Small blind is a pisser

[PShabi]

But most short-seated players say that you have to make more steals and defend more in the blinds. Isn't what your saying here contradicting that?

Can a novice be successful at 3/6 or above (6max) without being aggressive in defending?

[Talking Poker]

Yes. I certainly was. I used to play the blinds much tighter than I do now.

I agree with bdawg here.

[PShabi]

I need to reevaluate my blind plays. It just seems I'm in so many marginal situations and I beat myself up over making the correct decision when there's no cut and dry correct choice.

I'm just gonna start posting hands.

[lightfungus]

Did PokerNovice change to bdawg?

[bdawg31]

Yeah, i changed my name on here to be my normal screen name when playing.

[Talking Poker]

Dude, this was so last week:

[bdawg31]

..one would think you would have to steal/defend more - since the blinds come around so fast and blah-blah-blah. But, the fact is, vs the 'gamblers' and goofs that you are going to see - you get paid PLENTY on your legitimate hands to make up for all of that.

Also, it is rare that you steal many blinds. I think TP will back me on this - but i RARELY see a raise and all fold preflop. Not enough to make it a profitable play. You might want to throw in some semi-bluff steals to mix things up when you are the first in - but dont make it a rule.

Now, lets say that we had a 6-seated table with TP, you, Chip, AEQ, me (if i may be so bold to lump myself in that group) buckets, etc... - THEN i would say you would have to take that strategy of stealing/defending more often. But a table with you, one other strong player and 4 dorks - i dont think its worth it.

I will defend my BB a little loose vs SB only due to positional advantage. I dont get cute with early position raisers. I have noticed that cutting down on the blatant steal attempts as well as over-defending seems to cut down on my fluxuations. Maybe long-term there is some profit in doing it right - but for someone newer to short-seated (and heck i have logged quite a few hands and i dont do it that much) i dont think its worth it.

[Aequitas58]

Good analysis ... even better that I'm mentioned... umm, what else...

LOL.

Just to elaborate, or add to what you were saying: at the lower limits I don't think "stealing" is profitable. "Stealing" means that you are betting / raising w/ garbage looking to take the pot or blinds. J2o, 93s, etc. Shit hands.

Value-betting with position, on the other hand, can and is profitable. Let's say our hero is on the button w/ A9s. (If it's folded to him at a 6Max game), the proper move is a raise here. Against two random hands (SB, BB) I think he's ahead. Of course, this looks like a steal to either blind.

So the more difficult question is what happens if / when it's threebet.

[Talking Poker]

Given this definition, I virtually never try to steal blinds in 6 max limit.

[nutbag]

Getting in late from the original post. From the frist part I completely agree with TP about sb seeing a bunch but giving up almost all of them post.

While for the part you asked about defending blinds. I hate defending in the Sb, you're always out of position, and unless you hit something big, It's tough to take the lead in the hand. Persoanlly, I used to end up in way to many, Call, hit pair, checkraise, then you bet and get raised again. Besides premium hands, It think it's really difficult to play other hands profitably from the sb. Plus I'm just not good enough to lay down hands when I hit a pair but still run into aggression, so I try to avoid the situation with marginal hands instead of playing them.