First, I would like to congratulate you for having a great site. It’s been very helpful to many poker players across the globe. Thanks a lot!

Well, I actually drop by because I’m now having problems about calling from the small blind. I believe everyone loses money playing from the blinds. But I’m now bothered, because of trying to control those losses, I may be already folding hands despite proper odds to call.

Consider in a Holdem No Limit 10 Seat ring game by which middle position player called the BB. Then 4 others called as well. And to see the flop, you have to place 1/2 a bet. And to call the bet, 9/1 by which you can call with any two cards then verify if you hit the flop.

Later on, only a couple of players called and so unfortunately will only be getting about 5/1 for half bet made. If you were on my shoes, what kind of cards should I play?

Then let’s say BB made a limit raise to two times the BB and then everyone at the table called to you therefore would only mean 5 or 6/1 for you. In your own point of view, should the raise be called? If in case it should be, what hands would you call with?

Thanks a lot!

Warm regards,
Jacob

Jacob,

When you are in the small blind to no raise and are getting at least 3 to 1 on your money, you need to call the blind. Personally, I will call with literally any hand in this scenario.

When you are facing a limit raise from the small blind, first you want to see at least two or more players in with you before expanding your range of hands. At that point, I would call with any reasonable hand. You don’t want to call with stuff like 8-2 offsuit, but any ace, any two big cards, and most suited connectors are reasonable.

For 6 months now, I’ve been playing No Limit Texas Hold’em. Well, right now, I don’t yet consider myself as a pro but perhaps just a reasonable one. I used to gather information on strategies, tactics, etc. but I don’t know what went wrong. Every time I try to use such information to my advantage, typically, I struggle.

Say for an instance, I’m playing online NL poker out of the small blind with KK. Everyone else called the BB, however, I re-raised strongly and then with just two players went into the flop. The flop then came back A, T, 6. As the first to act, I placed a bet twice the pot to find out my standing at the table. Well, one has folded but there was another who called. At some point, for not re-raising me back, I figured out that maybe he has an Ace with a weak kicker or otherwise just slow playing a big hand like trip T’s or 6′s.

Then the turn card is another Ace. I’m the first to act, but yet I’m confused on what must I do. Well, I believe I can big raise or even go all in at that instance but I don’t want the idea of throwing good money after bad. I can also check to him or put in a small bet, but I don’t want to appear weak.

In your point of view, what strategy should have I used at that instance? If I remained aggressive on the turn and then again on the river and accepted that I might be paying the other player off handsomely, do you think it could have helped? Same thing if in case I just check to him and eventually fold if he raises, do you think it could have been a much better move?

Thank you.

Denvel

Denvel,

The fact that he called your flop bet tells me that he either has a weak ace as you figure or is slow playing a set. When the turn fell another ace, I would either check to him or bet something small like 25% of the pot. This may look like weakness to some, but can also look like you are trying to milk a bet. If the player raises, you know where you are at. If they call, then I would slow down on the river.

There are some things that have been bothering my mind for some time now. Hope you can help me out.

1. Say in a $3/5 limit game, small blind puts in $1 and big blind puts in $3. Then the next to act is the person to the left of the big blind. What do you think, does he need to bet or check? By the way, the person being talked about here is in the “under the gun” position.
2. How about if the person bets $3 and there are calls all the way around. Do you think the small blind has to call $3? Or else just have to call $2 for getting a credit for his $1 small blind ante? How about for the big blind? I guess it will be the same thing.

Thanks!

Michael James

Michael,

1. The blinds are forced bets and therefore each player at the table must at least call the $3 big blind in order to stay in the pot. The under the gun player’s only options are to call or raise. They cannot check.
2. The small blind only has to complete the big blind bet of $3. If the pot is not raised by the time action is back on the big blind, the big blind can either check or raise.

I don’t know how blinds actually work in a head to head game. Can you explain it to me please? How about the non-dealer, will it be just the small blind? Then the dealer the big blind?

Thank you!

Ross

Ross,

Heads up poker is a little different than normal poker games. The button is actually the small blind. Heads-up, the button is the first to act preflop. The rest of the hand, the button is last to act.

Your site has been a great help. Thanks!

I am a regular visitor of your site actually, but still, I have some questions in mind that up to now were not yet answered.

Can you explain to me the betting side of the game? What are the important things I need to know about it? It seems quite confusing to me.

Alexzander

Alexzander,

Before each hand, the two players to the left of the button put up forced bets known as blinds. The first player puts up a small blind, and the second player puts up a big blind. The small blind is half the size of the big blind. In a $1-$2 blind No Limit Holdem game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind $2.

The first player after the big blind is the under the gun position and has the option to either call, raise, or fold. If they raise, they must raise at least the size of the big blind. The same decision is faced by each person until the action returns around to the blind. If nobody has raised the pot, the small blind may either call the big blind, raise, or fold. If the small blind does not raise, the big blind then has the option to either raise or check.

When choosing to raise the pot, a standard raise is considered to be 3 and one half times the big blind. You do have the option of raising up to the total amount in your stack.

I’m wondering, in heads up play, does the big blind shift to the person without the button? In online events, I noticed that when it comes down to heads up, the dealer suddenly doesn’t post the big blind, but just the little or small blind instead.

I’m troubled and clueless.

Theodore

Theodore,

In heads-up poker, the button posts the small blind. Preflop, the button is the first to act. The button is then last to act on all streets.

For an instance you are playing a 10/20 game. How much do you think a person in the small should pay? 5? Is it half of the smaller number or what?

How about the big blind, should he pay 10? Just equal to whatever the small or first number is? Then say the cards are dealt. Should the first person who is said to be “under the gun” call for at least 10 or else 20?

About the 2nd number what does it stands for? Any idea?

Thank you.

Mitchell

Mitchell,

What your are explaining is a Limit Holdem game with betting levels of 10 and 20. Preflop and on the flop, betting limits are $10, and betting on the turn and river is $20. In this game, the small blind is half of the small bet amount. In this case, the small blind is $5. The big blind is $10. The under the gun player must either call $10, raise to $20, or fold.

In a no limit event, can you play the next hand in case you don’t have sufficient chips for either the big or small blind? I’m confused.

Any advice? Please help me.

Thank you.

Marshall

Marshall,

If you do not have sufficient chips for the big blind, you can still play. You will be all-in for the amount that you have. As a result, the most you can win from each player is what you have in the pot.