Blind Defense

What is everyone's opinion on what hands are good to play as a blind defense, if someone raises and everyone folds to you as the big blind, or there is maybe one caller of the raise. How does it vary based on size of raise, and so on?

This is a hand where I only called the raise because I was the big blind, ended up winning it without showdown, but not sure if it was the right move

*********** # 26 **************
PokerStars Game #518010639: Tournament #1924228, Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2004/07/01 - 11:03:35 (ET)
Table '1924228 27' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Harleywood (1420 in chips)
Seat 2: 123 Draw (1490 in chips)
Seat 3: acesup11 (1370 in chips)
Seat 4: Poker_Tsr (1700 in chips)
Seat 5: somers (1430 in chips)
Seat 6: SCmachine (1480 in chips)
Seat 7: davfagan (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: marco007 (1610 in chips)
Seat 9: zaida (1440 in chips)
SCmachine: posts small blind 10
davfagan: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to davfagan [Kd 6d]
marco007: folds
zaida: folds
Harleywood: folds
123 Draw: folds
acesup11: folds
Poker_Tsr: raises 20 to 40
somers: folds
SCmachine: calls 30
davfagan: calls 20
*** FLOP *** [9c 4d Ad]
SCmachine: checks
davfagan: bets 80
Poker_Tsr: folds
SCmachine: folds
davfagan collected 120 from pot
davfagan: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 120 | Rake 0
Board [9c 4d Ad]
Seat 1: Harleywood folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: 123 Draw folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: acesup11 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Poker_Tsr folded on the Flop
Seat 5: somers (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: SCmachine (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 7: davfagan (big blind) collected (120)
Seat 8: marco007 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: zaida folded before Flop (didn't bet)

This a pretty difficult question to answer. I think the best answer is...it depends.

I have thought a lot more about when to raise from the BB, and am still having trouble figuring out when it is most profitable.


Back to your question, defending the blinds is a very important factor in tournament play.

I think the best answer is to look at all your information you have before you make that situation with a less than steller hand.

1. The position the raiser is in, and how he plays. If he is UTG and raised, obviously defending the blind in that situation is trouble.

2. Your table image, if you are a rock when it is bubble time, most good players will take advantage of your blinds.

3. Your stack size is always important. If you are low, defending the blinds becomes tougher, but more people take advantage of you.

4. The hand you have. If you defend the blinds, pre-flop rerasing is not a bad option. It will help gain information from the orginal better - whether his hand is solid or not.

5. How many people are in the pot before it's on you.

6. Are there blind increases soon.

7. How tight is the small blind.

8. And, your position stinks after the flop.

- Plus some others I'm sure I forgot -


All those things should be taken into consideration when defending the blinds. Defending the blinds is a key aspect in winning a tournament, but you must do it effectively, or you will be running up against a made hand when you hit a part of the flop.

So, although this didn't help much it should give you pieces of the puzzle - but figuring out how they fit in each diffent "puzzle" you encounter is the difficult part.

sorry I couldn't help you out anymore.

i like yeah's list, but would add one more VERY important item:

1. the size of the stack of the guy trying to steal the blinds. if it's the big stack, about your only real defense is pushing all-in. so, if it's the big stack trying steal, choose your time to push back carefully, and expect to (and be comfortable with) getting called or reraised.

in an PP SNG a couple of days ago, through some good flops and really bad play by the other players, at 6 left, i was up to 4800, while everyone else was under 1000. in addition to constantly harrassing the blinds, if someone tried to bust back when i was blind stealing, and i had even a single face card, i would reraise and put them all-in. it was better than break-even profitable, and kept the other players on edge.

beware the big stack!