Playing from the small blind

Knowing how to play from each position at the poker table takes experience and practice and one of the most difficult positions to play from is the small blind. Playing from the small blind is difficult for a number of reasons but there are a few things that you can do, and not do, to make playing from the small blind easier and more effective. The first thing that should rarely be done is raising from the small blind. Raising from the small blind will usually just grow the size of the pot and it puts you out of position on the flop. You should only raise from the small blind if you have a relatively good hand and are willing to make a continuation bet on the flop but not knowing what the big blind is holding because he could be holding almost anything can often result in losing a lot of chips if he hits on the flop.