Poker strategists discuss table position all of the time. Early, middle, and late positions have been thoroughly dissected from every angle so most people know how to bluff from these spots. But one area of the table you don’t see discussed much is the blinds – especially the big blind. That’s why many people aren’t sure on how to bluff from this position. With that in mind, let’s take a look at bluffing from the big blind.
Big Blind Bluffing
Some players dread when the big blind comes around since it means more chips out of their stack. But the big blind isn’t such a bad spot since you can make a lot of good bluffs from here. Being in the big blind pre-flop gives you a chance to check out all of the betting action before making your move. If you see a few limpers move into the pot from middle and late position, you’ll have a good chance to steal their bets with a good raise. When raising, make sure your bet is large so that nobody will be tempted to call you. Also, avoid trying to steal blinds if a tight player limps in from early position.
Analyzing the Raise
The danger with stealing blinds is that there’s always the chance somebody could have a great hand pre-flop and decide to call you. So you don’t want to be going all-in (unless you’re desperate), but you also don’t want to throw chips away with an insignificant raise that will be called. So a good rule of thumb is to make a raise that’s a little more than pot-sized. A raise of this size is enough to make other players think twice about calling you, yet not enough to cripple you provided somebody has great cards before the flop.
Tags: Betting, Poker Hands
It’s allways a great feeling to take the pot from BB with an avg hand, especially when your short stacked.