"stealing" the blinds at micro/low limits (cross post)

[deucesevenoff]

A lot of the poker tracker posts I've read have said that people should try to steal the blinds approximately 30% of the time. Unfortunately, in my experience whenever I am in a good blind stealing position (such as CO or button) there are several people who have already limped into the pot since these games are usually pretty loose passive. So raising in a blind stealing attempt is unlikely to succeed (pre flop at least). This is true both at the micro-limits online and in the live small stakes (2/4 and 4/8) games I've played.

I was wondering if anybody else has had any success with "stealing" the blinds in a micro/low limit game after people have already limped in. Are there any adjustments people make such as increasing their raising standards so its more of a value raise than a steal raise? Will a steal attempt at these levels typically involve one or more continuation bets on the flop and turn? It just seems difficult to target that 30%ish figure when it is virtually never folded around to me in late position.

Sorry if this is kind of a vague question, but this is something I've been thinking about for a while as I'm trying to fix a leak of not raising enough preflop. If this has already been discussed could somebody please send me a link of some previous discussions (I used the search function but couldn't find this topic addressed).

[GrandmaStabone]

You cannot steal the blinds if people have already limped in. A blind steal, by definition can only take place when it is folded to you in a steal position. Obviously, in loose, small stakes games the opportunity will come by less often, but when it does you should be trying to steal ~30% of the time. Remember, blind steals are profitable because they do not have to suceed every time.

[bottomset]

what happens is you don't have as many opportunities to steal, but you should still be stealing pretty often when they do come up

though how often depends a fair bit on the blinds and how they play postflop

[detruncate]

Not being able to steal the blinds due to constant mulitway action is a problem we'd all like to have.

What you're talking about isn't blind stealing. Blind stealing invloves open raising.

Sometimes you prefer the blinds fold when you raise in LP -- dead money + fewer opponents when you'd prefer to play HU or SH. Sometimes you're value betting a monster or great mulitway hand and love it when they put in more chips. In any case, you always need to factor in the likely actions of the blinds when deciding whether to raise in LP.

[Greg J]

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Not being able to steal the blinds due to constant mulitway action is a problem we'd all like to have.

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True that.

There is one thing OP might want to keep in mind -- I call it the semi blind steal. Let's say you have only one open limper and a decent but not great hand. Let's say open limper is very weak -- a recreational player who sees too many flops and is predictable and passive post flop. Let's also say the blinds are tight, and will likely fold if you raise. Then you want to isolate the limper with hands like A5s or K8s or 55 with a raise. This situation will come up fairly occasionally in looser games, and OP should have it in his playbook.

[Harv72b]

[ QUOTE ]
There is one thing OP might want to keep in mind -- I call it the semi blind steal. Let's say you have only one open limper and a decent but not great hand. Let's say open limper is very weak -- a recreational player who sees too many flops and is predictable and passive post flop. Let's also say the blinds are tight, and will likely fold if you raise. Then you want to isolate the limper with hands like A5s or K8s or 55 with a raise. This situation will come up fairly occasionally in looser games, and OP should have it in his playbook.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent point. I'd just like to add that if "open limper is very weak" and "blinds are tight, and will likely fold if you raise", then once you get comfortable with plays like this you could almost raise with any 2 in that situation. Of course that hinges on the limper being able to fold postflop.

[deucesevenoff]

Thanks everybody for the help with this issue.

I know that its great when people put money into the pot when we have a huge equity edge, but this post was more in reference to the kind of plays that Greg J and Harv72 are talking about- ones based largely on position.

Seems like the answer to this question is kind of what I was expecting- that it depends on how the limpers play post flop...are they tricky or will they fold when we make a continuation bet...or do they try to hang around until the river with middle pair trying to pair their kicker (great when we have a hand, but not so great when we're bluffing).

I'll definately try adding that semi blind steal play to my arsenal next time I play. Thanks for the help...if anybody else has anything to add it would be greatly appreciated, because like I said- not raising enough PF is probably one of the larger leaks in my game (hovering around 6% or so).