Should you attempt to steal blinds more at higher or lower limits?

[Wynton]

I keep trying to figure out whether the standards for stealing blinds should be different depending upon the limits one is playing. Assuming that the structure is the same (i.e., at each level, the sb is 1/2 the bb), do you think one's approach to stealing blinds should change depending upon whether one is playing lower or higher limits?

[Surfbullet]

How often you attempt to steal should be player-dependant, and this is not a factor of the limits you are playing. I was sitting at a 10/20 table yesterday where the players 1 and 2 to my left were both 16/5 and would give up very easily postflop. Stealing in such a situation becomes any 2 cards.

Against tightish blinds, you should steal more. A player can be a 50/1, but if he fails to defend his blind more against your button steal raises and continues to fold a full 50% of the time then you should raise.

This is even more true if your opponents are passive / weak tight and will give up easily on the flop. You don't care if you get called preflop if they are going to fold most of the flops.

Surf

[Wynton]

So you don't think there are general differences between the players at the different levels?

[Surfbullet]

There certainly are - the 5/10 is passive with the rare laggro guys thrown in, while the 10/20 is aggressive with the rare loose/passive guys thrown in.

However, it is much more important to be aware of who is to your left and how they will react to a steal raise.

I can be at 2 different 10/20 tables and be stealing much more frequently on one because of the players on my left. Making generalizations based on limit isn't so useful, with pokertracker and some attention to how your opponnents play all the information is there you just have to use it.

Surf

[Jeff W]

In general, I would steal more at lower limits, but the difference is not huge. Maybe ~3% more at 5/10 compared to 10/20.

[Danenania]

Lower limits would present a great stealing environment, but the rake strongly penalizes getting involved in 2-3 handed pots.

[Wynton]

You're right, of course. But I think this question is worth asking just for purposes of stat comparisons. If there are general differences between the players at different levels, then I think the ideal numbers for blind steal attempts should differ too.

[Jeff W]

Good point. I forgot about that.

[helpmeout]

Steal more against tight players less against loose players.

So yes steal more at higher limits.

[Wynton]

Any more votes and opinions?

[krishanleong]

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Any more votes and opinions?

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Steal less against lower limits. But this is like saying women are less agressive then men. It's true in a generic useless sort of way. If you go to a bar and assume every women is passive and you hit on the wrong one, according to the beer ads she'll head but you into next tuesday. So the moral is to evaluate each girl on their own merits, and evaluate the proper steal rate at each table.

Krishan

[Wynton]

Yes, this general answer doesn't help much in particular situations, and certainly every table should be evaluated individually. But there are countless posts here are about one's PT numbers "should" be. And often those posts make no distinction about what stakes one is playing.

I'm just trying to add a little context to the stats.