Guidelines Needed: Stealing From the Button

[Lost Wages]

I recently started playing 5/10 6-max and need some help with guidelines to get started. Particularly vexing are the blind steal/defense situations. I'll address defense in a later post.

How does this sound for a minimum stealing hand from the button against typical/loose blinds?

Pairs: 44
Suited: A2s K7s Q8s J9s
Offsuit: A2o K9o QTo JTo
(29.4% of all hands)

How does your answer change if the blinds are tight?
How does your answer change if you are in the CO?

Thanks for the help,
Lost Wages

[helpmeout]

looks ok to me against tight blinds I add T9s 98s type hands sometimes lower depending on how tight.

Against loose players I usually dump 44 and 55 A4o A2s and some other weaker hands

[srw5n]

I think it's difficult to say which hands to raise with from the button, but if I could just make a quick conceptual note I think you're line of thought is off. You are not looking to "steal" the blinds necessarily. You are in face raising because your hand is better than most random hands. This is different from a full game on the button, because as Abdul and S/M have both noted the relative strengthening of the remaining cards does not occur.

Consider what an average hand is: Q-6o seems to be the median hand. Now if you are stronger than that often you will have the best hand on the button. Further, any PP save 22 and 33 is going to be a favorite against any non PP.

Therefore I raise any situation where I think I am ahead. K-xs, Q-9, J-9, any pp happen to be my minimum unless I know the blinds and feel I have either good folding equity or believe that a poor hand like 9-8s will get paid off big if I hit the flop hard.