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View Full Version : NLHE blind steals, correct bet size?


rotation
12-02-2003, 04:10 PM
I'm new to big bet poker and am having trouble figuring out the correct bet to make on a blind steal from the button. As a little background I typically play in a home game with 3-5 others. The regular 3 in this game are weak-tight, loose-passive and unpredictable-aggressive. The stack sizes start at around $30-40 and go up as people rebuy. The blinds start at $0.25-0.50 or $0.50-$1.00 and do not go up. I find that I do well stealing blinds while the stacks are small relative to the blinds but end up losing more when people run into reasonable hands as the stack sizes go up (especially when the agg. player is in the blinds).

Are there any guidelines that I should be using when attempting to steal? Should I be limping more when the stacks are larger and stealing less? Also, I'll be entering a home-tournament (18 players, $80 buyin NL freezeout) this weekend. This will be my first time playing at a full table, how should I adjust (besides playing tighter esp. in early positions and staying out of the way of big stacks)?

Thanks in advance.

crockpot
12-02-2003, 05:53 PM
in theory, you should be more prone to limp with larger stacks. however, you should still raise a lot with the intention of stealing on the flop if you are called, unless you are playing with calling stations.

in a tournament, your primary adjustment is to react to how the opponents are playing. if they're playing really tight, you need to tighten up your requirements for calling bets and value betting, but loosen your requirements for bluffing. if they're playing loose, do just the opposite. if they're just playing normally, you won't lose much by playing normally, except for possibly adjusting your play to the payout structure when it gets down to a few players.