"In The Blind" hands - how do you play them early

[mikeneron]

Most often when I am in the blinds in the first few levels of a SNG, I will only bet or call if I have a pretty decent hand or I know that someone is trying to make a move on me. Far too often though it isn't worth getting involved. What kind of hand do you need before you get involved in this situation?

Here is an example of a poorly played hand on my part. Obviously, I should have at least fired at the flop and if called try and check it down. His bet on the turn make me thing he was weak, hence the call on the river which I thought was a bluff.

Opponent was 60/0 (10 hands) in L1, 40/0 (10 hands) in L2, and 45/9 (11 hands) in L3.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP1 (t1780)
MP2 (t1815)
CO (t1435)
Button (t2105)
SB (t2660)
Hero (t1905)
UTG (t1245)
UTG+1 (t555)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K, 6.
2 folds, MP1 calls t50, 2 folds, Button calls t50, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t200) K, 7, 3 (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, Button bets t150, SB folds, Hero calls t150, MP1 folds.

Turn: (t500) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t150, Hero calls t150.

River: (t800) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t400, Hero calls t400.

Final Pot: t1600

[fjuanl]

I'm fine with checking the flop. Your either way ahead or way behind and theres no draws, so trying to keep the pot small is a good idea. You have to call the tiny turn bet. The river is close but I generally give people credit after firing 3 times on a rainbow board like this

[taipan168]

Obviously, I should have at least fired at the flop and if called try and check it down.

You hit the nail on the head here!

His bet on the turn make me thing he was weak, hence the call on the river which I thought was a bluff.

Turn call is OK I suppose given the odds you are getting, but the river is a fold. From opp's stats it seems like he might be a LP calling station; when players like this call a flop bet, fire on the turn and bet pretty big on the river they most likely have a hand that has TP very weak kicker beat.

As to your more general question, I tend to bet if at a minimum I flop top pair, even with a weak kicker although in your case I am not delighted about doing so with three opps in the hand. If you bet and get called the key is to slow down and try to get to showdown as cheap as possible.

If I flop anything worse than top pair I'm happy to check and see if I can get a free card to improve.

[fjuanl]

If the flop was something like Kh 9h 7s, I like leading the flop because you get called by drawing hands. Here your pretty much only getting called when someone has you outkicked. I prefer letting them bluff the flop and see what they do on the turn

[mcatdog]

I think leading this flop sucks. I'd just check/fold unless the guy who bets is some kind of a maniac. This guy sounds like he never bets unless he has a hand, so just fold.