Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
Defending from the Small Blind vs Cut-off Opens
Defending from the Small Blind vs Cut-off Opens Similar to playing from the big blind, most opponents open far fewer hands in the cut-off. Their range is still wide, but not quite as wide, so you'll get slightly more respect from your 3-bets, but your flatting ranges need to pretty tight not only because you're against a tighter range, but because of your opponent in the big blind. As said earlier, it's a great squeeze situation for players in the big blinds. Most of your competent opponents are going to know this, so you need to adjust accordingly by 3-betting some of the range you'd normally flat with if you were in the big blind.
You'll want to use the same or similar poker thought
You'll want to use the same or similar poker thought algorithms as above, and use a baseline flatting range of: 77–JJ, ATo–AQo, KJo+, KTs+, A9s–AJs, QJs, QJo. You'll have a 57–52% equity advantage against most opponents’ opening range. Remove some of the bottom range against your tighter opponents. Sometimes 3-bet some of the higher end of this range against some opponents, and the bottom end of this range against tougher opponents (or folding).