Aggregate reports can really help us build out an overarching strategy.
Playing in position against the Big Blind (BB) is relatively straight forward: you have an equity and nut advantage most of the time and you should bet very frequently.
When equities run closer together or you end up with a nut disadvantage you will check more, like on low connected boards or some paired boards.
While many players are comfortable adjusting their strategy against the BB, the SB presents a different challenge that requires a different approach.
So today I want to explore 4 key strategic differences that you need to make when you play in position against the SB. And I'm going to do that by comparing aggregate reports for 30bb LJ vs BB and 30bb LJ vs SB.
Let's dive in...
1/ C-bet less frequently
It all starts with preflop. The SB's calling range is a lot tighter than the BB's calling range facing a LJ open.
The BB (left) calls with 64.9% of hands while the SB (right) calls with just 15.7% of hands:
Even before you see the flop, it's easy to see that the SB will have more equity than the BB facing a LJ open.
IP equity | Total bet | Check | Bet 25% | Bet 59% | |
LJ vs SB | 55.1 | 68 | 32 | 52 | 16 |
LJ vs BB | 61.2 | 89 | 11 | 55 | 34 |
Facing a flop check, you have 61.2% equity against the BB, but only 55.1% equity against the SB.
When your equity drops, you generally want to bet less frequently.
Against the BB your c-bet frequency should be 89%, but against the SB it drops significantly to 68%. You also use fewer big bets against the SB.
Interestingly, on paired and trips boards, the betting frequency stays roughly the same.
2/ Check a lot more on Monotone boards
Monotone boards stand out as having the biggest difference in betting frequency.
Vs the BB you can c-bet 95% of the time, but against the SB this number drops to just 54%.
You should also check a lot more frequently on ABx, K/Q+2, 2 Broadway and J/T+2 boards.
Texture | vs SB | vs BB | Difference |
Paired | 83 | 84 | 1 |
K/Q+2 | 66 | 94 | 32 |
2 Broadway | 68 | 98 | 30 |
J/T+2 | 69 | 97 | 28 |
ABx | 64 | 96 | 35 |
Low unconnected | 61 | 69 | 8 |
Axy | 83 | 100 | 17 |
Low connected | 59 | 52 | -7 |
J/T connected | 69 | 90 | 21 |
ABB | 84 | 100 | 16 |
BBB | 81 | 100 | 19 |
Trips | 99 | 100 | 1 |
Monotone | 54 | 95 | 41 |
A = Ace
K = King
Q = Queen
J = Jack
T = Ten
B = any broadway card (K,Q,J,T)
xy = two cards lower than a 9, but not the same
Unconnected = when you can't make a straight
Connected = when you can make a straight
3/ C-bet slightly more frequently on Low connected boards
While the general trend is to bet less frequently, low connected boards stand out because you can actually bet them slightly more frequently.
Vs the SB you can c-bet 59% of the time rather than 52% against the BB.
4/ C-bet less frequently on Flush draw boards
Vs the BB your betting frequency on Flush draw boards is the same as rainbow boards—both 88%.
But vs the SB, you should bet a lot more frequently on rainbow boards (80%) than you do on flush draw boards (67%).
So while the general trend continues of c-betting less frequently vs the SB, you c-bet a lot less frequently on flush draw boards:
Texture | vs SB | vs BB | Difference |
Rainbow | 80 | 88 | 8 |
Flush draw | 67 | 88 | 21 |
Conclusion
By adjusting your strategy against the SB—betting less frequently overall, checking more on monotone boards, and being mindful of flush draw boards—you can improve your c-betting strategy in these situations.
Next time you’re in position against the SB, pay attention to these 4 ideas and adjust your approach accordingly.
That's it for this week.
See you next time.
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