You have seen it many times while playing Texas Holdem. You consider yourself a solid player, but more than likely are guilty of doing it yourself. In your mind, you know it's a bad play but you just can't bring yourself to throw it away. So, what are we talking about? The lapse of judgment that causes a player to relentlessly defend his blinds. A recent 4TexasHoldem.com survey asked the question:

If you are holding 78 suited in the small blind, one player has raised from early position and was called by another, what do you do?

Your first instinct will typically be sadness since you were hoping to sneak in for the value of the big blind with the thought of catching a monster hand on the flop. But, alas, these hopes were thwarted by an astute player who knows the risk of allowing the blinds to sneak in for free or half price.

Typically, in a no-limit Texas Holdem tournament, the initial raise will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 and 4 times the value of the big blind. In this case, the decision would be very easy. Toss the cards into the muck and wait for a better opportunity. Your 78 suited is a weak hand that will need much help to have any real threat at taking down the pot. With a raise and a call, you can assume you are facing two opponents with better hands than yours, so give up your small blind and don't push any more of your money into the pot.

Playing limit Texas Holdem can make things more challenging. In lower limit games, you will often find half of the players at the table in the hand to see the flop. Typically, in higher limit games, players have learned the value of correct strategy and know when the risk is worth the reward. Even in a limit situation, your 78 suited is a very marginal hand. Although you can sneak into the pot for a reduced price, it will take some luck to make a quality hand and great skill to know your best strategy after the first 3 cards are shown. Watching players like Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen play their weak cards with precision gives the amateur player too many ideas about playing these types of hands. While Daniel and Gus know how to maximize their earnings, you may find yourself maximizing your opponents' chips stacks.

Andrew Shykofsky, writer from Card Player Magazine, suggests that "no matter what odds you are getting in the blinds, never defend with hands worse than J10 for big cards or 98 for connectors." If you heed his advise, you may find yourself with more money in your pocket at the end of the day.