Re-re-re steal?

[aceragclubs]

I consider myself a solid MTT player....and like most 2+2ers am able to make it to the first break and usually the second break most of the time. I have gotten better recently at stealing as the blinds go higher to maintain or slowly build my stack even when the cards are ice cold. Yesterday, however, I ran into resistance every time I tried to steal. It was a $20 tournament on party, 1775 players. I really didn't even try to steal until we were down to about 500 players, but I think 7 out of 8 times, the button or a blind would come back over the top. It's possible that most of these players had alegitimate hand, but at least some of them likely were on a re-steal. Most of the time it was a bigger stack, so I would make a raise to 700 or so with the blinds at 100-200, with my stack being around 5000. A stack of 8000-10000 would make it 1800 to go, for example. I have never run into that play so many times in one tournament. It was never the same player, and it was on a couple of different tables as well. Since I wasn't raising more than anyone else, I don't think anyone could have read me as a frequent blind stealer. How often does anyone just push all-in in these situations? I would have been more likely to try it if it was the same person doing it to me all the time. The failed steal attempts and no real playable hands for the 3rd hour put me all in with pocket 3's and out in 171st. (paid 130) Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[bads33d]

I played in this same tournament.

Once you start playing a bunch of them, you have your good days and then you have your bad days. Good days your steals go by unnoticed, and on your bad days plays come over the top of you with steals or with big hands.

I dont like doing big raises, I just push most of the time.

Yesterday I got a little carried away,

NL Hold'em Trny:7535773 Level:8 Blinds (150/300) - Monday, November 29, 21:39:45 EDT 2004
Table Multi-Table(148503) Table #23 (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 3: DonButtons__ ( $2945 )
Seat 10: SlyMike ( $9705 )
Seat 4: Lobster88 ( $7495 )
Seat 7: jardjar ( $9930 )
Seat 2: andlovec2 ( $2505 )
Seat 1: mdein1 ( $4967 )
Seat 5: ChipLeader21 ( $1885 )
Seat 8: whldba2 ( $5680 )
Seat 9: aceragclubs ( $2705 )
Seat 6: L0VEJ0Y ( $3868 )
Trny:7535773 Level:8
Blinds (150/300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to DonButtons__ [ 2c 7c ]
jardjar folds.
whldba2 folds.
aceragclubs folds.
SlyMike folds.
mdein1 folds.
andlovec2 folds.
DonButtons__ is all-In.
Lobster88 calls [2945].
ChipLeader21 folds.
L0VEJ0Y folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ 5s, 3h, Jc ]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9c ]
** Dealing River ** [ Jd ]
DonButtons__ shows [ 2c, 7c ] a pair of jacks.
Lobster88 shows [ Kc, Ah ] a pair of jacks.
Player DonButtons__ finished in 338 place
Lobster88 wins 6340 chips from the main pot with a pair of jacks with ace kicker.
lol
DonButtons__ has left the table.

I usually make these plays with any two cards that are at least over 7, just in case they have small pockets. On my good days, I even build up my stack when I get called by ak and spike a little card.

[schwza]

i don't think the stacks are deep enough for a re-re-steal. in the example you gave, it would have been the villain makes it 1800, you make it 5000, and with some extra blind money in there, he's got to call with some marginal hands. this is a time you want to 4-bet for value, not push with a crappy hand. generally the fast party structure will prevent any re-re-steals.

[aceragclubs]

Thanks for the replies. I remember you at my table, DonButtons. I like your all-in play, it's hard to call with even a hand like AJ, unless one of the blinds has a massive stack and likes knocking people out (there were a few of those yesterday!) I understand that me moving in probably won't make the re-stealer fold. Perhaps I can just call in these situations sometimes, but that doesn't seem to make much sense unless I have a lot in relation to the blinds. Overall I think I'll just chalk it up to running into some hands, and not getting any myself. It happens. I'm a little frustrated on party though, I've played that tournament about 10 times and never have cashed. I've made it pretty close a few times. On pokerroom I've finished 6th and 13th in their $20 tournaments in the last month, although they only get about half of the players party does.

[bads33d]

I just won my first tournament on sunday. Nice payout of $5800 with 1450 entrants.

You need to get your fair share of blinds. I dont mine if my blinds get stolen as long as I can get my share of them. Plus I usually trap people when I have a big hand like Ak and push on the small blind and someone calls me with a inferior hand like kq or a10.

[JaBlue]

This brings up something very important. When you're stealing, don't do it more than once in a row from the same position (unless the blinds are completely incompetent). ALSO steal more in positions like CO-1 etc. Whenever I see it folded to CO or Button and they bet, my immediate thought is "steal." So when you have a legitimate hand in CO/Button it is a good time to raise and try to provoke a re-steal; just be prepared to go all in if this is what you want.

[2ndGoat]

"But they were sooted!"

[aceragclubs]

Blue-
I totally agree that you just can't try to steal from the button every time. I try to steal from all of the last 4 or 5 positions once in a while. Sometimes you just get played with I guess.
Bads-Congrats on the win. That's a pretty significant payoff. I've never won more than $600 in an online tournament, although I played mostly $5 ones on pokerroom until a month or two ago. I'll keep trying the $20 ones though. Hope to see you at a final table.