[whataboutj]

In an effert to increase my knowledge and skills in cash games before I head to Vegas in a couple weeks I was looking at my cash game play recently. I realized I fold a lot more hands when I am in the SB or BB and faced with a raise pre flop than I do in tournaments. I am clearly playing tighter than spandex in cash games - specifically in the blinds. So my question to all of my knowledgabel fellow CT'rs is:

What range of hands do you use to defend your blinds against a raise pre flop in a cash game?

I am also curios to know what range you would use at a $1/$2 or $1/$3 game in Vegas (specifically the Mirage since that is where I am staying - or maybe TI)

Thanks in advance
J

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by whataboutj

In an effert to increase my knowledge and skills in cash games before I head to Vegas in a couple weeks I was looking at my cash game play recently. I realized I fold a lot more hands when I am in the SB or BB and faced with a raise pre flop than I do in tournaments. I am clearly playing tighter than spandex in cash games - specifically in the blinds. So my question to all of my knowledgabel fellow CT'rs is:

What range of hands do you use to defend your blinds against a raise pre flop in a cash game?

I am also curios to know what range you would use at a $1/$2 or $1/$3 game in Vegas (specifically the Mirage since that is where I am staying - or maybe TI)

Thanks in advance
J

I personally think the term "protect the blinds" is a bit misleading. If you're getting better than 3.5:1 pot odds, then you can call with any 2 cards. If you're getting less than that, then you need to consider your cards, keeping in mind you'll be out of position for the rest of the hand.

I'm not a highly experienced casino player, but in a cash game (vs. tournament), just play good poker. You're not pressured by increasing blinds, so you can afford to play tight pre-flop and aggressively post-flop.

I'll let the veterans go from there. Otherwise I'll end up with a foot in my mouth.

[dad604]

With a hand that you would normal go in in about mid position. It also depends on how many are in the hand. If there are enough players in the hand then any two can do as the odds are there.

[Quads]

Kind of a wide open question.

What price am I getting on my money? 2:1? 3:1? If I'm getting such a good price on my money, I'll come in with [just about] anything.

Also based / dependant on what hand am I holding?
I'll typically dump anything outside of 1 gap suited connectors, and naked monkeys with at least a 9 or T or better to follow.

But again, so very dependant on the price in my money and the fabric of the table, number of players, raise, amount / position of raise, etc.

[dad604]

Originally Posted by Quads

Kind of a wide open question.

What price am I getting on my money? 2:1? 3:1? If I'm getting such a good price on my money, I'll come in with anything.

Also based / dependant on what hand am I holding?
I'll typically dump anything outside of 1 gap suited connectors, and naked monkeys with at least a 9 or T or better to follow.

But again, so very dependant on the price in my money and the fabric of the table, number of players, raise, amount / position of raise, etc.

Yup, agree. As with a lot of poker questions, the answer is "it depends"
Under certain conditions, any 2 will do. Under others, KK can be folded.

[jojobinks]

the blinds are usually not enough for me to consider them significant enough to defend.

a typical situation: 1/2 game. middle position player brings it in for $8 and it folds to me in the big blind. it's $6 to win $11. it's almost 2:1, but with MOST hands it's hard to hit the flop hard enough to know if you're ahead. calling with a hand like KJ in this situation is generally a loser, as you won't know what to do if you flop a pair. small pocket pairs aren't no-brainers either. against a single opponent, unless you know the guy will way overplay a big pair, you just can't paid off enough.

unless i'm in a game where i'll have my blind terrorized unless i play once in a while, i just give it up with marginal hands.

[whataboutj]

Thanks guys - I guess I did leave the question a bit open for interpretation. What got me thinking about it was the other night when I was playing cash/FR game on P*. Admitidly it was micro stakes but a player 2 seats to my right consistently raised when I was in the SB & BB. the raise was 5-7x BB. I ended up folding some hands I would have played if the blind wasn't raised so much (like 2-3 suited as an aexample). Given the answers here I guess I should have called the raise because I was getting the right pot odds (I think)

in a $.10/$.25 game (FR 9 players). I am BB and the button raises to $1.50 unopened pre flop - sb folds & I am looking at 2-3 suited do I fold? what about mid suited connectors?

I guess the other thing to do would have been to re-raise him at least once to see if he was consistentely trying to steal.

I took a differnet approach and just left the table and went to another

[jdunford]

Originally Posted by whataboutj

in a $.10/$.25 game (FR 9 players). I am BB and the button raises to $1.50 unopened pre flop - sb folds & I am looking at 2-3 suited do I fold? what about mid suited connectors?

You're only getting 1.48:1 odds (calling $1.25 into a $1.85 pot). That's an insta-fold for me with 23s. Even middle suited connectors... I'm going to pick my spots. If he does it every time for 5 or 6 orbits, then you know he must be bluffing some of the time - but I need some cards in order to stand up to him, in the off chance he calls with something better than 23s.

Maybe if I at least had a half-decent ace - A8 or something, I might consider reraising once to see what happens. That way, I at least have something to showdown. But you're going to have to reraise to at least $4. If you were to min-raise, then he'd have odds to call with just about any 2 cards.

[WolfPack]

most people do play cash games tighter than they do a tourney.

as for calling from the blind, pot odds was already addressed, it also dpends on who is doing the raising, is someone playing position and raising you everytime, then i would be more likely to call than if it's random people raising when my blind hits.

[dad604]

Here is link to part 1 of 3 parts to playing limit.


http://www.cardplayer.com/magazine/article/15188