# Playing From the Blinds  ## Episode metadata - Episode title: Playing From the Blinds - Show: The Official Red Chip Poker Podcast - Owner / Host: Red Chip Poker - Guests: [Mike Gano](https://share.snipd.com/person/61a5bd05-3a6e-4c7b-9eda-4246fb30d61e) - Episode publish date: 2016-10-11 - Episode AI description: Mike Gano, a poker pro and coach renowned for his strategy insights, shares his expertise on navigating blinds in poker. He discusses the common pitfalls that lead to losses and offers actionable strategies to mitigate them. Gano emphasizes the importance of adapting gameplay based on position and making profitable decisions. He also delves into the mental aspects of poker, highlighting how mental health influences performance. Finally, he contrasts strategies for live versus online poker, underlining the need to adjust to the dynamics of each format. - Duration: 42:10 - Episode URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/episode/23432028-9e2f-42b8-b1fa-1c6ba86defc7) - Show URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/show/c298446b-a61e-464b-8c32-0fa6bd6189cc) - Export date: 2026-02-11T20:06:35 ## Snips ### [Adjust Blind Play By Position](https://share.snipd.com/snip/5150bede-865e-4418-a513-983200973328) 🎧 14:49 - 15:36 (00:47) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/ab4582ee-40b2-4197-8404-b33f9d7388d7" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Play tighter in the small blind than the big blind because it costs more to call and you are always out of position. - In the big blind, you often have positional advantage versus the small blind and pay less to continue, allowing wider play. #### 💬 Quote > You definitely play far tighter when facing an open in the small blind versus the big blind. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on differences between small and big blind play #### 📚 Transcript **Zac Shaw:** Oh, **Mike Gano:** no, there's absolutely a difference. In the small blind, you've put in less money. So when someone opens, for example, it costs more to call. And when it's more expensive like that, then you play for your hands. Or another way of saying that is your implied odds are reduced. And of course, you've got a player left to act that you have to be concerned about. Whereas on the big blind, you close the action, it costs you less. So and you're not in the small blind, you're guaranteed to be out of position. Whereas in the big blind, you know, if it's the small blind that's opening, you're in position. So that you definitely play far tighter when facing an open in the small blind versus the big blind. --- ### [Embrace Three-Betting From Blinds](https://share.snipd.com/snip/e94ac8ec-c2b7-4aa9-92d6-1da7c7678ad8) 🎧 15:57 - 17:33 (01:36) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/5bcf2a7e-8dc0-4fed-b856-62d92acfbc93" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Do not fear three-betting from the blinds; it often reduces post-flop play and prevents opponents from realizing their equity. - Use three-bets to build pots against weaker players and maximize their mistakes post-flop. #### 💬 Quote > If you're considering say a call versus a three bet, a call guarantees you're going to play post-flop, whereas a three bet reduces the likelihood you're going to play post-flop. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on three-betting from the blinds #### 📚 Transcript **Zac Shaw:** certain spots. So can you talk a little bit about where we're looking to three bet and, uh, and how we're looking to play post flop after we do three bet? Sure. **Mike Gano:** the first part of that i can definitely speak to i'll speak to both the second part is a is a big open question so we'll uh we'll see what we can do with that um as far as three betting absolutely yeah you shouldn't be scared about it and one thing i can that may allay some people's fears is that players seem to get it backwards sometimes where they think oh i'm i'm afraid to three bet because geez then then uh think about how postflop is going to play out but if you think about it like if you're considering say a call versus a three bet a call guarantees you're going to play post-flop, whereas a three bet reduces the likelihood you're going to play post-flop. So I think that's one angle that you can bear in mind that should make your life easier. Now, I know what's also behind that fear is the inflation of the pot and that players are thinking, yes, but oh my God, the pot's so much bigger, that may maximize my mistakes. Well, just turn the tables. That's where knowledge and experience come in, and you can maximize the mistakes of your opponents. That's why we always three-bet aces versus weak players, because we want to build the pot as big as we can, so then post-flop we're maximizing their mistakes. So that's some insight to the three-bet side of things and not being afraid. --- ### [Framework for Out-of-Position Play](https://share.snipd.com/snip/90858a5b-bcf8-4610-9cf6-f0243fc96ded) 🎧 18:28 - 21:51 (03:22) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/46d30875-4140-437e-be12-9606bc88075b" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Use a framework to assess opponent's range, board texture, and your hand's strength when playing post-flop from the blinds. - Plan your actions ahead, adjusting bluff catching and value betting based on opponent aggression and tendencies. #### 💬 Quote > Our job is to put our opponent on a range... and determine how our hand fits in against our opponent's range. