Playing From The Blinds

Most online poker players expect to lose money from the blinds and there’s no way around it.  You’re forced to put money into a pot and it doesn’t matter if you’re holding 7-2 offsuit or pocket rockets and even if you hit a good hand, you’re in the worst position at the table post-flop, making every bet a struggle.  You’re probably not going to profit from the blinds, but there are ways to reduce their impact on your bankroll and game.

A very common mistake that poker players make when playing from the blinds is calling with a hand that’s likely to get beaten soundly.  You’re going to want to play because hey, you’ve got money in the hand, but it’s important to consider more than just pot odds and look at the implied odds.  Are you really that likely to have the best hand at the table, or are you just playing because you perceive that you have some stake in the hand?

Strong action?  Trouble.  If you see normally tight players raising, early players going in hard?  That’s a warning and you’ll need a mighty good reason to continue.  If you’ve got weak Ace-x or King-x hands, fold them.  Call raises on low/mid pocket pairs as long as you’ve not seen a three-bet, but keep an eye on the stack and who did the raise on the preflop.  Suited connectors are not ideal but if more than one player is involved and you can see the flop without spending much more money, go for it.

Medium action isn’t as dangerous, but you should certainly stay aware.  If you see raises from loose-aggressive players and weak players are making calls, make sure you have a strong enough hand to dominate a bit.  Fold the crap – there’s no need to risk any more money, but if you have a strong hand and can make a three-bet that gets more out of the pot, there’s no reason to avoid it.  There’s going to be stubborn players and calling stations who are going to drag your play down a bit and you’ll often be forced to check-fold just to get an idea of what’s happening next.

Weak action, where players are limping in and you’re in the small blinds?  Open up your range a bit and punish the limpers a bit by joining them and then trapping them.   If you can get 3:1 on your money, then you’re set but be aware of how your opponents play.  Slow-playing or limping in can be a critical error and send your stack into somebody else’s hands unless you really know what you’re doing.

Hopefully these tips will help you keep from hemorrhaging chips at the table and keep your game a profitable one.