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Figuring out easy methods to correctly defend in opposition to continuation bets taking part in in place is simply as necessary as understanding your out-of-position technique. In one in all our earlier articles, we’ve already lined this state of affairs for money video games, when efficient stacks are 100 large blinds.
Nonetheless, this case additionally happens in tournaments, albeit in all probability not on the similar frequency. Shorter stacks normally dictate extra of a 3-bet or fold technique, however you’ll nonetheless end up flat calling a guess IP to make learning these spots price your whereas.
That is an intensive matter if we cowl all doable situations. Thus, we’ll concentrate on the commonest one, which is if you flat a cutoff’s open on the button, taking part in with 40 large blinds efficient. We’ll additionally contact on a few different stack depths, specifically 25 and 60 large blinds. The main target of this text might be on dry flop textures.
As at all times, earlier than we proceed to particular examples and solver explanations, listed here are just a few major tricks to information you thru this lesson:
- We’re defending over 80% on dry ace-high flops, principally calling in place
- Flat name c-bets on high-card flops, defending between 50% and 65% relying on the sizing
- Defend at round 65% on dry low-card flops
Tip #1: Defend Over 80% on Dry Ace Excessive Flops
We’ll handle ace-high flops first, as these are those that the majority gamers are likely to battle with. On dry ace excessive flops like A♠9♥4&golf equipment;, we are able to anticipate to face a continuation guess simply round 30% of the time.
Your opponent might be utilizing the small, 25% pot sizing virtually completely, on condition that these textures join fairly nicely together with your in-position defending vary. Going through this small guess, we’ll proceed 85% of the time, with calling being our default motion, though a small share of raises can be within the combine.
As you may see from the share and the image above, in these situations, we’re solely folding absolutely the backside of our vary. Even fingers like QJo and KQo, which actually join poorly with this board, will proceed about half the time.
Our raises are reserved primarily for our strongest fingers on this spot, specifically, center and backside units, in addition to two pair combos. These are offset by “bluff” raises with some weaker aces, low pairs, and fingers with backdoor potential.
It’s important to notice that each one these fingers are included, however they solely elevate at a really low frequency, so that you shouldn’t go loopy and lift each time together with your pocket deuces right here.
Given the stack depth, when you elevate, your determination is straightforward on future streets. You’ll be able to commit the remainder of the chips to the pot with your entire strongest fingers and decelerate or fold dealing with aggression with the weakest elements of your vary.
On the stack depth of 60 large blinds, the cutoff participant will continuation guess at the next frequency, so you may anticipate to face a c-bet at virtually 55%. They’ll nonetheless be utilizing the small sizing, although, so our protection technique doesn’t change that a lot. We’re nonetheless defending round 83%, and elevating a bit extra, however general percentages are similar to these at 40 large blinds.
With shorter stacks, specifically at 25 large blinds efficient, the cutoff reverts again to c-betting at a low frequency, firing solely 25% of the time. What’s attention-grabbing is that our personal protection technique stays virtually unchanged in comparison with 40 large blind situations.
The most important distinction is that we’re calling extra and elevating turns into very uncommon. With this shallow stack depth, getting all of the chips within the center isn’t an issue by the river, and we’re not as involved about being outdrawn.
Tip #2 Excessive Card: Default to Calling as Foremost Protection Technique on Excessive Card Flops
Having lined ace-high flops, we are able to transfer on to a different necessary phase, which is flops containing a single excessive card.
On dry excessive card textures, reminiscent of Ok♥8♦2&golf equipment;, you may anticipate the cutoff to continuation guess at round 29% when taking part in 40 large blinds deep. In most cases, they’ll be utilizing a bigger, 67% of the pot sizing.
Our protection technique on this explicit spot is pretty simple as our solely GTO actions are to name or to fold. We’re calling with 65% of the vary and folding the remainder:
The most important takeaway right here is that, considerably shocking, we’re by no means elevating. Even the highest of our vary, reminiscent of flopped units and prime two pair combos, are completely satisfied to proceed as a pure name. As for the fingers we’re folding, these are those with no present showdown worth and little or no backdoor potential. You’ll additionally discover that with small pairs, reminiscent of 55 and 44, we stability between calling and folding at about 50%.
As soon as the cutoff passes on the chance to c-bet and checks, we are able to take over the betting lead about 60% of the time. There may be just about no hand in our vary that doesn’t guess at some frequency on this spot, with robust aces truly preferring to verify again, whereas susceptible fingers with showdown worth lean in the direction of betting:
At 60 large blinds efficient, the cutoff’s c-bet frequency stays just about unchanged, as they’re betting out 29% of the time. What does change, nonetheless, is the popular sizing once they do c-bet. About half the time, they’ll make the most of the total pot guess, and the opposite half balances between 67% and 25%.
As for our protection technique, we’re as soon as once more simply calling. Nonetheless, with the elevated c-bet dimension, our protection vary drops considerably, so we’re sticking round with 54% of our vary and folding the remainder.
Lastly, efficient stacks of 25 large blinds, the cutoff’s c-betting frequency drops considerably to only 19%. With a lot shallower stacks, they need to be way more cautious about dealing with the elevate.
After they do c-bet, they’ll use the 67% sizing about two-thirds of the time and 25% for the remainder.
Towards the massive guess sizing, we must always proceed as a pure name round 67% of the time and fold the remainder. Going through a smaller dimension, we are able to incorporate some raises with fingers like KQ, KJ, KT, A8, and even A3s.
Tip #3: Low Card Flops: Defend Round Two-Thirds of the Time on Low Card Flops
Lastly, we arrive at low card flops. These are a class of their very own, as low playing cards, typically, don’t work together that nicely with ranges in raised pots.
Nonetheless, on dry low card boards, like 9♠6♦2&golf equipment;, the unique raiser holds the vary benefit. On all these textures, there aren’t many robust poker fingers that the in-position caller can have, which is why the cutoff will c-bet at round 45%, defaulting to the big, 67% pot sizing.
Even if we don’t have a super-strong vary in these spots, dealing with the c-bet, we must be defending round 66% of the time, primarily calling, as has been the case in most spots we’ve lined on this lesson:
Our small elevating vary consists primarily of top-pair, top-kicker combos in addition to overpairs like TT and JJ. As you may see, flopped units by no means elevate in these spots when taking part in 40 large blinds efficient.
At 60 large blinds, the cutoff c-bets barely extra usually, at a frequency of 49%. Their major go-to sizing remains to be 67% of the pot, which implies that our protection technique stays just about unchanged. The primary adjustment is that we lean much more in the direction of calling with virtually all the vary, and elevating turns into a good lower-frequency play.
Lastly, with 25 large blind efficient stacks, the cutoff c-bets at round 28%, and they’ll nonetheless be utilizing a big sizing of 60% of the pot. Towards that, we’re defending simply over 70%, nonetheless calling with all affordable fingers in our vary, with solely a really uncommon elevate added to the combo.
The put up MTTs: Defending Towards C-Bets in Place on Dry Flops appeared first on My Poker Teaching.
