Raising From the Big Blind in Limit Texas Hold ‘Em

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In a past poker strategy article we talked about why raising from the BB with big hands like AA might be a bad idea. Well if you can’t raise with AA from the BB, then you probably shouldn’t ever be raising from the BB at all, right? Actually there are a few situations where, for the right player, raising from the big can be a profitable move:

1) In near family pots with drawing hands: If you’re on the big and 6 or more people limp in, raising with a hand like J10s or even suited connectors as low as 78 isn’t a terrible idea. There are obviously some preconditions to this; namely, the table needs to be as loose post flop as it is pre flop to ensure that you get paid when you hit your hand; also, you would prefer a hand that can win two ways. Obviously the primary value of the play is that it builds a pot [and therefore commits other players] and guarantees you odds to draw and a big win if you get there. There’s a side benefit as well: if your table image is tight this play gives the illusion of loose action if your hand goes to showdown. It’s a good way to mix up your play and image with minimal risk and a decent upside. Obviously you don’t want to make it a standard play, but it’s a good addition to your arsenal.

2) As a steal against three or fewer limpers: If you’re on the big and only get one or two callers along with the SB, this pot may be yours for the taking. Raising from the BB is a pretty strong move, and most players are going to give you credit for some kind of hand [again, this assumes that your table image is correctly tight and aggressive] and even if you miss the flop, firing away and following through on the turn will often win you a pot and creates that essential illusion of action. Now of course you don’t want to always be raising it up with ANY hand [although you should certainly do it with rags here and there just as a pure steal against weak-tight players] – there are some hands that are just gonna get you in trouble in this situation. Some hands to avoid pulling this trick with are A-rag, K-rag, and pocket pairs below 6-ish. The problem with these hands is that you might actually catch some part of a flop and get tied to a marginal hand when another player starts to give you some action – and when that happens, this move loses a lot of value.

Basically, occasionally raising from the BB in certain situations with certain cards is a cheap way [only one small bet!] to vary your game, your image, and maybe even pull down a monster pot here and there.

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