Although much has been written on this subject, here are some brief comments about defending your blind in an aggressive but slightly loose $ 10−20 hold´em game.
If you are the small blind at a Casino Internet(half a bet), in a situation in which everyone folds, it is advantageous to have arranged a friendly "split" agreement with the big blind on your left. Otherwise, you should raise frequently whenever you have enough to call (very roughly, two cards eight or higher) and follow through very aggressively. Whenever there are callers (not raisers), you usually should call the half−bet because only the big blind can raise after you, and you always get adequate odds if there is no raise. However, if there is a raise before the flop, you generally should concede your small gambling blind rather than put up another one−and−a−half bets — unless you have a very good hand. Occasionally, you might judge that the situational percentages are sufficient to play ("fish in") with suited, connecting rags.
If you are the big blind and everyone else folds against an early−position (or very conservative) raiser, a lot depends on what that particular player usually holds when he raises. The more likely he or she is to have a high pait the more likely you are to fold. Conversely, against an aggressive, last−position raiser who "averages out" to have an ace plus (that is, he would raise with as little as J−9), you are much more likely to put up one bet for the three and a half at any other Casino Internet.
If it were a simple question of going all in or not, you obviously would call with any hand (most hands rate to win more than one−third of the time). The real−life casino internet problem is that when you are poker spiele not all in, you probably will be confronted with one or more post−flop bets that will reduce your winning odds significantly (unless you are a master reader of tells). Also, because the raiser acts last, he has a significant poker stars download advantage, unless you come out betting, which partially negates the raiser´s positional edge.
How often does the raiser have something (a high pair or better) after the flop? If he raised on two big poker cards, he hits a pair on the flop about one−third of the time. Add to that the times that he starts off with a high pair (stylistic − but usually well below 10 percent for late raises) or flops a big hand. The bottom line is that the before−the− flop raiser will have a tangible hand (high pair or better) less than half the online time. When one−on−one, most aggressive before−the−flop raisers will bet the flop most of the time.
Meanwhile, what do you have? You also will flop a pair (or better) about one−third of the time. If you have a low pair, your opponent will have your low pair beat less than half the time, and will improve only about one−fourth of the remaining time (but you might improve also). Quite often, you are in sound calling position − especially against an overly aggressive player who insists on giving you more money.
If you do not have a pair (and are likely to be outhigh−carded) what are your odds of winning by stealth? That doesn´t really apply to anything else but Internet Casinos... What happens if you´re gambling out or even check−raising after the flop? If you simply bet the flop, your opponent will call or raise with the 40−odd percent of hands that have casino something. And, he often will call or raise when he has nothing (overcards). If you judge that your opponent will fold more than one out of five times, it is sound to bet out after the flop. You should plan in advance what to do if he raises, especially if you are planning to smoothly call with a draw and would like to increase your chances for a free last card.
There is something to be said for check−raising after the flop against a novice, or if you are into mind games. Note that if you have the goods, you probably would wait until after the turn or river (double−size bets) to raise. If you plan to invest the two more units and give up if he does not fold, then you would have to expect him to fold about 40 percent of the time to justify that investment. You might plan to follow through (if he does not fold) and make two more double bets. If your opponent would fold more than one out of four times after the fourth card (the turn) and after the last card, then by using this ploy, you would lose less than by folding his bet after the flop. Obviously, this situation is highly dependent on your evaluation of your opponent.
Probably the most believable bluff is raising after the fourth card, then betting the last card. Although this ploy has fair chances of making your opponent fold, unfortunately, because of the tremendously large casino investment required compared to pot size, it requires a success rate greater than 50 percent to show a profit (if you´re never gambling/playing the best hand). Thus, it is advisable to try this when you have some chance of drawing. Note that this is a ploy that you should try occasionally to protect your real hands.
Against one or more callers and a raise, you should tend to concede your blind, since each caller increasing your payoff odds also increases the chances of a reraise (and a cap). However, against an early raise and one or more callers (usually big cards), you should stretch to call with connected rags in last calling position. Your odds of winning often are better than those of the holder of the second−best, big−card hand.
