When to begin stealing??

[jadducci]

I was just wondering when everyone starts to think about and actually steal blinds. Personally I usually wait til about 50/100 at PP 33's.

[ChewyMint]

I will steal early, if the situation proves to be favorable. However, I like waiting until at least 50/100 to pump up the pressure on my opponents. By then, the field is usually down to 5-6 players, which makes it much more possible to steal.

ChewyMint

[mlagoo]

i generally wait until 25/50. i dont want to steal during the first two levels because the image problem of being a "blindstealer" isnt compensated enough by the relatively meager award of 25 or 45 chips. at the point of 75 chips, it becomes a pretty good chunk and worth stealing, imo.

[lem45216]

I usually start stealing around 50/100, or if there have been a lot of early eliminations i might start at 25/50 if there are say only 5 players left.

[morgan180]

level 4 and up

[Nicholasp27]

well, assuming u didn't get a premium hand to play the first 3 levels, then by level 4 (50/100), you are down to 655, or 505 after seeing level 4 blinds...at that point, 150 chips is 20-25% of your stack, so it becomes more favorable for stealing

75 chips is only around 10% of your stack, so it's really not favorable at level 3

[Matt R.]

From the very beginning. The early levels tend to be more "value raises" though in situations where I figure to have the best hand. Even 25 or 45 chips here and there add up early on, and help you stay ahead of the field for when the blinds do go up.

[AA suited]

shove when you have <10BB, and it's +ev to do so.

[The Stick]

I play Bodog instead of Party, and I like level 4... 30/60 to start stealing blinds when appropriate, it's just shy of another 100 chips on my stack, and slowing moving from 2200 to 2500 in that level makes it easier on the 50/100 level.

[adanthar]

Short answer: when you have the best hand or think they'll fold.

Long answer: I don't think it's giving away very much to say that if you raise to 45 from the SB to my BB on level 1, I'm folding way more times than you need to make it profitable. So is everyone else who is decent, so if you have reads, go with them.

Having said that, raising something like A9 from the CO in level 2 is both a steal and raising the probable best hand. At higher limits, this is clearly +EV. Lower down, don't bother.