Pro Texas Holdem Strategy

Why Are Blinds Used In Poker?

If there was no incentive to actually play a hand, a table of tight players might all fold and then where would you be? In order to prevent a no hand re-deal, two forced bets are made before each hand is dealt. They are the small blind and the big blind.

The Values Of Blinds

The big blind is equal to the table limit at the time. If you are playing 2-4 limit poker, the big blind is $2 because that’s the first round limit. The small blind is $1. If you are playing no limit poker, there will always be a set small and big blind. The most popular no limit game in a casino is 1-2. In other words, the big blind is $2, the small blind $1. The big games can have blinds in the hundreds or more.

Tournament Blinds

In tournament play, the blinds increase as the tournament progresses. In the biggest tournaments, blinds start small and increase slowly, as much as 90 minutes before increasing. In smaller tournaments, you may have as little as 15 minutes at each blind level. These tournaments will finish quickly since the blinds escalate so fast that it is impossible for players to just wait for premium hands. The increasing blinds will take your chips if you are too patient.

Fold Marginal Hands When In The Blinds

If you are in the blinds, you’re first action will come last at the table. First to act is left of the big blind. The small blind will make his decision following the dealer, and the big blind will be last. By the time the play gets to you, there may have been raises, re-raises and all-ins. If you have a hand that you might have liked to play before all of this action, you will need to reassess your involvement.

Marginal hands after raises and re-raises are unplayable in the blinds. That is unless you have an insatiable gambling spirit or don’t mind losing the majority of your chips. With all that action, you can be sure that you’re facing a very good hand from someone.

Asses Odds Not Luck

If the betting comes to you in either the small or big blind and no one has raised, you may want to put the pressure on, especially if you have a relatively big hand. Do this only after becoming familiar with the other players at the table. Usually if you have a less than premium hand and others get involved with you, you are not going to be favored to win the hand. That doesn’t mean that you won’t pull it off from time to time, but the best players assess situations according to the odds that exist.

Speaking of odds, since you are last to act in the blinds pre-flop, there’s a chance that the money in the pot will bring some of those marginal hands into play. Proceed gently and be prepared to fold if the flop misses you. You will be first to act after the flop, knowing that there is action to come after your play.

Raising Tells Players About Your Hand

Raising from the blinds tells the other players one of two things. You’ve got a big hand and would like to have as much action after your raise as you can get or, you do not want any action and are trying to force the other players to lay down their hands. Hands that are commonly raised very high in the big blind are A-K and perhaps small pairs.

Protecting Your Blind

Some players will do everything they can to defend their blind. In other words, since they were forced to put chips into the pot, they want to see the flop. For many players, their blind hands are the only “unplayable” hands that they’ll get involved with.

Most players don’t play 2-6 offsuit very often. But if you’ve gotten that hand in the blind and the flop comes 6-6-2, you’d like to rake in the chips. If someone raises you before you have a chance to see the flop, you’ll never get to benefit from that “big blind special”.

Defending the blind is a risky play. Just because you were dealt 2-6 when you were in the big blind, it doesn’t mean the 2-6 is a playable hand. More than likely it won’t turn out to be a winner and you will have called off a pile of chips to the raiser.

Some marginal hands like A-7 or K-10 might be playable if the raise wasn’t too extreme. It is more likely that either of those hands will come through than might 2-6 or 5-9. You did have a few chips in the pot before the raise, so it wouldn’t be too much to ask if you only had to put in another bet the size of the one you had in already.

You might be suspicious of the raise. You may think your opponent was just trying to steal your blind.

Strategy For Stealing Blinds

Don’t worry, they won’t call security if you steal someone’s blind. By raising before or on the button, you may get the blinds to fold. This is a particularly common play in tournaments. Most tournaments go on for hours, in some cases days. Over the course of a tournament, you’ve got to win chips at a relatively regular pace. Stealing blinds is one way to keep your chip stack growing.

Read More About Stealing Blinds

Poker Takes Time To Master

Beware though. If you are re-raised by the big blind, chances are good that they’ve got something very playable. If you are holding two poor or marginal cards, you might decide to get out cheaply. And if you suspect that the blind is just defending his blind, you may think a re-raise is in order.

