the Donkey of Poker

When playing poker tournaments it is crucial to wining and cashing in them by stealing blinds to get yourself extra chips to keep from floating.  Knowing where you can steal blinds from and attacking the right players is the key to successful attempts.
Lets look at those points supported with an outline.

What is a Blind Steal?

Raising preflop with the intention to win the blinds uncontested, this is done when the player is trying to win the dead money (blinds) with poor hands as it does not matter the hand if the blind steal is successful.

Raising for value or for a steal, how much you raise is depended on your cards.  Holding pocket aces your willing to raise and wanting to be called for you gain little profit with your premium hand if  you only win the blinds.  Sounds like we should be over betting with our junk if we are going to steal?  Sounds scary doesn’t it, a lot more risk to such a little gain.

Lets look at a few situations where blind stealing in a poker tournament is essential

1. when your low on chips and needing chips to cover blinds
2. close to the bubble and looking to cash out
3. your being picked on the entire time playing

1.  Sometimes the flops just don’t fall your way and you peeled off enough flops that your starting to get low in chips, the blinds are about to go up and the only thing you can look at is the blinds are coming your way too.  Its survival mode.

2.  The bubble is about to burst only a couple more players till you cash, scoring some chips now will pass you through this delicate stage and recover your loses and make up for your aces being cracked by making some money.

3.  Passive players often get picked on at the tables and the aggressive players sit there time after time and chip away at your chips to the point where you need to step it up and make a stand.  Stealing back some blinds will recuperate those loses. An eye for an eye.

Position is the Nuts in Poker
When your first starting out to blind steal your going to be trying your attempts from late position to have the best chances to steal.  Position in poker is the nuts because you give yourself the opportunity to put the pressure on your opponent.

With blind stealing your not only putting the pressure on the blinds with a steal preflop but also having position on the flop, turn and river.  If they know that it is more probable they will fold speculative hands with the fear of being out of position.

Try to not only make blind steals from the button, the cut-off is a good place to do it also because it really does hide the fact your making an obvious blind steal.  It is called “buyin the button” which is a move that gets the original button player to fold so if you do get called by the blinds you are last to act on the betting rounds.

Picking Your Opponent & Avoid the Unknowns
There are player types such as the tight passive players who will only play the premium hands that will allow you steal blinds more times then not. These are the players you should make your attempts at.  Avoiding the crazy re-raisers who showdown with junk are players you will be making more second guesses then stacking chips against.

Key Concepts of Blind Stealing

Good Attempts:

• your perceived as a tight player
• raising to tight players in blinds
• a strong bet (4.5x bb+)
• players at risk with short stacks
• mixing it up from button and cut-off

Bad Attempts:

• your seen as loose (see a lot of flops)
• raising to players that are loose/maniacs
• constant blind stealing to same player
• A weak bet (2x bb)
• to early of a position