seeking general info about blind steals/defense

[siegfriedandroy]

One observation I've made as a fairly new poster is that as you move up levels online, blind steals/defense seems to become a much more important issue. Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about optimum strategy here!

I attempt to pattern my game after THFAP and SSHE. However, it seems these important texts have little or nothing to say about blind steals/defense. Why is that, considering that Sklansky's own site seems to see this as such a crucial part of the game?

Questions:
1) I feel that if I more or less follow Sklansky's preflop advice in SSHE, then I will be too tight in blind defense (since he recommends against raises only playing hands from SB that you'd play early against a raise, as well as not even playing hands like K-10, Q-10, A9 from BB against raises). Arent these recommendations way tighter than the ones winning players here would like to see as correct according to Pokertracker, etc.?

2) If in fact I am too tight in blind defense, what hands should I loosen up with from the SB and BB, respectively (and allow myself to depart from SSHE's guidelines?

3) What hands can I attempt to steal with? (that would depart from SSHE's guidelines)

4) Does blind stealing generally refer to button or cutoff, or should I consider stealing from middle (or even early) position as well? (If so, then what hands would be reasonable options to attempt steals from mid/early position, as opposed to late?)

5) Does Sklansky or this site (or anyone else whose poker advice you believe is sound) provide any definitive, solid information regarding blind steals/defense?


**I feel my game is becoming fairly solid, and I would like to move up soon, but am concerned about blinds/steals since it seems so important to the experts here, and yet my knowledge of the subjects is elementary. PLEASE HELP!!

[monix]

I've tried to do a search, but the search function on this site is brutal.

Any tips, or links to good posts would be most appreciated!

[zephed56]

I'm assuming you play limit...

Check out the HUSH forum. Many hands involve steals/defense.

I would recommend learning shorthanded AND heads-up play. If you are playing 3/6 full and under, I would recommend 1/2 6-max at party, and then if you enjoy SH, move up at other sites such as stars, pokerroom, ub, etc.

I've played a lot at 1/2 6-max, and the play there is extremely soft. Lots of calling with crap. I open up my blind steal range against calling stations because they are so easy to play against postflop. You get free cards nearly everytime you need `em, they will call you down when you make a hand (you'll generally get action from your made hands), they aren't tricky, and they won't punish you when they have a strong hand.

I also open up my range against tighties who fold their blinds easily.

I tighten up against aggressive opponents, especially lags. They often three bet you pf if they decide they are going to play. After that, they become unreadable, because they WILL bluff, and you never (might not?) know when they are actually value betting you.

Lags have have good follow through on their bluffs, so they may actually bet all three streets on a bluff/UI.

Steals bring out a lot of weird plays/reactions.

Anyways, was that generic enough?
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