Stealing the blinds in NLHE

[DavidC]

But how much are you raising, and how do your respond to a re-raise, and how does the size of the re-raise change your response?

This is a really big topic.

[AdamL]

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- Adam

[Spekkio]

In a cash game, the blinds aren't worth stealing usually. First of all, at a full 10 person table, it's rare that it will get to you on the dealer unraised. Secondly, the blinds are so small it's not worth it to steal them. It's not like a tourney where the blinds are going to make you go bust.

Anyway, the only time "stealing" might be appropriate is with a lot of limpers in the hand. If you are quite confident that means weakness from everyone, you might "steal" by going all-in from the cut-off (which works better, btw) or the button. This way you take 5-6 people's blinds, not just 1. You might be up against AK or QQ, KK, or AA, but there's a 99% chance they'd have raised the pot by now to narrow the field and make their hand hold up.

[jonnyUCB]

I think the play I make related to this but not quite the same is value raising in LP vs players who are known to limp with garbage. If a player shows down A3o which he called utg i'm going to raise him when hes the sole limper almost 75% of the time.

Stealing from the blinds is a bit of an art and something I only do when I'm quite familiar with the way the blinds play. You will be betting almost all flops but it's important to know what their responses will indicate. When observing unknown players when I first sit in a game, I almost always check out the blinds who will be facing my steals first. How do they play vs a PFR when OOP? is the main question you should be asking against the blind players. How about vs someone who looks like their on a steal (raising from the CO/button)?

Also its important to fold most of the time but only throw it in a few times an hour, not every suited connector you pick up. This way stealing doesnt become your profit, but rather replenishes your stack for a few rounds of blinds which helps out in the long run.