 Blind
stealing is a term used
in poker for when a
player in late position
raises pre-flop in an
attempt to win the
uncontested blinds. This
play is often effective
because the players in
the blinds will have any
random two cards, meaning
there is a small chance
that they will have a
hand worth calling a
raise with, allowing you
to take their blinds. In
addition to this, the
players in the blinds
will be first to act
against you if they do
call, so they should know
that they need a better
than mediocre hand to pay
to see a flop.
In
terms of blind stealing,
you will find yourself in
two different positions
during poker. You will
have the opportunities to
steal the blinds from
late position, and you
will have players
attempting to steal your
blinds. So how should you
play in both of these
situations? The
recommended plays are
determined by whether you
are playing in a
tournament or a cash
game.
When
should I steal blinds?
Tournament
Blind stealing is most
effective in tournaments
like Sit n Go’s and
Multi Table Tournaments.
If you are in need of
chips, you sometimes
cannot afford to wait for
a premium hand. Therefore
blind stealing offers a
great opportunity for you
to accumulate chips.
However at the start of
these tournaments where
the blinds are very low
in relation to your
stack, blind stealing
becomes less beneficial.
This is because the
blinds are too small to
be worth fighting for,
and opponents are more
likely to call raises
because the blinds are so
small in relation to
their stack.
Cash
Game
In cash games the blinds
are usually very small in
relation to your stack.
This means that from a
purely money making point
of view, blind stealing
is not going to be very
profitable. In general
you want to stick to
playing good hands and
avoid risking money with
a weak hand. However,
blind stealing in cash
games should be based on
whether you feel you can
easily out-play your
opponents on later
betting rounds if they
call, and take the extra
money they put into the
pot. This play is aided
by the fact that you will
be last to act on each
round, giving you a much
better opportunity to
win. But be sure not to
use this play on every
orbit because the players
in the blinds will become
wise to your game.
How
should I play against
people stealing my
blinds?
As
a general rule, you
should not actively
attempt to protect your
blinds on every round. You
have to remember that you
are going to be first to
act against anyone who
tries to steal your
blind, so if you call and
don’t hit the flop
hard, what are you going
to do? If you check, are
you going to re-raise his
continuation bet (which
is very likely) in an
attempt to re-steal the
pot? Or are you going to
bluff at the pot when
first to act?
In both situations you will have no idea what your
opponent has and you are
risking a decent amount
trying to take down a
‘nothing pot’.
Information is key and
without knowing anything
about your opponents'
hands, protecting your
blinds isn’t going to
be profitable in the long
run. You should remember
that after you have
posted your blind, it is
no longer your money. The
money now belongs to the
pot and not to you. This
is the reason why many
players can lose a lot of
money to raises when in
the blinds, as they
believe that the blind is
still their money, and
that they have to defend
it.
In
certain circumstances
however, you can
effectively deter your
opponents from stealing
your blinds on future
betting rounds. If you
feel a player is betting
in late position in an
attempt to steal, a
decent re-raise on your
part will make them think
twice about trying to
steal on future rounds.
Even if your opponent
does call your re-raise,
the fact that you made
the play you did shows
that you have the
capability to re-raise
anyone who tries to steal
your blind from late
position. This play is
most effective when the
blinds are small in
relation to your stack,
as you are not risking as
much of your stack and
not forcing yourself to
become committed to the
pot.
Evaluation
Blind stealing is
dependent on the size of
the blinds in relation to
the size of the stacks.
It becomes less effective
trying to steal the
blinds when they are
small because you are
potentially putting a lot
of your stack at risk for
a small pot. One of the
worst things you can do
in the face of a possible
blind steal is call. This
means that you are
putting more money into
the pot, which your
opponent has a good
chance of taking away
from you. If you are ever
in doubt, simply play to
the strength of your
hand. Fold your weak
hands and re-raise with
your strong hands.
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