The term 'big blind' in poker refers to the seat located directly to the left of the small blind seat at the table. Additionally, the term describes the compulsory wager that a player in this position must contribute before receiving their cards.
In this guide, we will cover the following topics -
- What is the value of the big blind bet in poker?
- What strategies should we employ when playing from the big blind in poker?
- What kind of winrate is reasonable to expect when playing from the big blind?
- Why does the big blind act last preflop?
- How common is it to cold call from the big blind in poker?
- How frequently should we three-bet from the big blind in poker?
What is the Value of the Big Blind Bet in Poker?
Typically, the big blind amount is set at double the small blind value, although this can differ depending on the poker room's rules. The big blind is the second figure that defines the stakes for a game. For example, if the stakes are shown as $1 / $2, this indicates that the big blind is $2 while the small blind is $1.
What Strategies Should We Use When Playing from the Big Blind?
Calling a varied range of hands from the big blind is essential for an effective poker strategy. Since we have already contributed the mandatory big blind, it gives us a sort of discount for any calls made preflop. Moreover, we effectively close off the betting action before the flop, ensuring we see the flop after making a cold call.
What is a Good Winrate When Playing from the Big Blind?
Experiencing a negative winrate from the big blind is quite common and typically expected. Being compelled to post 1bb without having seen any cards places the player at a significant disadvantage. A skilled player might expect a winrate around -30bb/100 hands in the big blind. To give some context, if we folded every time we were in the big blind position, our winrate there would be -100bb/100 hands. Therefore, -30bb/100 represents a noteworthy improvement.
Why Does the Big Blind Act Last Preflop?
Why is it that the big blind has the final action preflop instead of the button during a game of Hold’em? In a way, it doesn’t actually act last; it acts second preflop (after the small blind). The compulsory blind contributions are considered the initial actions in the preflop betting round. Consequently, the blinds must take action a second time preflop to respond to any raises made by other players. This concept is referred to as relative position.
How Often Should We Cold Call from the Big Blind in Poker?
Competitive players often choose to cold call at least 27% of hands from the big blind, but this number is just an average guideline. It makes sense to expand our calling range against small blind and button openings while tightening up against raises from earlier positions. In contests between the big blind (BB) and the small blind (SB), a proficient player typically cold calls at least 35% of their holdings, and this could extend even further based on the size of the open raise.
How Frequently Should We Three-Bet from the Big Blind in Poker?
Skilled players commonly three-bet approximately 8% of hands from the big blind; however, this is a general average. It is advisable to be more aggressive with three-betting against small blind and button raises while being more conservative against early position raises. In a BB versus SB situation, a good player may three-bet around 15% of their holdings.
Summary
The big blind position is not typically regarded as one of the strongest at the table since it often requires playing out of position after the flop. Nevertheless, due to the necessity of contributing 1bb preflop, it's strategically beneficial to defend a broad range of hands when facing open raises. Additionally, the big blind maintains positional advantage against the small blind, warranting an active defense against any open raises from that position.