Why speak in terms of big blinds?
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 17
I notice people write things like; "I raised 3x the big blind", or "My stack was down to 12 big blinds". I don't quite understand why. Isn't it always more correct to talk in terms of pot size? I want to bet a percentage of the pot to achieve the desired goal. I want to have a stack to cover multiple initial pots (small blind, big blind, and any ante)
It just seems that thinking in terms of big blinds could lead to inaccurate bet sizing or other errors. I thought that there might be some reason that it is used so often that I am missing. Is there any thing wrong with thinking exclusively in terms of pot size. Perhaps big blind has just become customary. Thanks
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,374
Preflop raises are always in the terms of big blinds. It's heck of a lot easier to calculate at the table. Say, yo have 1 poster and one limper and it's up to you to act - quickly tell me what the pot is! They give it to you online, but try it in a live game.
Postflop bets are always expressed in terms of pot size. Bets are always sized to the pot size because of the pot odds you would be laying and expressing them in BBs is meaningless.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 37
David Sklansky says in "Small Stakes Hold Em", (it's a cash game book) that you do this so that when you are playing cash games, it is easier to move up and down levels when you think in terms of Blinds. Makes total sense to me, and since reading the book, my game has improved.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 315
You seem to be doing your math in percentages, try doing it in terms of fractions and this will clear things up.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,720
Think of it this way. You bet 3xBB and button and BB calls. The pot is now 9.5xBB. You can make a nice continuation bet of 6xBB. However, if your stack was 12xBB to start a bet of 6xBB doesn't make sense because you will have 3xBB left so you might as well move all-in.
What I have said above can now be applied to any blind levels and used for cash or tourney.
You can use this method to quickly calculate the size of the pot. Then when you want to bet a certain percentage of the pot, you multiply that percentage by the number of BBs in the and then by the value of the BB.
