I play very tight in the blinds. My defence basically consists of 3betting with AQs+/TT+ and calling for set value with the other pocket pairs.

I've recently started experimenting with calling with a variety of other hands such as suited connectors/suited aces/big cards etc and my conclusion is that I don't know what I am doing.

What do you do with big cards (say KQo), suited connectors (say 78s), suited aces (say A4s), medium pairs (say 77) and small pairs (say 33)?

How does this change if the button who is 'stealing' is a 10/8 nit? a 20/15 TAG or a 30/20 LAG?

How does it change if the effective stack is 20BB, 50BB or 100BB?

How do you proceed on the flop when you're called? What are you looking for to cbet/not cbet?

If anyone has some good example hands I'd love to see them. I know this question is very general but someone must have some useful thoughts to help me get started re-working this part of my game.

My general blind starategy is:
3bet KQo//99+ every time.
3bet little bit wider every time if i know im ahead enough.
3bet little PPs and SC if i know i have a decent fold equity.
3bet ATC if we have no history before.
3bet size is "bet full pot script + 1 BB".
I really hate calling on the blinds and i almost never do it.
3bets are extremely based on game dynamics. For example, if some guy just won a big pot and raises i will 3bet ATC because he is happy right now and will give me the pot almost everytime. If i just raised 5 hands in a row, i might call with TT or JJ because i don't want to get a likely 4bet bluff, such a things.

Vs standard BTN and CO raises it is bad idea.

Really depends on how much they call 3 bet. This parameter is second most important in stealing situation for me. Generally, the loosed stealer is the wider my good and trash parts of the 3b range become.

Vs a SS i might push wide if i know he is opening wide, 50BB generally tighten up, 100BB described above

C bet? Im looking for his calling range, flop texture, my image, his stats for cbet (fold/call/raise)

This topic is always up for debate.

How I play in the blinds most importantly depends on the villain and the position in which he raised from.

The one part of your post I wanted to address was widening your calling range by adding SCs. As far as CC-ing SCs in the blinds I think this is a poor play the majority of the time (and -EV in the long run if you're playing them solely to hit flops). These hands get their value by being played IP. You're putting yourself into too many marginal situations w/them post-flop if you do catch a piece.

You can justify calling them at times when you'll have relative position against villains (much easier to play in a multiway pot), but if you flop an OESD or FD you have to go with it.

Vs UTG and MP Opens

set mine 22-TT
3bet JJ+ AQ+ raising 10bbs more than their raise so at 50nl if they open to $2 I will 3bet to $7. If there are overcallers I add on 4bbs per caller so if someone flat calls the $2 open I will make it $9.

Sometimes I will flatcall SCs and Axs If I know the villain is weak, but I think this requires some postflop bluffs depending on board texture to make profitable in the long run.

Vs CO and BTN Opens

3bet 22+, 56s+, 97s+, AJ+, A5s+, KQ+

Sometimes set mine 22-88 if the villain is very tight or very spewy



Flat calling anything but TT+ AQ+ is just going to be so hard to play without the initiative. I would rather 3bet to take the pot down right there or take the initiative in the hand.

This is vs unknowns or the standard TAG. Your range obv has to change vs different type of villains - Tighter vs villains who call 3bets often and the opposite.