Defending in Poker
In his chapter entitled “The Art of Defense“, Dan Harrington provides some rules of thumb with regard to defending against certain player types. The chapter isn’t extensive, but it really shouldn’t be; in considering defense tactics, the psychology of the moment is at least as important as the cards being held.
For conservative players, Harrington just gives you the obvious advice that it takes a real hand to enter a pot after they’ve taken the lead. For aggressive players, he argues for smooth-calling with quality hands and coming over the top with what can be argued as modest hands.
Again, these are just rules of thumb. Pay attention to the behaviors and tendencies of the other players and find opportunities to test them.
For more about the elements of Texas Hold ‘em in strategic play, read Harrington on Hold ‘em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play