when to give up after attempting a steal

[vector]

I have a lot of trouble trying to be appropriately aggressive when faced with an unentered pot on the button or in the SB.

In particular I don't know when to give up after trying to steal, and because of this I am less inclined to try it in the first place.

Here is an example of a total mess I got myself into tonight. Any insights into when to bail from this hand greatly appreciated ...

The BB was typically loose, and would not usually give up his blind without a fight.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, MP folds, CO folds, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

Turn: (5 BB) K/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB raises</font>, Hero calls.

River: (9 BB) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 11 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 11 BB, between Hero and BB.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by BB (11 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows Ad 6h (high card, ace).
BB shows As Kh (one pair, kings).
Outcome: BB wins 11 BB. </font>

[Peter_rus]

Capping PF is bad until BB is total LAG. I would fold this on turn for most opponents.

Just understand - your hand is good for steal but when you get action from from average player you face very often stronger hand than yours and you can proceed only when you get odds to draw or flopped at least a pair.

[stripsqueez]

this line would be ok against some opponents some of the time - not many and not often

in addition to observing that its a highly opponent dependant situation i also think your not doing it right unless you look and feel stupid from time to time

on this hand you would have to believe that your opponent is wild in the extreme and indiscriminate - not common

capping pre-flop and leading the flop is ok but strictly as variation when you actually hold crap like A6 - calling the turn raise is rare - paying the river is auto after you called the turn

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Scotch78]

[ QUOTE ]
The BB was typically loose, and would not usually give up his blind without a fight.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then why are you trying a steal-raise against him?

[Zele]

This doesn't seem like a steal at all. Against a very tight player it's a steal (which you should abandon quickly); against a very loose player, it's a value bet. When you get 3-bet, it's time to rethink things.

If the player is very aggressive and/or "knee-jerk" when it comes to being aggressed, the 4-bet is probably the best route, and it commits you to seeing the showdown unless something in the board and subsequent action scares you. Obviously, player knowledge will help determine what is "scary". Even from a LAG, the turn raise is scary.

If he's less "knee-jerk", 4-betting is out of the question (unless he's so tight this will set up a flop steal, which it almost never will.) See the flop, maybe peel one off, but automatically going to the showdown is costly.