How do you approach defending your big blind against a raise from the small blind?

How do you approach defending your big blind against a raise from the small blind?

Correct Answer: B. Defend more liberally because you have already invested in the pot and are getting good pot odds (Correct)

Explanation:

When you are in the big blind and face a raise from the small blind, you should defend more liberally because of the pot odds and your positional advantage post-flop. The small blind is likely to be raising with a wide range of hands, especially in blind vs. blind situations. Since you have already invested in the pot and are getting good pot odds, it makes sense to call more often to see a flop. Additionally, you will be in position after the flop, allowing you to make more informed decisions based on your opponent’s actions.

Example to Illustrate the Concept:

Scenario:

• Table Setup: A nine-player Texas Hold’em game.
• You: Are in the big blind.
• Opponent: Small blind raises to 3 big blinds.
• Your Hand: 9♠️ 7♠️

Defending More Liberally:

1. Pot Odds:
   • Big Blind: 1 big blind already invested.
   • Small Blind Raise: 3 big blinds.
   • Pot Size: 4.5 big blinds (before your call).
   • Cost to Call: 2 big blinds.
   • Pot Odds Calculation: 2 big blinds to call into a pot of 4.5 big blinds, giving you pot odds of 2:4.5 or approximately 1:2.25.

   Given these pot odds, you only need about 31% equity to make the call profitable.

2. Positional Advantage:
   • Post-Flop: You will act after the small blind, giving you the advantage of seeing their action before making your decision.

Practical Example:

• Hand: 9♠️ 7♠️
• Position: Big blind.
• Action: Small blind raises to 3 big blinds.

Defending the Big Blind:

• Decision: Call the raise.
• Reasoning: 9♠️ 7♠️ is a speculative hand with good potential to hit strong draws and made hands on the flop. Given the pot odds and the positional advantage, calling to see a flop is a profitable play.
  • Flop: Comes J♠️ 8♠️ 3♦️.
  • Situation: You have a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw. The positional advantage allows you to see how the small blind acts first, giving you more information to decide whether to continue aggressively or call a bet.

Alternative Example with Different Hand:

• Hand: K♣️ 10♣️
• Position: Big blind.
• Action: Small blind raises to 3 big blinds.

Defending the Big Blind:

• Decision: Call the raise.
• Reasoning: K♣️ 10♣️ is a strong hand that can make top pairs, strong two pairs, straights, and flushes. Given the pot odds and the positional advantage, calling is a strong play.
  • Flop: Comes Q♦️ 10♠️ 4♣️.
  • Situation: You have middle pair with a decent kicker. You can decide to check-call, check-raise, or bet based on the small blind’s action, leveraging your positional advantage to make the best decision.

Conclusion:

When defending your big blind against a raise from the small blind, you should defend more liberally because you are getting good pot odds and will have positional advantage post-flop. This approach allows you to exploit the small blind’s wide raising range and make profitable calls with a variety of hands, increasing your overall profitability in blind vs. blind situations.