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on post-flop play framework from the blinds #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** Sure. So I'm very big on frameworks as a coach. I find those work best instead of just going hand after specific hand with someone, trying to work out sort of an instruction set that they can follow that helps them in as many situations as possible. And that's the way I teach. That's what I cover in my webinars. So with respect to flop play, I mean, it starts pre-flop, right? Our job is to put our opponent on a range, to recognize his tendencies, and to take in any other facts and information about the hand, as far as who's three-bet, who's in or out of position, what kind of flop texture we're dealing with. And then once we have all that information, we can start to... The next step is to determine how our hand fits in against our opponent's range. Do we have a monster? Are we way ahead of him? Do we have a bluff? Do we have a bluff catcher? Are we going to semi-bluff with this hand? But the first step is to, and this is blind play or not, the first step is to assess all of these things so then we can start to form a plan about the rest of the hand. And yes, it's a plan for what we're going to do on the flop. But then we also should be planning ahead and thinking about what we're going to do on the turn. So to get more specific, if we are dealing with a more aggressive player and we have a hand that is borderline between a bluff catcher and a value bet, we're like, well, I think I may be able to bet a couple streets with this, but I'm not really sure. The more aggressive your opponent gets, the easier it is to push that hand down into your bluff catching range. So you can use it as a check call, check call instead of having to bet. Whereas if you have a more passive opponent, for example, then you're more obligated to get the value for your hand because he's not going to do it for you. So there, I think the, that that's in my mind, the best way to come at navigating these spots where what I get, what you're saying that there's player struggle out of position because it's natural. Everyone, you know, for everybody, playing out a position is more difficult than playing in position. We naturally have less information to work with. But I think one thing that can start to help, too, is you start with experience and knowledge. You start to see where these lines lie between what I just described, meaning you start to see, okay, given what I think his range is, given what this board is, this hand falls into my value range. This hand is a two-street hand, or this hand is a hand I can triple barrel. This texture is a situation where, given my average opponent, I can consider going for three streets, especially when I pick up equity on the turn. So there's a lot of scenarios that start coming up over and over that you get used to. And the more scenarios you get used to, or someone else teaches you, the more comfortable you get playing out of position. --- ### [Turn Fear Into Strategy](https://share.snipd.com/snip/2e158e42-0504-4752-b033-5dcc6befaa10) 🎧 22:57 - 23:45 (00:48) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/e0c948c3-7d3a-4353-a002-2f36f6b99f1b" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Use opponents' aggressive behavior that intimidates you as information to develop counter-strategies. - Avoid folding too much to fear; instead, find creative ways to challenge and exploit aggressive players. #### 💬 Quote > Anything anybody does that strikes fear in you or makes you nervous is ground for coming up with ideas for things you can do yourself. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on handling fear from aggressive opponents #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** You don't even want to play him. Well, turn that around. Use that for information so that anything anybody does that strikes fear in you or makes you nervous is ground for coming up with ideas for things you can do yourself. **Zac Shaw:** So true. Think about what spots you hate and then put other people in them, right? **Mike Gano:** Yeah. And also if, which you have to be careful of, so this is something I've seen play out is you, if you are nervous about playing post-flop and you feel that out of position, you just suck. And so to avoid that, you just don't call as much and you clam up in the blinds and you fold a lot. Um, you're just kind of putting a, you know, a temporary bandaid on the thing. --- ### [Structured Study and Review Strategy](https://share.snipd.com/snip/16d35e8a-a089-4223-ae0a-b31cb7b7ec7e) 🎧 24:29 - 27:18 (02:49) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/387284ae-2425-47b8-b154-eed60935cc72" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Follow a rigorous study cycle: play, mark hands, review, identify leaks, and set focal points for improvement. - Use tools like leak finders and verbalize your thought process during sessions to optimize learning with coaching. #### 💬 Quote > I play my sessions... mark hands as I go, then do my hand reviews afterwards... then keep them in mind in next sessions. