Around how many % of hands is optimal to defend BBvsSB if u include 3bet and flat calls.
Lets say you dont know the players and they are open 2.5-3x.

Havent played for many years so i would be glad if someone took the time to answer.

Thanks

Hey Makko,

What you're asking here is for an extremely comprehensive strategy that encompasses the entirety of pre-flop Hold'em for every possible stack size. Here's how I recommend continuing given your beginning level.

Start Simply

Rather than aim to tackle a massive problem all at once, start by breaking it down into manageable components. For example, if you are open raising the top 10% of hands from the small blind to 3 big blinds and your opponent goes all-in with TT+, AQs for 100BB, what is the (profitable) calling range?

For each component you create, aim to understand its context in the game. For example, the 100BB all-in from the big blind player is not realistic, obviously. What about if he now makes it 24BB pre-flop and calls the all-in some of the time and folds the rest of the time. Now how should you play?

Work Backward

Just like when we started simply, you can find a single informative component, like what hands can take the heat from a particular range with 100BB effective stacks, and then break it down into more complex components.

Each new step toward actual poker compounds the complexity of the question you're asking quite a bit. At first, the next step method isn't so bad; then, in not too long really, you'll understand why people study mathematics and economics as much as they do!

So you're starting out with what are commonly called toy games, simplified version of a more complex game, and working your way toward the real deal. Cool!

Keep Perspective

At this point, even when players start using these methods that the best players in the world are using (and have been using for years - meaning they're much father along breaking down the game than most of us), players might consider ideas like "well, that's not real poker" or "you don't know the types of games I play in, man!"

If those ideas come to mind or you hear or read about another player saying that's important, rest assured that those ideas are incorrect. For example, a toy game might be you call your opponent's raise from the cutoff and be bets the size of the pot 3 times. Given a particular board, opponent, and pre-flop calling range, the answer for the way you play this hand will vary quite a bit. The board might run out so awfully that your opponent's range smashes your calling range by the river and a pot sized bet is a mistake by him that you can exploit by folding more or all of your bluff catching hands. If your opponent bluffs scare cards on the turn and then follows through on the river, your calling range will change. If your pre-flop calling range is wide to induce a weaker player to play from the blinds, then your calling range will change against the cutoff. If your opponent plays perfect poker, then your calling range on a particular board can be honed and honed... How? Start back at "start simply" and then move to "work backward."

I hope this helps. I did not discuss pre-flop defense in a ton of detail because the question is so massive that it's definitely better to give you a perspective on attacking questions in poker. Good luck and work hard!

Reid

@shootaa good post thank you

The correct defense frequency will be mainly a function of RFI from the SB and the sizing used.

For example, if the SB opened 100% of hands, we would defend 100% in position (if this is 6max).

You probably meant: "if this is 100bb deep"

i just mean if its hu we'll be oop.

FWIW, pokersnowie defends BB about 68% vs SB 3bb open (6max)..
vs minraise about 81%

Thanks guys!