Adjusting your blind-stealing criteria to your opponents

[cartman]

I know that I need to, but I don't know how to adjust my blind-stealing criteria to my opponents. I know that against really tight blinds (which there are probably 3 or 4 of in the known universe) I should steal alot. But it seems to me that against very loose blinds, I should also steal alot because they essentially have random cards and I have position.

I have played about 175K hands at 5/10 and, although I know it isn't enough for my win rates for various hands to be accurate, by grouping hands together and looking at the button and CO collectively, I have a pretty good idea of what the "threshold" hands are.

I have gradually added stealing hands since I started playing. Orginally my attempt to steal was around 25%. Now I steal a little over 40% of the time and, although my weakest stealing hands are marginally profitable, I am sure that they are horribly unprofitable against some types of opponents and extremely profitable against others.

<font color="blue">Can anyone shed some light on how to adjust my blind stealing criteria to my opponents? </font>

Thank you,
Cartman

[cartman]

For what it's worth here are my typical open-raising criteria:

CO:
Any Ace
55+
any two cards 8+

BUTTON AND SB:
Any Ace
44+
any two cards 7+

[RunDownHouse]

You'll open from the CO with 98?

[Victor]

against stupid blinds whoe will defend with any 2, especially if both blinds are conntinually defending there is nothing wrong with open limping on the button with the lower suited connectors and other hands with little showdown value.

of course, if the blinds tighten up on the flop or turn it is better to take control early so you can fold them out on later streets.

[cartman]

Yes. 97 from the button or SB.

[Wynton]

[ QUOTE ]
For what it's worth here are my typical open-raising criteria:

CO:
Any Ace
55+
any two cards 8+

BUTTON AND SB:
Any Ace
44+
any two cards 7+

[/ QUOTE ]

That's interesting. I don't have access to my stats at the moment, but I believe I steal relatively infrequently. On the other hand, from co and button I'd be open-raising with any pair. On the other hand, I would not be stealing from either position with just 2 cards over 8. From button, I would have said any 2 over 9.

But keep in mind I'm still at 3/6.

[RunDownHouse]

To get back to the postflop part, I really like the way Victor put it. If you won't win a showdown UI and the blinds will go to showdown often, there's no use in pushing T9 as hard as you can.

[redbeard]

i too play 3/6 short handed and steal from the co and button w/ any two higher than ten, any two suited higher than 9, and any pair 5s or better and any ace. what is the general consensus on this game (3/6) and does it differ in 5/10 and higher levels.

[RunDownHouse]

From what I've read, I don't think there's a huge gap between 3/6 and 5/10.

The gap between 5/10 and 10/20 is a chasm.