Limit Hold ’em - Playing from the Big Blind
Developing good hand selection skills in the big blind is slightly more complicated then doing so from the small blind. The ‘if you would play it from the button you should play it here’ rule doesn’t apply, since this rule would have you folding far too many hands. When you’re playing from the big blind your pot odds are usually more favorable then they are from the small blind, so folding too many hands when the pot has been raised can be a real mistake. On the other hand it’s very easy to get carried away and start playing more hands than is prudent.
My basic rules for big blind play are as follows. Of course, these only apply to those spots where the pot has been raised. When the pot is un-raised you’ll obviously play anything you are dealt, since it’s costing you nothing extra to continue with the hand. I’ve listed the ‘type’ of hand on the left, and the minimum I need in the way of immediate pot odds on the right.
| Hand Type | Pot Odds |
|---|---|
| Small pocket pair | 5.1 |
| Small suited connectors and one-gappers (76s, 86s, 45s, etc) | 7.1 |
| Medium suited connectors (98s, T8s, 97s, etc) | 5.1 |
| Suited two gappers (J8s, T7s, 85s) | 7.1 |
| Two suited cards, both 9 or higher (A9s, KTs, etc) | 3.1 |
| Premium unsuited hands (AK, AQ, AJ, KQ) | 3.1 |
| Marginal unsuited hands (KT, QT, AT, KJ,QT) | 7.1 |
| Any two suited cards not listed above | 9.1 |
| Any two unsuited connectors not listed above | 11.1 |
Note that these rules are guidelines for calling. There are many situations where you would like to raise from the big blind as well. Hands like AA, KK, QQ, AK, AKs, AQs, and so forth should frequently be raised from the big blinds. So should hands like small pocket pairs and medium suited connectors (or better) if six or more people are already committed to the pot.
Also, this list doesn’t include calling requirement when you’re against a raiser who appears to be trying to steal the blinds. If, for instance, everyone folds around to the button, and the button now raises it’s very likely that he doesn’t have much of hand and it simply trying to pick up the blinds. In this spot you should be at least calling with any ace, any king with a kicker of 8 or higher, any pocket pair, and probably any other hand where both cards are bigger than a 9.
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