My standard 1/2 and 1/3 preflop ranges, a 4-part series: Part 4, The blinds

For all of you that found this page without reading the initial post of the series, I highly recommend checking it out. It outlines the value of having a sense for 'default ranges' for preflop spots in live poker, as well as my default ranges when UTG. You can find the second post on MP ranges here, and the third post on Button ranges here. One thing that might strike readers as a bit odd is how I'm playing against an EP open: I'm 3 betting only premiums and calling with a pretty narrow range. This is because in the lowest stake of live poker most player's opening ranges are actually pretty tight. Most people opt to open limp a lot of hands in the weaker part of their ranges and if they do open a bit wider, they will often have smaller opening sizings for their medium strength hands and larger sizings for their premiums. No sense in 3 betting jacks against someone who only opens 10s+ and sometimes AK. The most notable thing to take away from this post I believe is how often it is correct to 3-bet a late position open out of the blinds. If you take a look I'm 3-betting with a very wide range with many bluffs, and even some hands like pocket 9s that many players might look at as a straightforward call. Good players including most low stakes grinders play way too passively out of the blinds in situations like this. Given how honest people often play in 3-bet pots and how virtually no one at the 1/2 or 1/3 level will ever 4-bet bluff, getting more comfortable 3 betting as a bluff or with an inflated value range from the blinds will surely boost your win rate. *All of the ranges below are for when there is a single opener and no callers in between* For the photos below, yellow means all combos of the hand, green means about half of the combos of that hand, and blue/white means not in the range. Disregard the one orange box. Flatting Range in the blinds after an EP open

3-Bet Range in the blinds after an EP open

Flatting Range in the blinds after a LP open

3-Bet Range in the blinds after a LP open

I hope you enjoyed this series! A similar series for 2/5 games is in the works for the future... Join the conversation in the comment section below or by email, we would love to hear your thoughts.