 to call there has to be some hands you can complete with.

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It really depends. You are out of position, which is actually way more important than the odds you are getting. So you shouldn't complete it with hands that play poorly out of position.

On the other hand, with good hands that can play well out of position, you should be raising, not merely completing.

So what does that leave? Suited connectors, perhaps some high cards like KJ and QT. And you should even think about raising those depending on what how the table will react to aggressive play.

Also, you should take into account the blind structure before completing. If the big blind is twice the small blind ($1/$2) or less than that ($2/$3), that's one thing, but if the big blind is more than twice the small blind ($1/$3, $.10/$.25), you are paying almost a full big blind to complete the bet. In that circumstance, you probably should be playing your tightest range in the small blind unless there is some table related reason to loosen up (to steal the big blind, for instance).