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on personal and student study routines #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** It is both. So hear three questions there. Were you also asking about my personal study or are you more interested in students? I'm interested in it all. Okay, sure. Yeah. So for me personally, I'm pretty anal about the whole thing. I a rigorous process where it's a cycle where I play hands. I play my sessions throughout the day. I mark hands as I go. And then I do my hand reviews afterwards. And I try to categorize those, those reviews into, uh, I take the places where I'm making the biggest mistakes and I come up with, uh, focal points for my next session so that as I go into my next session, as I'm doing my warmup, I keep all of those in mind. And then I'm thinking about those things specifically while I play. And the point of using a cycle like this is that in order to learn something, in order to instill something, it takes repetition, right? So what I know a lot of people do is they're like oh i know i need to be raising more flops okay sure i need to be raising more flops and then they go play for a month and they look at their and they're like man my flop raise is still only five percent i definitely need to be raising more flops in order to get past that you need to put deeper thought into it and then that needs to be top of mind you need to be thinking about that all the time until it improves. So I'm big on, I'm really big on hand reviews. That's where I spend most of my own study time. For students, I do hear quite often, well, I don't know how to do my hand review sessions. I don't know what to review. So if it's, if I'm working with a student on that level, then I, I definitely, there's more handholding. I definitely help them through that. We do a lot of those session reviews together. I use, so there is a basic structure to how I work with a student beginning. It's, um, it starts, usually starts with a leak finder. Um, so we can figure out specifically what their biggest mistakes are. And depending on those mistakes and what level the student's on, I use a variety of techniques from hand reviews to video recordings. What I've found to work really well with a lot of students is not just doing a video recording, but having them sort of extemporaneously describe their thought process while they play. So then when we go over that together, you know, very quickly, I get to the bottom of how they think about things on a whole bunch of different hands. --- ### [Common Blind Play Leak: Overfolding](https://share.snipd.com/snip/dde1df20-c12a-4eed-9bf4-4c2dbb1aef2c) 🎧 27:49 - 30:28 (02:38) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/e807e25d-f958-4685-bd6d-618a9f605a55" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - The most common leak in blind play is folding too much and missing value opportunities. - Gradually widen your ranges carefully and improve post-flop skills to capitalize on board connections and semi-bluffs. #### 💬 Quote > The most common thing I see... is that they fold too much that they are missing out on value with certain hands. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on common leaks causing losses in blinds #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** referenced a couple of them earlier and those are uh the the most common well the most common thing i see with players on the level that i work with is that they fold too much that they are missing out on value with certain hands and it's kind of interesting when you there's's a, there's a number of other problems that result in that. Like when you're playing that tight and it can happen also just when you're cold calling too tight, you, your range is so narrow. Like you, you start to move towards just, you know, pocket pairs and better broadways that you aren't connecting with enough boards. like this sweet spot and it's it's kind of like you can really just change your perspective like it's beautiful when you really open up your range in the blinds because now you can actually rep all kinds of stuff right when the board comes down 10 6 deuce hey maybe you've got six deuce and your opponent never does right So there's some magic that happens as you widen your range. You get to rep more boards. And amazingly, sometimes, especially from small blind, your fold to C-bet really starts coming down. It's almost an indicator I see sometimes where someone has a a 60% fold to CBET. I'll like quickly glance at their cold call and see it's like 8%. Like this guy is just a total set miner. That's all he does. So he calls with his pocket pairs and he hopes to hit a set and he doesn't hit a set and he folds, right? So a big part of opening your range is getting value. you a big way you get value is you can actually start connecting with the board more and semi bluffing your opponents and so that's it's a when I'm teaching this when I'm helping someone open up I I do it very carefully I one of the first things I say with people is don't, you know, make small changes. Don't, you know, I'm going to help you move out of your comfort zone, but you don't want to do anything too drastic. We don't want things