Blind Defense with Suited Connectors (2)

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Blind defence with suited connectors (2)

by Miiwiin

In the second and final part of blind defence with suited connectors we will primarily deal with examples in which a variety of opponents who want to lure you away from your blind. You'll find yourself in the small blind and then in a separate example, you'll be in a blind battle. We'll also look at the play associated with this postflop.

Small blind and blind battle

As mentioned in the columns 'Blind Defence with Dominated Hands - Button vs Small Blind' and 'Blind Defence with Dominated Hands - Small Blind vs Big Blind“, these battles have their haben diese Kämpfe ihre Besonderheiten.

If you're acting in the Small Blind, you don't just need to pay attention to the button, but also to the big blind who has yet to act behind you. In contrast, things are a bit looser now and then in the blind battle, you'll find it harder to estimate opponents' ranges, but you will have position on your opponent.

Here, too the difference to the game with suited connectors applies, unlike with dominated hands: a fold is possible at any time.

Button vs small blind

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
BB ($100) (37/10/1.3/22/29/488) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/Hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (22/18/3.2/41/26/1409) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/Hands]

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7 , 6
3 folds, BU raises to $4.00, Hero...

A relatively aggressive button tries to steal. The big blind is quite loose, you find it tricky to anticipate his action.

A 3-bet poses the following problems:

For starters, you'll have to eliminate both opponents preflop. This is possible, however, with this big blind, you can also be quite confiedent that he'll call your 3-bet.

If the big blind should fold, you'll give the button an opportunity to 4-bet you. Should he call, the button can often place his hopes in a postflop move, which you'll generally find it hard to stand up against.

Alternatively, a call would be possible. The big blind will often call as well. You've got nothing against a multi-way pot with a suited connector, even if you do have to act out of position.

You can also weigh up a fold. With a call, you'll also show the blind that he shouldn't keep trying to get his hands on your blinds. This is an important point, why a call (or a 3-bet) makes sense. A fold out of position would only definitely be a better choice to one single hand.

As you believe that the big blind often stays in the pot, your implied odds will increase as well, however, the fold equity will sink. This means fantastic moves are out of the question, as you generally have to hope for a hit or consider a passive play with a draw.

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
BB ($100) (37/10/1.3/22/29/488) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/Hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (22/18/3.2/41/26/1409) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/Hands]

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7 , 6
3 folds, BU raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00, BB calls$ 4.00

Flop: ($12.00) 5, 4, Q (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, BU bets $9.00, Hero...

You'll often provoke precisely this problem with a call. You've hit an open-ended straight draw, you could hardly expect much more. You also take the back door flush into account. You check and button bets. You could check raise here, however, in that case, you'll also have to consider the big blind. There's not a lot more than a call in it, whereby turn play out of position won't be easy.

this isn't a bad play, however it should indicate that you need to think preflop about whether you'll act in this situation and if so, how. If you don't like spots like this, then fold preflop or bluff with 3-bet/fold.

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
BB ($100) (24/21/3.3/37/24/300) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/Hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (15/12/2.5/29/24/2244) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/Hands]

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7 , 6
3 folds, BU raises to $4.00, Hero...

The situation remains the same, only your opponents have changed. The problem can be quickly identified in this case: it's the big blind.

The button is very tight, you can't go wrong against this opponent with 3-bet/fold. You can also consider a call, if you either have enough implied odds or if you give yourself enough fold equity postflop (i.e. with a bluff check-raise).

However, the big blind is quite aggressive. If you call, you're inviting him to squeeze. Afterwards you'll have to fold your hand straight away.

If this kind of aggressive player is behind you in the big blind, the only real options availale to you are fold or 3-bet. If you were quite passive up to now and haven't shown yourself up with strange plays, a 3-bet would be quite appropriate here.

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
BB ($100) (24/21/3.3/37/24/300) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (15/12/2.5/29/24/2244) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7 , 6
3 folds, BU raises to $4.00, Hero raises to $14.00, 1 fold, BU calls $14.00

Flop: ($28.50) K, Q, 5 (2 players)
Hero...

Even if you didn't expect it, the tight button will find a call preflop against your 3-bet. How can he do this?  He either traps with strong hands (AA-QQ), calls with speculative broadways (AK/AQ/KQ), calls with pocket pairs (JJ-) or with drawing hands, to bluff you out of the pot now and again.

