For many everest poker players, the small blind and the big blind positions are the two most unprofitable positions from which to play. When a player is in the blinds, they are forced to commit some money to the pot before the hand even starts. Often, this causes players to feel somewhat obligated to the pot and as a result, they play some very marginal hands. Such a mindset is a mistake and poker players are well off avoiding playing marginal hands from the blinds in most situations.
When playing out of the blinds, a player needs to focus on the fact that he will be out of position for the entire hand. As a result, a player should raise his starting hand standards to reflect that disadvantage. Far too often, the poker player encounters a raise and they think they are correct in calling the raise because they have money in the pot already, when in fact they are calling at a distinct disadvantage. When the flop is delivered, the blind player is tasked with acting first, which means they are acting without information.
Even if the player believes that another player is attacking their blinds via a steal attempt, the player is typically incorrect in merely calling. The players who call during a steal attempt often mistakenly believe they are defending their blinds by calling, only to check-fold the flop. They bet out only when they get a better part of the flop and fold the rest of the time. Instead of making ill advised and loose calls in a wasteful manner, a player is better off putting in a reraise or folding outright in most situations when they are in the blinds.
Instead of committing to marginal and inferior hands from the small and big blind, a poker player would be far better served selectively and aggressively defending their blinds when they can confidently expect a fold from the attacking players. Additionally, poker players should look to become the aggressor and thief from the button and poker stars cutoff positions in an effort to utilize position to their advantage and to recoup the money lost from “paying” the blinds. By doing so, a poker player will force themselves to play position properly, taking full advantage of their position and avoiding playing from unprofitable spots at the poker table. Leaving loose blind play to other players will also help to plug leaks in your own game and expose the leaks in other player’s games from the blinds.