to fall apart and you lose all confidence. So we make steady, slow changes. And I try to introduce a new range. And the range work is actually pretty straightforward. You can show someone a chart that they use as standard and then quickly follow that up with some adjustments versus common player profiles and then and then right away start going into post flop because if if all you do is set someone off with a wider range and you don't talk about post flop then they're just you know they're treading water and often feeling lost when they do get to the flop. --- ### [Mental Game Foundation](https://share.snipd.com/snip/776ff1c1-b6cf-4fc3-9912-a012cd5c5532) 🎧 30:33 - 33:59 (03:26) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/199a49dd-8568-4241-a25b-4144900a9bda" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Improve your mental game by maintaining good health: proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise. - Build strong personal relationships to reduce stress and enhance focus for better poker performance. #### 💬 Quote > Eating well, sleeping well, getting exercise... brings down stress and helps you be a happier person. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on developing a strong mental poker game #### 📚 Transcript **Zac Shaw:** I mean, and it makes sense because we've been talking about how players are often afraid to play from the blinds. Can you speak a little bit to just the mental side of poker, how you develop your mental game, what you worked on? And it just seems that so much of the mistakes that are happening in the blinds are based out of these irrational emotions, which is any winning poker player knows they must be banished, right? For **Mike Gano:** sure. For sure. Yeah. The, I mean, the, as far as how I've worked on mental game it's for me, it's, it's, it's actually pretty easy. Like at least I think it's an easy formula. It's, it's perhaps the execution, which is always the hardest part. But for a solid mental game, you it takes getting everything else in your life in order off the table. That means, you know, eating well, sleeping well, getting exercise. Those are the three big ones. And then I'm also into – I carefully call it spiritual work. And I by no means mean anything religious or to do with God. But I just mean having good relationships, doing good, being a good person. But good relations with your family and friends and making time for that just so that, you know, you're, you're bringing down that brings down the stress and helps you be a happier person because all of that of course is, is feeding your mental state. And any one of those individually, um big. Like it's, it's when I have like two bad sleeps in a row, this happened like a night before last. And then I had a great sleep. I'm like a superhero the next day. You know what I mean? I'm sure you know what this feels like. It's, it's great. So it's, and it's, I don't think people respect it enough as part of the problem. Like they think that the grinder mentality justifies, you know, playing late into the – I'm a grinder. This means I can stay up all hours and have a crazy sleep schedule. No, not really if you want to be as successful as you can. It means like eating crap food in the casino. No, no. exercise is huge when, when you like you double your IQ when, when you're getting regular exercise and you're in the, you're getting lots of oxygen to your brain. So it's, again, I think it's an easy formula. Like all those things I described, I bet most people know, but it's just making those happen. And there's lots of great resources out there. I really enjoy the topic. I focus a lot on it. As long as I've played poker professionally, when your income is directly correlated with your mental state, you it very seriously. And so I've done a lot of thinking about it and talking to other poker players about it and blogging about it. I have articles on my blog where I write about this stuff. That's **Zac Shaw:** great. Well, keep it up because I would agree it's definitely an area where a lot of players just take it for granted or ignore it and could really use some help in the mental game vicinity. And as you said, when you improve your mental game, you don't just improve it for poker, you improve your entire life. --- ### [Adjust Blind Play By Game Type](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7cbd7487-d671-4bce-a443-7bdfb8ceaaba) 🎧 34:53 - 37:27 (02:33) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/11b4e219-9f03-4e84-bff6-b620943a6147" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - In full ring, expect stronger opening ranges and more multi-way pots from the blinds compared to six-max. - Heads-up blind play demands wider defending and three-betting ranges with high dynamic adjustment. #### 💬 Quote > In full ring... the average hand strength... when you're in the blinds and someone has opened is that much stronger. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on blind play differences in full ring vs. six-max vs. heads-up #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** um well the thing about i mean on a simplistic level yes you can say um when the first three positions assuming it's a nine max table when the first three positions are folded i mean you're kind of a six max game but what that doesn't uh capture is that with those extra three positions you uh the average hand strength that's out there say when you're in the blinds and someone has opened is that much stronger um so that that is should be a consideration and that's going to result in also just when you're looking at percentages, you're going to be folding a little more from the blinds. But otherwise, when it's folded to the button and they are stealing, the game is quite similar between 6-max and full ring. you're the the steel percentages are similar between full ring and six max so you you can to some degree zero in uh in or another way of saying that is the vast majority of scenarios that we find ourselves in or the hands we find ourselves playing um in the blinds are going to be facing steel scenarios now one other thing that happens in full ring is that you do get some more multi-way pots, right? You get a player that opens and then there's the waterfall effect. So you are also most likely going to find yourself in more multi-way situations and multi-way post-flop situations. But there's just more of those. In either case, you're going to have heads-up situations and multi-way situations. So either way you, you learn to play both and then heads up is heads ups. Uh, uh, I don't know, to some degree, I would say it's a whole different ball of wax. Um, heads up you, there's a lot of other things that come into play, especially as far as dynamics these days in six max and full ring dynamics is far less. I mean, live it's different, but when you're, when you're multi-tabling online or even when you're single tabling, but everyone else is multi-tabling you, or you're playing a zoom game where it's different players every time. The idea of dynamics is far less of a thing than it used to be. But with Heads Up, it's all dynamic. It's just you and the other guy. And if you've won your last three pots in a row, he might start getting a little frustrated. --- ### [Live vs. Online Blind Play](https://share.snipd.com/snip/130e82a3-b986-4d2f-b2ce-208e967079d9) 🎧 38:48 - 39:47 (00:58) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/410b7bd3-dc04-4e67-aa6a-2b78a7c050fb" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Live and online blind play strategies are similar but online games tend to be more aggressive with more three-bets and squeezes. - Expect stronger ranges and more aggressive plays online at comparable stakes compared to live games. #### 💬 Quote > If you're just going straight across from the same stakes of live to online... the games tend to be much more aggressive online. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on live vs online blind play differences #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** If, I mean, like if you're comparing full ring to full ring or six max to six max, I mean, it really isn't too much of a difference other than if you're, if you're like comparing the same stakes, the, of course, you know, a, um, a 500 or a two, five live game compared to like a 500 online game. The same stakes online is it tends to be a much more aggressive game. Arguably, you'll see players of higher skill. So I think what tends to happen as games get more aggressive, you, for example, start seeing more three betting and squeezing and and then getting into four betting so the dynamics just tend to change um as far as strategy goes and as far as the assumptions you're going to be making about player ranges um if you're just going straight across from the same stakes of live to online. --- ### [Adjust Blind Play Moving Up Stakes](https://share.snipd.com/snip/811220a7-b447-4c4b-b613-51aa1d0d328d) 🎧 40:01 - 41:15 (01:14) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/0e908cfb-febe-46ca-9b4e-e2f851584742" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - As stakes increase, playing balanced and using polarized ranges becomes more important to avoid exploitation. - Adjust strategies away from purely exploitative play as opponents become better and more aggressive at higher stakes. #### 💬 Quote > Play becomes more balanced and using polarized ranges becomes more important as you play better and better players. > — Mike Gano Mike Gano on blind play adjustments at higher stakes #### 📚 Transcript **Mike Gano:** That's a great question because, you know, as we always have to be careful with general advice and as you're watching videos of other poker players, you have to always consider that, well, if this guy is playing three levels above me, does this advice really apply? You have to be careful with that because, for example, as I will in the webinar, as I get into more advanced topics about balanced play and avoiding getting exploited, then I start talking about using polarized ranges, for example. If you are playing in a very soft game, like if you're playing in a micro stakes game that's full of fish who are calling your three bets all the time, then of course you shouldn't be thinking about balance. play is definitely something that becomes more and more important as you play better and better players. And of course, as you, as you move up through the stakes, you're going to encounter better and better players. --- Created with [Snipd](https://www.snipd.com) | Highlight & Take Notes from Podcasts