He'll have hit this flop quite often, accordingly, your options are very restricted. Check/call out of position in the hope of hitting your flush will hardly be sufficient.

Either you conti-bet and fold to a raise or you play check raise all-in (a freecard won't do you any harm).

You simply need to ask yourself:

• Do you want to go all-in on this flop?
• Do you see fold equity against better hands?
• Does the button tends to bluff if you check?
• Could he even bluff raise your contibet?

If Villain raises your contibet, the fold equity is close to zero and you won't be in a strong enough position with your with your 9-outer against any made hand. This means the line bet/3-bet isn't profitable.

With a check raise you may provoke a bluff bet and generate masses of fold equity if you push to his bet.

Small blind vs big blind

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
SB ($100) (29/14/2.0/28/29/199) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (26/22/3.4/39/24/819) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]

Preflop: Hero is BB with T , 9
4 folds, SB raises to $4.00, Hero...

Your blind will be attacked by a relatively loose player who appears to be quite passive otherwise. Whereas the button is a player who will regularly attack the blinds with ATS of 39. Thus the first assumption is that this situation will crop up very rarely.

Your positional advantage is clear. However, the small blind is regularly in the position to call a potential 3-bet on your part. As you can act in position postflop, you could live with this, at a push.

All options are open to you here. As you don't have to balance anything against this opponent, you can easily find a fold. A call is equally possible, as if you hit postflop, this opponent will pay out to you quite often.

As mentioned, a 3-bet isn't a mistake either. However, fold equity should be present preflop as well as from a continuation bet on the flop.

This time, however, you decide on a call.

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
SB ($100) (29/14/2.0/28/29/199) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (26/22/3.4/39/24/819) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]

Preflop: Hero is BB with T , 9
4 folds, SB raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00

Flop: ($8.00) 7, 8, K (2 players)
SB bets $4.00, Hero...

You hit a very strong draw on the flop, however you need fold equity for an aggressive play. If you raise here, you'll also need to push a call. If you don't want this, a call should be sufficient. You can easily calculate implied odds for yourself.

Turn: ($16.00) 3 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

If you were holding a made hand here, a bet/fold would be ok. You'll get a free showdown quite often with this. However, ultimately you're not holding anything, so you would be building on the fold equity. You can't hold up against a check raise anymore, as your draw can only be completed by one outstanding card.

River: ($16.00) A (2 players)
SB bets $8.00, Hero raises to $25.00

You know need to extract value in the blind battle. If Villain pushes his stong flush here, it's just bad luck. However, he'll tend to overplay marginal hands more.

He can easily have been holding a strong hand on the flop an the turn, with the plan to play bet/3-bet on the flop, however, he tried a check raise on the turn following your call. He'll rarely put you on a draw.

So your play is raise/call (push) river. To demonstrate this here's a possible range with which he'll likely go borke (note: not all possible strong flushes are covered here, but there are certainly no weak ones).

Board: Ah Kh 8h 7d 3c
Dead:
Equity Win Draw Lose Hand
Player 1: 80.000% 80.000% 0.000% 20.000% Th9h
Player 2: 20.000% 20.000% 0.000% 80.000% KK+, 77-88, 33, AKs, AKo,QhJh,Qh8h,Jh7h,Jh6h,Jh5h,Qh7h,Qh6h

PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6-handed) HandRecorder v0.9b

Stacks & Stats
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
UTG ($100)
SB ($100) (26/22/3.0/42/25/500) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]
Hero ($100)
BU ($100) (13/10/2.4/27/25/300) [VPIP/PFR/AF/ATS/WTS/hands]

Preflop: Hero is BB with T , 9
4 folds, SB raises to $4.00, Hero...

This time the small blind is quite a loose aggressive player, who is less likely to call your possible 3-bet, although he'll regularly call a 3-bet or play or fold a 4-bet bluff.

The button seems tighter and doesn't seem to want to attack the blinds all that often. Therefore, you need to assume that you'll need to regularly defend yourself against attacks from the small blind.

That's why a call isn't really ideal. You have position, however this opponent will barrel twice quite a lot.  That's why it's less likely that you can make a profitable float bet. Depending on previous action you've got the options 3-bet or fold.