HJ 150bb Defense

Concept Background

HJ (Hijack) is the position before CO (Cutoff) in six-max games. When the effective stack depth reaches 150 big blinds (BB), post-flop implied odds are higher due to the deeper stacks, so the defense range should be moderately widened. However, avoid over-investing in pots that could lead to being dominated by reverse implied odds.

Key Defense Strategy Points

• Facing an early position raise: Typically require a tighter defense range. Mainly call with hands that have high post-flop playability, such as pocket pairs, suited connectors, and A-high suited hands. Avoid defending with weak suited or offsuit hands.
• Facing a late position raise (e.g., CO, BTN): The defense range can be moderately widened, adding more suited connectors and small pocket pairs, but be cautious of opponent 3-bets.
• 3-bet and 4-bet: In deep stacked situations, the 3-bet range should primarily consist of value hands (e.g., TT+, AJ+) with a few bluffs (e.g., A5s). Avoid overusing small hands for bluffing, as that could lead to trouble if re-raised.
• Post-flop play: With deep stacks, focus more on range balance post-flop. Avoid over-betting when out of position (e.g., after calling a raise pre-flop from middle position). When facing a continuation bet, decide on calling or raising based on hand strength and board texture, while also protecting your range from being easily read.

Notes

When defending with deep stacks, positional disadvantage becomes more pronounced. Therefore, at HJ with 150BB, it's advisable to be conservative in hand selection, prioritizing hands with high development potential (e.g., suited connectors, pairs). Avoid calling with hands like ATo or KJo that can be easily dominated. Additionally, consider cold calling or squeeze plays occasionally, but carefully calculate dead money and implied odds.