Remember the “takes a lifetime to master,” saying? As you can see there are many things to consider to be a consistent winner. Mastery of playing the blinds is just one aspect.

Blind Play

What Is A Blind?

If there was no incentive to actually play a hand, a table of tight players might all fold and then where would you be? In order to prevent a no hand re-deal, two forced bets are made before each hand is dealt. They are the small blind and the big blind.

The big blind is equal to the table limit at the time. If you are playing 2-4 limit poker, the big blind is $2 because that’s the first round limit. The small blind is $1. If you are playing no limit poker, there will always be a set small and big blind. The most popular no limit game in a casino is 1-2. In other words, the big blind is $2, the small blind $1. The big games can have blinds in the hundreds or more.

In tournament play, the blinds increase as the tournament progresses. In the biggest tournaments, blinds start small and increase slowly, as much as 90 minutes before increasing. In smaller tournaments, you may have as little as 15 minutes at each blind level. These tournaments will finish quickly since the blinds escalate so fast that it is impossible for players to just wait for premium hands. The increasing blinds will take your chips if you are too patient.

When Do I Raise Or Fold?

If you are in the blinds, you’re first action will come last at the table. First to act is left of the big blind. The small blind will make his decision following the dealer, and the big blind will be last. By the time the play gets to you, there may have been raises, re-raises and all-ins. If you have a hand that you might have liked to play before all of this action, you will need to reassess your involvement.

Marginal hands after raises and re-raises are unplayable in the blinds. That is unless you have an insatiable gambling spirit or don’t mind losing the majority of your chips. With all that action, you can be sure that you’re facing a very good hand from someone.

If the betting comes to you in either the small or big blind and no one has raised, you may want to put the pressure on, especially if you have a relatively big hand. Do this only after becoming familiar with the other players at the table. Usually if you have a less than premium hand and others get involved with you, you are not going to be favored to win the hand. That doesn’t mean that you won’t pull it off from time to time, but the best players assess situations according to the odds that exist.

Speaking of odds, since you are last to act in the blinds pre-flop, there’s a chance that the money in the pot will bring some of those marginal hands into play. Proceed gently and be prepared to fold if the flop misses you. You will be first to act after the flop, knowing that there is action to come after your play.

Raising from the blinds tells the other players one of two things. You’ve got a big hand and would like to have as much action after your raise as you can get or, you do not want any action and are trying to force the other players to lay down their hands. Hands that are commonly raised very high in the big blind are A-K and perhaps small pairs.

How Do I “Protect” The Blind?

Some players will do everything they can to defend their blind. In other words, since they were forced to put chips into the pot, they want to see the flop. For many players, their blind hands are the only “unplayable” hands that they’ll get involved with.

Most players don’t play 2-6 offsuit very often. But if you’ve gotten that hand in the blind and the flop comes 6-6-2, you’d like to rake in the chips. If someone raises you before you have a chance to see the flop, you’ll never get to benefit from that “big blind special”.

Defending the blind is a risky play. Just because you were dealt 2-6 when you were in the big blind, it doesn’t mean the 2-6 is a playable hand. More than likely it won’t turn out to be a winner and you will have called off a pile of chips to the raiser.

Some marginal hands like A-7 or K-10 might be playable if the raise wasn’t too extreme. It is more likely that either of those hands will come through than might 2-6 or 5-9. You did have a few chips in the pot before the raise, so it wouldn’t be too much to ask if you only had to put in another bet the size of the one you had in already.

You might be suspicious of the raise. You may think your opponent was just trying to steal your blind.

How Do I Steal The Blind?

Don’t worry, they won’t call security if you steal someone’s blind. By raising before or on the button, you may get the blinds to fold. This is a particularly common play in tournaments. Most tournaments go on for hours, in some cases days. Over the course of a tournament, you’ve got to win chips at a relatively regular pace. Stealing blinds is one way to keep your chip stack growing.

Beware though. If you are re-raised by the big blind, chances are good that they’ve got something very playable. If you are holding two poor or marginal cards, you might decide to get out cheaply. And if you suspect that the blind is just defending his blind, you may think a re-raise is in order.

Remember the “takes a lifetime to master,” saying? As you can see there are many things to consider to be a consistent winner. Mastery of playing the blinds is just one aspect.