How do you play when you're in the Big Blind and face a raise?

L

lapgame

Enthusiast
Bronze Level
Joined
Dec 27, 2023
Total posts
42
BR
Chips
80
I'm trying to improve my game out of position and I notice that I have difficulty when I'm in the big blind and someone raises before me. I tend to overpay or fold hands that might be playable.

What factors do you consider when deciding whether to pay, increase, or quit? Type: raiser position, magnification size, hand type, stack, etc?
What is your logic in this situation?
 
DiazPoker3101

DiazPoker3101

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 28, 2021
Total posts
746
Awards
3
AR
Chips
424
Evaluate the risk and the stage of the tournament — if it’s early on, you can defend more from the blinds; in the bubble, stick to premiums and connected suited cards, I guess. But that really depends on the kind of game strategy you want to build.
 
s0ftdumps

s0ftdumps

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Total posts
490
Awards
1
CA
Chips
286
I'm trying to improve my game out of position and I notice that I have difficulty when I'm in the big blind and someone raises before me. I tend to overpay or fold hands that might be playable.

What factors do you consider when deciding whether to pay, increase, or quit? Type: raiser position, magnification size, hand type, stack, etc?
What is your logic in this situation?
Unless you have a read on the player it's good to stick with the tables which I believe have a slightly expanded range. treat your blind like a discount and play proportional to the discounted risk!
 
NKGB13

NKGB13

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Jul 31, 2015
Total posts
1,333
Awards
6
BR
Chips
249
ofc there are many factors that influence my decision but in resume, and to ease the decision making, I tend to play 65% of the hands in BB mixing with 3bets and calls.

access GTO wizard and use your 5 free pre-flop analysis and check out what is the best strategy. that helped me a lot!
 
Marshmalo1994

Marshmalo1994

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Sep 17, 2022
Total posts
2,621
Awards
1
AR
Chips
1,284
I'm trying to improve my game out of position and I notice that I have difficulty when I'm in the big blind and someone raises before me. I tend to overpay or fold hands that might be playable.

What factors do you consider when deciding whether to pay, increase, or quit? Type: raiser position, magnification size, hand type, stack, etc?
What is your logic in this situation?
Each scenario is different, but generally is correct thinking in pot/odds.
The free version of GTO Wizard is very usefull. You can use it with Poker Equilab.
 
dannystanks

dannystanks

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 25, 2023
Total posts
933
US
Chips
709
The things I consider when in the big blind, my stack size is the first thing. Ranges will change with different stack sizes. I consider what position the raise came from, because those ranges will be different depending on position. I consider the player type that made the raise, are they tight, loose, aggressive, new. Also I consider how many players are in the pot.
 
eberetta1

eberetta1

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Total posts
2,480
Awards
7
US
Chips
607
I am kind of weak with that. If I have a premium hand I will shove, otherwise I just quietly fold a lousy hand.
 
Alex Houngan

Alex Houngan

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 15, 2018
Total posts
360
Awards
1
UA
Chips
292
When I'm in the Big Blind facing a raise, I first look at the raiser's position — a raise from early position usually means more strength, so I'm more cautious. I also consider the size of the raise and my pot odds; the bigger the raise, the stronger my hand needs to be to continue. On 888poker, I often check the raiser’s VPIP to see how loose they are — if it’s high, I’m more likely to defend light. Stack depth also plays a role, especially when deciding whether to just call or 3-bet with hands like suited connectors or medium pairs.
 
phantoma69

phantoma69

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Mar 13, 2025
Total posts
288
RS
Chips
210
If i have huge stack and that cards are playable i usually call, depends by position with chips
 
amonlima

amonlima

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 18, 2023
Total posts
677
Awards
1
BR
Chips
560
It all depends on the moment of the tournament, effective stack, position, players in the hand. Against early positions, we will defend less, vs late positions (Btn and HJ), we will have more 3bets with blocker and suited combos, we will defend less if we face a larger open size, if there are more people in the hand we will not defend as much as a spot hu, the shorter we are 10bb/20bb we will prioritize blocks more because we will not be able to achieve equity in our connected hands. And the deeper the stack, the more we will defend suited combos and connectors.
 
c.heck

c.heck

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jun 28, 2023
Total posts
307
NO
Chips
381
Depends... If the on who raise plays like a maniac I will call.
 
choprav

choprav

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 11, 2017
Total posts
530
Awards
3
GB
Chips
661
If I've got a marginal hand I'll call if it's raised from small blind - from early then fold. If good hand 3 bet
 
M

Margo17

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Total posts
238
BR
Chips
355
The deeper I bet, the more I defend myself with cards with good future equity, and the shorter I prioritize the main blockers like A and K.
 
F

fundiver199

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Total posts
15,591
Awards
2
Chips
821
Jonathan Littles video, which pentazepam has linked to, is quite good. But if you want a shorter version, then you defend less, the earlier position the raise is coming from, and the larger the raise size is. And you also defend less, when there is multiway action, which I think is a surprice to some people. Finally there are tournament specific ICM considerations. If you are a mid-stack on the bubble, maybe its better to just give up your big blind than play out of position against the chip leader, who has opened UTG.
 
Sparta77

Sparta77

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Nov 14, 2024
Total posts
589
HU
Chips
354
I raise it against a loose player.Against a passive player, the value of my card counts and I will decide in the case.
 
Top